Swim, bike, run

MONROE — Dennis Peterson was always an athlete, but his involvement in triathlon events came about due to illness.
About 10 years ago, the Monroe resident was diagnosed with myositis, a rare disease where his immune system chronically inflamed his body’s own healthy muscle tissue. Persistent inflammation can progressively weaken muscles.
No one knows what triggers the immune system’s attack. Myositis can take several forms, usually develops slowly over time and can range in severity from mild to debilitating or worse. Peterson said the disease falls under the muscular dystrophy umbrella, and doctors told him he couldn’t do anything.
That didn’t sit well with him.
“I’d sneak out of the house and go for little runs,” said Peterson. “I asked if I could do anything and they told me I could swim a little bit. Then, I was biking a little bit. And then I ran a little bit. I didn’t like the side effects of my medication and I stopped taking them.”
Peterson no longer takes any medications and is in good health.

A local ‘user-friendly’ course

Tomorrow, Peterson is among the 250 people who will compete in the inaugural YMCA of Middletown Triathlon at the Twin Lakes Waterski Park to benefit the South Orange Family YMCA. Funds will be earmarked for future expansion at the Monroe facility, which opened in February 2011.
“I do about six or seven a year,” said Peterson, who is 61 and just completed a triathlon at West Point this past weekend. “That’s why I’m doing it; it’s great to have one on your backyard.”
Race organizer Daniel Honig called the course “a very good course, it’s quite a user=friendly course” allowing competitors to travel through parts of the Village of Monroe and the towns of Monroe, Blooming Grove and Chester.
And he’s pleasantly surprised at the high numbers of people who have never participated in the swim, bike and running event and who will compete in their first one in Monroe.
It’s also the first time Monroe has ever hosted such an event.
“It’s definitely has a higher concentration of ‘newbies’ from the Orange County area,” said Honig, founder and president of the New York Triathlon Club. “It’s kind of an inducement, a ‘tri’ in your backyard. People will probably be induced to say, ‘Oh I’ll do this one. It’s right here.’”

Improved health

That’s how Chester resident Martin Klie felt.
“I do one probably once a year,” said Klie, 41. “I do other stuff, like 5ks. I like this one better because it’s connected to the Y and I like the Y a lot. It’s a great place to work out and it’s very economical and it’s clean and near to the Heritage Trail. The only thing missing is a pool. But one of these days, I hope it’s there.”
Like others, Klie had his reasons why he became involved in the sport.
“I started because of age,” he said. “I did a lot of other stuff, like body building. But it didn’t suit me well in my 40s. I always enjoyed biking and running with a passion. “
Klie felt being a part of a triathlon was a great boost to his health.
“In the end, it’s helped everything,” he added. “As you get older, everything gets slower. You have to be conscious of your heart and your cholesterol. This has certainly worked to my benefit. Any injury I had in the past, there’s no more problems. Things have gotten better, certainly for someone my age.”

Not an Iron Man triathlon

Veteran triathletes are also participating.
“There’s also a fair number of people who are experienced,” Honig added. “I know some people who are top triathletes who are coming. Probably one of the reasons is that they have a lot of confidence in the races put on by my club. I’ve put on 500 races. We have people coming as far away as Long Island.”
Honig stressed a triathlon is a relatively easy event to participate in, and shouldn’t be compared to the “iron man” triathlons seen on television.
“The distances involved are relatively short,” he said. “A 13 mile bike ride, a three mile run is a 5k, the shortest run there is. There’s people who go out and run three miles a day to stay in shape. It’s not something you have to train for days in and out. Anyone in decent shape can do one of these ‘tris.’ People have to overcome the stereotype that a ‘tri’ is an endurance event.”
He added: “The average person does the swim we’re putting on in 10 to 12 minutes. Then there’s 13 miles of biking which takes the average person 45 minutes. An average person runs a mile in nine minutes. The average person is going to finish this race in an hour and a half, and that’s three sports.”
Peterson is a staunch supporter of triathlon events and encouraged people to learn more about the sport.
“It’s the best thing you can do,” he said. “It becomes a way of life, it really does. It helps you think, it increases endorphins. I’ll do anything to promote this sport. It’s the best thing in the world.”
Honig agreed. “The cool thing is to come out and have fun as a competitor or as a spectator,” he said. “The vast majority of the people, if you ask them after the race, will tell you they had a great time and will be back for more.”

Signature Y event

Y officials are looking forward to a successful event, and are happy to bring an event of this magnitude to Monroe.
“Our goal is to raise between $10,000 to $15,000 for our first year,” said Y Branch Manager Ross Miceli, noting funds will be used to acquire additional square footage for the Y. “In the years to come this will be our annual fund raiser and signature event. To have all these partnerships with the four municipalities, volunteers, our staff and New York Triathlon, that’s what’s awesome to me. It’s a great sense of community.”
For those who are competing tomorrow, Klie offered this advice:
“Pace yourself, it’s your race and only your race,” he said. “Know what your pace is and keep to your own pace and be happy that you finished.”

By Nancy Kriz