MSI Press Blog

  Yes!  Racing against Time  by Jeffrey Weiss is now available on preorder: The paperback is available now on pre-order at the  MSI Press webstore . Get a pre-order 25% discount with coupon code FF25. It will be available soon on Amazon and B&N as well. The e-book is available now for pre-order on  Amazon Kindle . The book will be released on October 1, 2025. A perfect reading to start on Fitness Friday. Stand by and be ready! Book Description: In  Racing Against Time , Jeff Weiss shares the story of his late middle-age transformation.  Weiss went from running a first 10K race at age 48 to becoming an Ironman and ultramarathoner by his late 50s.  Along the way he discovers the extraordinary physical and emotional benefits that flow from chasing ever-increasing fitness goals.  Weiss’s journey shows us that we have the power to influence how we age, that goal-setting and adventure are not solely the province of the young.  At a time wh...

  Precerpt (excerpt prior to publication) from Grandma's Ninja Training Diary -- There’s something incredibly humbling about needing to pause 2/3 of the way up a hill you’ve walked daily for years—especially when that hill is notoriously brutal, a football field long at a steady 30-degree incline. I’ve always taken pride in breezing past younger walkers as they gasp behind me. So, when I suddenly had to stop mid-hill for breath, I noticed. And I paid attention. When I mentioned it to my doctor, I half-expected a shrug and some comment about age or the difficulty of the climb. Instead, he took me seriously. “Any change without a clear reason is worth investigating,” he said. He was right. It turned out that my iron had plummeted from a healthy 40 to 29, well below the normal 35 average for my age—overnight. We’re still figuring out why, but I’m now on iron supplements and grateful we caught it early. Why? Because I listened to my body. That’s the heart of body awareness, and it’s on...

  Coming soon! Watch for it!  Grandma's Ninja Training Diary  (Leaver and Renz) Grandma’s Ninja Training Diary  is the inspiring true story of a 70-year-old grandmother who dares to dream big—by training for  American Ninja Warrior . Teaming up with coach and trainer Brittany Renz, she embarks on a three-year journey to build strength, resilience, flexibility, balance, and endurance—starting from scratch. Told in a dynamic mix of diary entries, coaching insights, and behind-the-scenes reflections, this book chronicles the ups and downs of late-in-life athletic training. From gym workouts to rock climbing, yoga to injury recovery, sleep to mindset—every aspect of the transformation is explored with honesty and humor. Grandma shares what she’s learning; Coach Brittany explains why she’s right—or wrong. Together, they offer a realistic, encouraging look at what it takes to pursue an extraordinary goal at any age. Part training manual, part motivational memoir,...

  Precerpt (pre-publication excerpt) from Grandma's Ninja Training Diary -- Memory, Muscle, and Motivation: Rediscovering Strength Later in Life When we return to exercise after a long hiatus, our bodies often surprise us with what they remember. The phenomenon of "muscle memory" isn't just anecdotal—it's a fascinating biological reality that gives older adults a significant advantage when resuming physical activity, something my trainer, Brittany, taught me. My own journey back to fitness revealed the veracity of that reality in unexpected ways. Despite decades away from military training, my body immediately recalled how to execute jumping jacks with surprising efficiency—completing 40 in quick succession when my trainer expected far fewer, and I could have kept going. My muscles had quietly preserved the neural pathways formed during my Army days, waiting patiently to be reactivated. This biological advantage comes from two mechanisms. First, the neural patter...