David Edelstein at the finish line of the 2021 Lake Placid Ironman.
News Story

New College of Arts & Sciences Dean Practices Cura Personalis on the Run

During a particularly hectic and stressful period in David Edelstein’s career about 10 years ago, he turned to something completely unrelated to work to unwind.

He ran. He biked. He swam. He did bodyweight workouts. 

The exercise helped Edelstein, who became the new dean of the College of Arts & Sciences on July 1, think about where he wanted to take his career. At that time, Edelstein was finishing his second book, working toward a promotion to full professor and had taken on new administrative responsibilities at Georgetown. 

He leaned into endurance sports as an outlet, competing in marathons and triathlons. He later finished two full Ironman competitions, each consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run. Nowadays, Edelstein enjoys running, biking and strength training at the gym.

By fitting workouts and training sessions into his busy schedule — often early in the morning before dawn — Edelstein said he has become a more well-rounded person. It has given him something to focus on besides his work schedule. In short, he’s applied the values of cura personalis, or care of the whole person, to his life.

“It is important to have something other than your work,” Edelstein said. “You don’t have to be a triathlete, and you certainly don’t have to be an Ironman triathlete or a marathon runner. It can be going for a half hour walk every day. It can be painting. Whatever it is, I think having something that gives you a distraction from other things that you’re doing and makes you a more well-rounded person just makes you a healthier person.”

Going the Distance

Edelstein’s interest in sports started early.

Growing up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, a suburb of Philadelphia, he became a fan of all professional Philadelphia sports teams, with a particular love for the Philadelphia 76ers and Olympic sports. But Edelstein’s fandom didn’t translate to participation in sports.

Beyond playing recreational soccer or basketball, he did not join any sports teams in school. Edelstein was more interested in his schoolwork and learning about politics, history and economics.

He certainly never thought he would become a competitive triathlete as an adult.

David Edelstein cycling on the Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway during the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

David Edelstein cycling on the Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway during the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. (The IRONMAN Group/Finisherpix.com)

“Fifteen-year-old me would be shocked by what 50-year-old me was doing,” he said.

But when Edelstein turned 40 years old with two young sons, he realized he was not as healthy as he wanted to be. 

So, he started doing resistance and bodyweight workouts in his basement at 4:30 in the morning. After six months of only that, Edelstein got bored. He needed a new goal.

“I said, all right, well, I’ll run a marathon, right? That’s a good goal to have,” he said.

Edelstein had run occasional 5Ks for fun but never raced longer distances. He asked his sister-in-law, a marathon runner, for a training plan, and soon, pre-dawn basement workouts became runs on the Capital Crescent Trail.

“There’s always been something about workouts first thing in the morning, where no matter how the rest of my day goes, I feel I have accomplished something,” Edelstein said. 

In 2014, he ran the Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon in D.C. and finished the race in 3 hours, 26 minutes and 10 seconds — a pace of 7:52 per mile.

The day after the marathon, Edelstein got out of bed with pain in his knees, and his wife, in a moment Edelstein jokes that she likely regrets, encouraged him to try triathlons, which includes running, swimming and biking. Even though he had never swum competitively, he signed up for triathlons and quickly discovered his new passion. 

“I was never bored with it, because I was always doing some other different type of workout,” Edelstein said. 

Edelstein completed his first triathlon in the summer of 2014 in Culpepper, Virginia. It was a sprint triathlon, which consists of a 750-meter swim, a 14.3-mile bike ride and a 5K run. He finished in the middle of his age group. For about a decade after that, Edelstein worked with a local triathlon coach, David Henkel, and went on to complete around 20 triathlons.

“I knew he had a lot of potential physically,” Henkel said. “Combine that with his mental aptitude and excitement for the sport, and it was clear he was going to be special.”

Racing Against Yourself

Edelstein has found that exercise and training benefit his work life. It allows him to better focus, he said, and his job at Georgetown and race preparation both require strategy.

“There’s a lot of strategizing in the triathlon,” Edelstein said. “You’re racing against other people, but, in many ways, you’re racing against yourself, and thinking about how to make your way through the three different disciplines.”

Prior to his role as dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, Edelstein served as the vice provost for education, vice dean for faculty affairs in the College and a professor in the Department of Government and the Walsh School of Foreign Service. He has written two books that examine military intervention and great power politics.

David Edelstein reading the honorary degree citation for Yamiche Alcindor (C'09) at the 2023 College of Arts & Sciences commencement.

David Edelstein read the honorary degree citation for Yamiche Alcindor (C’09) at the 2023 College of Arts & Sciences commencement. (Phil Humnicky/Georgetown University)

“The common thread among these different interests is strategy,” Edelstein said. “Whether it’s in sports or politics, how you achieve your goals, in some sense, has always been fascinating to me.”

He said the chance to lead and guide the College as its dean excites him. His priorities include building the College’s identity and developing its global presence. He feels a sense of pride in what the College does, both at Georgetown and beyond. 

“I’ve been at Georgetown for a long time now and worked in the College dean’s office for several years, and I have such admiration and affection for the institution,” Edelstein said. “Its smart, dedicated and caring people — faculty, staff and students — are its special sauce.”

Reaching the Top

After completing several half Ironman triathlons, Edelstein set his sights on his next goal: a full Ironman. 

In 2021, he signed up for his first full Ironman in Lake Placid and finished in just under 11 and a half hours. Half way through the eight-hour drive home the following day, Edelstein stopped to get lunch and stretch his legs. When he opened his email inbox, an unexpected message popped up inviting him to register for another Ironman.

Edelstein had qualified for the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, an iconic and scenic race through lava fields and along the coastline.

“My head exploded,” he said. “I was immediately texting everybody I know in the triathlon world.”

In the race, which took place in October of 2022, Edelstein moved up in the rankings in each of the three legs of the race and finished in the middle of his age group. He had competed in the world championships in just his second full Ironman.

“I’ve been to the top of the triathlon mountain,” Edelstein said. “I wasn’t the fastest to get there, but it was an amazing experience.”

David Edelstein crossing the finish line of the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii in October of 2022.

David Edelstein crossing the finish line of the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii in October of 2022. (The IRONMAN Group/Finisherpix.com)

These days, Edelstein isn’t competing in triathlons. Instead, he goes to his local F45 Training gym at 5:30 a.m. six days a week, incorporating both cardio and strength training. On the weekends, he usually goes for a long run or bike ride.

To Edelstein, few things are better than an early morning run.

“I’ve always said that I do my best thinking when I’m walking or running or moving in some way,” he said.

(Top photo taken at the 2021 Ironman Lake Placid by The IRONMAN Group/Finisherpix.com)

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