Older athletes triumph in challenging triathlon
By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer
John Christenson patiently waited at the finish line for his sister. He crossed his tattooed arms across a burly chest. It was just after 9 a.m. and his sweaty sleeveless shirt proved his accomplishment: He completed his very first triathlon. At age 54.
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Half-jokingly, his sister asked him to train with her. He was overweight and drank vodka and a six-pack a day.
Martin Sherman of Wai'alae-Kahala was the oldest competitor in the AARP Tri-Ump! at 81. Sherman completed the 400-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike and 5-kilometer run in 2 hours, 22 minutes, 20 seconds.
"So I confused her and said yes," said the Kailua resident with a laugh.
The triathlon they signed up for was perfect for him. The AARP's Tri-Umph! Classic was designed for athletes of every level over age 50. The $3,000 multi-sport challenge at Schofield Barracks on Sunday featured a 400-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike and 5-kilometer run, with the goal of helping people over 50 get in shape and enjoy doing it.
They began training in September with Brian Clarke, local trainer and triathlon coach. By October, Christenson had quit drinking and avoided junk food. The result: He lost 25 pounds, lowered his blood pressure to 132 over 62 and brought his cholesterol level down to 177.
"God, I feel great," he said, hardly containing a smile of self-satisfaction.
That's the whole point of the AAPR-sponsored triathlon, which boasted more than 150 participants on Sunday, 90 percent of whom were between 50 and 57 years young.
"This is something challenging, but not too over-the-top," said Greg Marchildon, AARP Hawai'i state director. "It's something they'd have to train for, something to inspire them."
The triathlon was part of the first national triathlon series targeting Baby Boomers. Participants could compete in all three legs of the triathlon or as a three-person relay team. Five other cities hosted the Tri-Umph Classic, including Dallas, Los Angeles and St. Petersburg, Fla. Honolulu was the last stop for the touring triathlon.
And Hawai'i proved to be an ideal destination.
"Honolulu is intriguing because there are more Baby Boomers per capita than any other city in America," Marchildon said, adding that there are about 140,000 AARP members in the state. "There's great diversity and Hawai'i is a nationally renowned active community. The combination of those three things made Hawai'i an obvious selection."
The image of aging has changed, experts say. No longer are fifty-somethings considered frail, fragile, old. They are active, vibrant and enjoying life in their prime.
"Today's 70-year-old is yesterday's 50-year-old," Marchildon said. "A really active mind adds quality years to the body."
Kalani Scott is the epitome of fitness. At age 50, he runs about 50 to 75 miles and bikes about 35 miles a week. Getting older has been frustrating; his body doesn't recover as quickly and he's much more injury-prone. But the semi-retired engineer from Waikoloa enjoys being a fit 50.
"I love spanking the younger kids," Scott said with a laugh. He placed first, completing the triathlon in 1 hour, 1 minute and 16 seconds.
Finishing first for the women at 1:13.56, 52-year-old Peggy Regentine has made a lifetime commitment to fitness. Like Scott, she has been competing in races and triathlons for more than 20 years and has completed the Ironman on the Big Island twice. The last one just six years ago.
"It's a little harder than it used to be, but it's a really wonderful time," said the computer science instructor at Windward Community College, who bikes about 100 miles and runs 25 miles a week. "It's great to be alive. And fitness is really, really important."
And anyone can start, at any age.
Allen O'Brien came from Lihu'e, Kaua'i, to Honolulu to participate in his first-ever triathlon. He's 70.
"(Training) makes me feel good," said the retired operating engineer. "Of course, it feels better when you stop."
And accomplishing something so strenuous, something that seems so impossible for people over 50, is part of the allure.
"When you go through a lot, you gain a lot," said 58-year-old Barbara Mateo-Kihano, who organized three relay teams of her high school classmates (St. Francis Class of 1961) to participate. "What seems so impossible in the very beginning is so possible if you break it down in steps. Do a little at a time, and you can do it."
She alternates her workouts, swimming three days a week and running or biking the other two, around Kane'ohe. The retired electronics mechanic and grandmother of two just completed her first Tinman and hiked Mount Fuji in Japan.
Attitude, she said, is the difference.
"I just feel that the sky's the limit," she said with an infectious smile. "If I've never done it, then why not?"
Reach Catherine Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8533.
