WHILE other men let go in mid-life, Israeli businessman and triathlete Josef Gueta is trim and buff at 60.

 

He celebrated his milestone year by joining five triathlons, and he topped the 60 to 64 age group in two events: the Cobra Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific in Cebu and the Regent 5150 in Subic.

 

He built momentum earlier by placing second in the NAGT 5150 Triathlon and Subic Triathlon, and third in the Century Tuna Ironman 70.3. He would have joined his first full triathlon, Ironman Barcelona, were it not for an injury.

 

Still, Gueta has managed to get younger athletes to eat his dust. His body has been marathon-ready all his life. In his youth he was a runner and a soccer player. In military service, he specialized in counter-terrorism and intelligence.

 

He came to the Philippines in 1990, when bank robberies were rampant. Financial institutions had asked him to develop security systems and introduce armored cars.

 

Today, Gueta is CEO and managing director of Business Profile, which offers cyber intelligence, corporate strategy, security, intelligence services and consultancy for security requirement and risk and crisis management.

 

Four years ago, his gym buddies urged him to join their race team. “I love competing with younger people,” he says.

 

Gueta started out with a relay team composed of two males and two females. His initial outing was the Sunrise 5150 in Subic, where he took the running portion. At that time, he didn’t have the technique for marathon swimming and biking.

 

People who get into triathlon in midlife are attracted to the sport because of the mental challenge and variety. They don’t have to endure the monotony of a single sport for a long period of time.

 

Gueta then built his strength by participating in duathlons and triathlons.

 

 Pothole

 

Last August, he finished IronMan 70.3 in six hours and 20 minutes, two hours less than the cut-off time. His running record was 2 hours and 39 minutes for 21 km. “My best was 1:40,” he says.

 

His swimming record was 45 minutes.

 

The bike race took three hours as the bike got into a pothole and a chain fell. The obstruction delayed him by four minutes.

 

“That’s the fun part of the event. You get used to it,” he says.

 

Since January, Gueta has been girding for Ironman Barcelona. He had to develop proper nutrition habits.

 

“I grew up not eating and hydrating properly. I never drank in races so I ended up getting tired,” he says.

 

Coach Kevin Fule insisted on balanced nutrition. Gueta has since enrolled in a diet delivery program that covers his caloric and nutritional requirements.

 

His day would start at 5 a.m. for training, then he’d be at work from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 

Following his coach’s program, he went back to training after work until 9 or 10 p.m.

 

“The hard work was for the weekend,” says Gueta. Like most weekend athletes, he hied off to Nuvali, Clark or Subic.

 

“Triathlon is a cuckoo sport. You get into a sport out of love. If you want to excel, you need to invest time. You’ve got to be secure in your technique and keep a clear mind always; otherwise, you get into accidents,” he says.

 

He advises mature athletes to get regular checkups. “I used to tolerate pain just to show off. I realized that you have to be smart.”

 

To prevent loss of muscle mass and bone density that comes with aging, Gueta has been engaging in strength and conditioning training, which includes suspension work, a Crossfit-type program, and weight resistance during off-season.

 

The sport is not without its challenges. Gueta once got entangled with a cyclist while riding downhill in Bataan. To save himself from falling into a ravine and hitting the other party, he jumped off the bike and hit the rails on the road. He broke his shoulder.

 

A few weeks ago, he figured in an accident in his last long distance bike ride in Clark. His bike dipped into a pot hole and lost control. He fell and broke some ribs. Fortunately, his elbow protected from him severe injuries such as punctured lungs and a damaged liver from the fractures.

 

The doctor told him that it would take two months to heal.

 

Gueta says the rest period is his payback time to his wife, designer Lulu Tan Gan. He is making up for lost couple time that was spent in training. He will slowly get back on a stationery bike and do exercises that won’t aggravate his injury.

 

Meanwhile, his wife reminds him to stay safe. “She’s the best partner around. She knows the sport is my love,” says Gueta.