My Ironman preparation: zero to Ironman in 7 months
My journey from having no experience in endurance sports to running an Ironman
When I decided to train for an Ironman, I wasn’t coming in with a background in endurance sports; I was starting from scratch. For me, it wasn’t about chasing numbers or obsessing over the fanciest gear; it was about stepping away from the pressure and seeing what would happen if I simply tried to do […]
I Went to Grad School in Boston
Mr. M fell in the shower. His home caregiver found him on the floor. It was unclear whether he had hit his head, passed out, felt faint or short of breath, had chest pain, experienced an aura, or simply lost his balance. Mr. M has Alzheimer’s disease, and cannot remember what caused him to fall— […]
Obituary for Getfit
Saying goodbye to MIT's annual physical activity challenge after 21 years
I remember the first time I walked into the MIT Zesiger Center (Z-center for short) to try to fit a workout in the last hot days of September. I saw varsity athletes and crop tops abound, grunting around weights or running fast speeds on the treadmill. Meanwhile, I had never run a mile in one […]
Observations from the 2024 Geophysical Plasma Expedition
Chasing the aurora from Cambridge, MA to Fairbanks, AK
We stand spread across a frozen hilltop, gazing North at a pale green band low above the horizon. The landscape around us is blanketed in unbroken snow, appearing almost extraterrestrial in the flat light of the waxing crescent moon. We fidget to stay warm and murmur to one another about the slight undulations of the […]
Weak signals can build strong bonds
How science inspires community in a small town in West Virginia
Picture this: You’ve been on the road for 11 hours. Your bladder is full and your stomach is empty, but all you drive by is trees, fields, and the occasional farmhouse. You grip the steering wheel and squint through the dark at the road in front of you, expecting to come face-to-face with a deer around every turn…
