RACING AGAINST TIME

In this memoir that highlights the challenges and rewards of training at an older age, the author emphasizes throughout that perseverance and adaptability are essential to progress. Here, Weiss looks back on his eventful athletic journey: from tentative first races—including an early, stinging DNF (Did Not Finish) that fueled his later determination—to completing a half-marathon while confronting doubts about his own speed (“While I didn’t give up on the idea of breaking one hour,” he says, “I was also starting to realize that I was never going to be fast. At 6′, 220 pounds, I did not exactly have a classic runner’s build.”) His discovery of cross-training, inspired by Chris Crowley’s self-help title Younger Next Year, marks a turning point in his development: “You do not have to get old the way you think,” Crowley writes, “you can become a radically better guy over the next five years and then level off.” Over time, the author pushes himself to compete in and finish several world-renowned races, demonstrating remarkable grit and personal growth. Race-day scenes are vivid and intimately detailed, such as passing by a group of Brownies handing out flags to honor 9/11 on a half-marathon course, and grappling with the notorious “brick” feeling he gets when transitioning from bike to run during his first triathlon. However, the detailed descriptions of each race occasionally drag, making for too slow a pace for more impatient readers. The memoir’s honest reflections on physical challenges and mental resilience resonate alongside classics like Haruki Murakami’s What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, blending the physical demands of sport with introspective growth. The author does not gloss over setbacks, such as calf pain that threatened his training, and the grueling heat of race day, which tested his endurance. This grounded authenticity will appeal to athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike, particularly those who value a thoughtful blend of motivation and realism.