Old Farts On Bikes

I'm 51 years old and I love competing in triathlons. I'm not unusual. Lots of old farts are doing the same thing.

"Multisport events, such as triathlons and duathlons, have grown in popularity among all age groups in the past 15 years. In its initial season in 1988, Triathlantic hosted only five races. This year, it has 17 events scheduled and more than 25,000 member athletes. Meanwhile, the USA Triathlon Mid-Atlantic Region boasts a 110-race schedule. The triathlon season runs spring to fall, meaning there's an event within a day's drive of Washington almost every weekend between now and October.

"Sold-out events are the norm," Jaeger says. "Athletes are beginning to realize the benefits of competing in multisport competitions -- more diversity, less monotony and generally less stressful on the body's joints than the individual acts of running, swimming or biking."

Witnessing the sport's rising popularity, the AARP decided to sponsor its own 12-city sprint triathlon series from 2001 to 2003. The idea was to promote fitness in the over-50 population. Although a triathlon -- even a short one -- takes a good bit of preparation, the series attracted 6,600 participants in its three years."

I don't do races limited old farts though. I get my greatest satisfaction beating the young punks.