Blog Archives
Finally Make Time For Fitness
Racing Against Time follows your journey from a defeated teenage runner to a 56-year-old endurance athlete, revealing how relentless effort, humility, and heart can reshape the aging curve and one’s sense of purpose. Why was this an important book for you to write?
In the first years after I got started in endurance sports, I read everything I could about running and triathlon. I especially enjoyed fitness memoirs. I found these to be a source of inspiration – convincing me that I could take on challenges that had always seemed out of reach. They were also filled with good practical advice, which was important to me during those early years when I was still so inexperienced.
Now, 15 years after I started on this fitness journey with a first 10K at age 48, I look back with amazement at how endurance sports have enhanced my life. They turned the decade of my 50s into one of discovery and adventure. And I credit my exposure to the world of ultramarathons and Ironman for much of my success in the challenging world of start-ups.
Writing Racing Against Time was my way of trying to do the same for others who are just getting started. Especially because I started so late (I ran my first 10K at age 48) and because I am not an especially fast runner, I hope my story can persuade others who are approaching mid-life and are concerned about their fitness to give endurance sports a try. I would love to see others experience the things I have in recent years – to surprise themselves, to gain confidence, and to find the joy in climbing new mountains in all spheres of life.
What finally pushed you to confront the sting of that first failed 10K after letting it simmer for thirty years?
It was a combination of things. My father had passed away the year before and that caused me to think about my own health and well-being. Before that, I had, like a lot of us, always pushed off to the future thoughts about getting serious about fitness – telling myself that I would start once I had more time. At age 48 and with my father’s passing still fresh in my mind, I decided that this was not something that I should put off any longer.
Around that same time, I met Jason Schwartz, who was only a few years younger than me and had recently started running. He had already progressed to the marathon and had really been transformed by the experience. That planted the idea that I should specifically consider making running a centerpiece of my effort to finally make time for fitness.
You write openly about fear, ego, and self-doubt. Was there a particular race or training cycle where those emotions almost stopped you?
I found the prospect of taking on a full Ironman race (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run) to be extraordinarily intimidating. For years I had entirely ruled it out as impossible for someone like me. When I did finally decide to take one on, it was only after years of training (including multiple marathons, my first two ultras, and a number of shorter distance triathlons) – and even then, I set the goal for some two years later so that I would have ample time to build up to it. For the entire period of training I was anxious about my ability to finish the race – yet at the same time excited and energized that I was chasing something that was challenging and that would have the potential to redefine me as an athlete and change me as a person.
If someone in mid-life feels stuck and overwhelmed, what is the smallest, most doable first step you hope they take after reading your book?
I would recommend taking the crucial mental step of deciding that the time to begin is now, and to make the firm commitment to yourself that you will train a specified number of days per week virtually no matter what – and to start today. The ideal number of days per week to train is 6. You can start with fewer if absolutely necessary (for example 3 or 4 days) – you should never let the perfect be the enemy of the good – but you need to start now and to be consistent. Over time you should try different fitness activities to find the one(s) that work best for you. It will take some amount of experimentation and you don’t need to have all the answers at the beginning.
Author Links: Facebook | Website
“Weiss’ work is a raw and honest commentary on the human condition and the need to squeeze everything out of life while pushing past perceived limits to live life as it’s meant to be lived—an adventure.”-US Review of Books
“A motivational sports memoir, Racing Against Time chronicles grueling endurance running accomplishments achieved in midlife.”-Clarion/Foreword Reviews
Winner, Gold Book Award – Literary Titan
Racing Against Time: On Ironman, Ultramarathons and the Quest for Transformation in Mid-Life
Racing Against Time follows Jeffrey Weiss as he moves from a late start in endurance sports to an astonishing personal transformation. The book traces his path from a worn-out teenager chasing a free t-shirt in his first 10K to a fifty-six-year-old pushing himself through ultramarathons, Ironman races, and long nights of doubt and grit. The early chapters set the tone clearly. Weiss frames running, triathlon, and extreme endurance not as sports alone but as a way to reshape the aging curve and reclaim a sense of purpose. His story grows from a simple memory of walking the last miles of a teenage race to the vivid description of cramping through the Valley of a Thousand Hills in the Comrades Marathon. It is a story of stubbornness. It is a story of self-reinvention. It is a story of learning to push past what you thought your body could do.
When I read Weiss describing that first failed 10K and how it gnawed at him for thirty years, I felt that sting in my own gut. The writing is not dressed up with fancy literary tricks, and that works. His voice is honest. He talks about fear, pride, ego, and the weird little lies we tell ourselves when we are chasing a goal that scares us. I like how he lets the reader sit with his uncertainty, especially as he deals with injury, aging, and the emotional toll of training alone. The chapter where he stands in the Marine Corps Marathon start area, wrapped in old sweats while surrounded by thousands of runners, has this intimate energy. I found myself rooting for him, even when he doubted he should be out there at all.
I also enjoyed how Weiss talks about the messy parts of chasing big goals. There is no glamor here. He describes feeling awkward in his first triathlon swim. He admits he hated running at first. He talks about the grief after his father’s death and how that loss pushed him to confront his own decline. The way he connects exercise to identity hit me hardest. It’s not a lecture. It’s more like listening to a friend unpack years of mistakes and tiny wins and then laughing a little at himself. I appreciated the warmth with which he writes about the people who pushed him along, like his coaches, his brothers, and his wife leaving encouraging notes during races. That tenderness snuck up on me, and it made the whole story feel fuller and more relatable.
This book would hit home for anyone in mid-life who feels stuck or who worries that their best years are gone. It would be great for new runners who want a companion who admits every fear they are feeling. It would be even better for people who have always wondered what it might feel like to chase a ridiculous dream just to see if you can do it. Weiss makes the case that it is never too late to change your curve, and he does it with heart.
Pages: 279 | ASIN: B0FC5MVLRM
LITERARY TITAN 