Category Archives: Races

One more half-marathon: Garmin Durham 1/2

Posted on May 10, 2026 by admin

My third half marathon in the last two years – May 2026 Garmin Durham 1/2 marathon – done! Lovely race; running through the Durham Bulls stadium is a very special experience, and so is finishing on Duke’s football stadium. Problem … Continue reading →

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2017 Triathlon Age Group National Competition

Posted on August 25, 2017 by admin

The Nationals, the first ones for me, are an experience to be savored. There is a sense of achievement in getting to this race — I’ve worked towards this qualifying-only race for 5 years, after all.

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Pain Of Not Doing A Planned Race, or Woes of a DNS

Posted on July 23, 2016 by admin

The wisdom of racing is that finishing dead last (DFL) is better than not finishing (DNF), and not finishing is better than not starting (DNS). DFL < DNF < DNS. Well, T-shirt wisdom aside, sometimes you gotta take the annoying … Continue reading →

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What Is Harder: An Ironman Or A PhD?

Posted on February 14, 2016 by admin

I recently ran across a curious question on Quora: what is harder, completing a PhD or completing a marathon (a 26.2 mile run)? Having done both [ PhD, races ] , hands-down, the answer is the PhD – there is … Continue reading →

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Ironman Triathlon

Posted on October 24, 2015 by admin

I did it! The face of a person at the finish line of their first Ironman: I found the Ironman different from all the races I’ve done before. After ~20 major races and more than 50 races in total, I … Continue reading →

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50 Races Completed: Reflections

Posted on May 18, 2015 by admin

As of this weekend, I have finished a total of 50 races. My first race was a May 2009 Jersey City 10K run. My 50th race was a Harriman State Park olympic distance triathlon (1500m swim, 40km bike ride, 10K … Continue reading →

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Mount Washington Road Race

Posted on June 25, 2013 by admin

Last weekend I conquered Mount Washington Road Race, which has long been on my bucket list. This well-organized, unusual race did not disappoint; I would highly recommend it to folks that are up for its challenges. While only 7.6 miles … Continue reading →

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Philadelphia Marathon

Posted on November 26, 2012 by admin

It never ceases to amaze me how deeply personally satisfactory it feels to do something you thought you could never do. Having had knee troubles for many years (me and my knee troubles go back years, all the way back … Continue reading →

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Escape from Alcatraz 2012

Posted on June 26, 2012 by admin

Long before I even started exercising, I caught, randomly, a Canadian TV special dedicated to the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon race. It seemed insane — people swim over 2km from the Alcatraz Island to the San Fransisco shore, then bike … Continue reading →

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NYC Triathlon: Unique New York Experience

Posted on August 1, 2010 by admin

A bucket-list item checked off: I finished the NYC Triathlon. I’ve done several shorter triathlons, but this was my first Olympic-distance event: 1.5 km swim, followed by a 40km bike ride, followed by a 10km run. In the NYC Triathlon, … Continue reading →

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