| The Rainman Pours it On:
Triathlete Terry Labinski
Shannon Kring Biró When Milwaukee physical education teacher Terry Labinski watched Julie Moss crawl across the finish line at the 1982 Hawaiian Ironman, he wondered if triathlon was the sport for him. Today, nearly 150 races later, the world of triathlon answers an emphatic "yes!"
"As a participant, I usually don't get to see the winners come in. As an event director, I greet every person and I cannot tell you how impressed I
am with how much of himself Terry puts into racing," says Jeff Grady, race director of the Elkhart Lake International Triathlon, an international distance race Labinski has won the past two years. Indeed, it seems that the now–37–year–old was born for the sport.
Labinski, who says he was "always a runner," made his competitive race debut in a middle school cross country meet, then went on to participate
in high school and college track. When he entered his first triathlon in the summer of 1983, the sport was still in its infancy. Recalls Labinski, "It was much different back then. The bikes had no aerobars and you didn't have to wear a helmet. And the transitions were much slower. People would take their time."
But not Labinski. He finished sixth in that first triathlon in Oconomowoc, Wis., and became instantly "hooked on the sport." Soon, he was
participating in 10 to 15 duathlons and triathlons per season.
Over his 19–year career, Labinski, whose peers affectionately call him "Rainman," due to his ability to memorize race stats, has placed second amateur in the 1997 Ironman Switzerland and twice placed in the top five of his age group in the Hawaiian Ironman. In 1999, Labinski took first at the Muncie Endurathlon, site of the USAT Nationals. By 2000, he was
ranked No. 1 in USAT's 35 to 39 age group category. So far in 2001, he has won USAT's 2001 International Distance Age Group Championship at Elkhart Lake.
Labinski attributes his success in multisport events to "sticking to it so long." He explains, "I've learned to train better rather than more. I don't train any more than I did 10 years ago, but I train better, smarter."
While Labinski's perseverance and two workouts per day, six to seven
days per week, affect his times, it is his positive attitude that has the biggest effect on those around him.
"Terry is not just a great athlete, but he is a really wonderful person as well," says Grady. "He exemplifies what is great about triathlon, how the elites and the middle–packers can hang together. This year we had Terry, our two–time returning champion, volunteering to help set up bike racks and do registration Friday before the event."
Anyone who sees Labinski in action at his Tri Wisconsin training sessions can attest to his great spirit. Labinski has attended these group practices three to four days per week from the end of February to the end of September since 1989. Here, triathletes ranging in age from 20 to 62 meet at various locations in southeast Wisconsin to run, swim or bike. The group's focus is to build camaraderie among athletes of all levels.
"We started with 25 people and now have almost 100 people from all different areas and from all different occupations," says Labinski. "We cheer each other on and encourage everybody to make as many workouts as possible."
Labinski's enthusiasm reaches beyond his peers and into the community. He conducts a summer running camp three days per week through the West Allis Recreation Department and coaches middle school cross country and high school track.
"I try," he explains, "to teach kids that exercise is a great way of life and to make it a part of their life."
Competing in multisport events has become such a way of life for Labinski that he can't imagine retiring. He says with a laugh, "I just keep going. There is this guy on our team who always says that he doesn't ask people why they stop racing; he asks how they stop racing. That fits for
me. I always want to race and continue to set goals for myself."
And what goals does a triathlete of Labinski's caliber set for himself? In shorter races, he shoots for first place overall. At nationals, where competition is tough, he concentrates on his age–group title. In all races, he sets his sights on passing people on the run.
Despite his successes, don't expect Labinski to go pro. He says of this
decision, "I thought about going pro about 10 years ago. A couple of guys I knew did. They even moved to Boulder and it didn't work out. If they were lucky, they cracked 10th or 15th place. I decided to just stay with age group to compete. It is still a good challenge. There is always a lot of competition in that age group."
Though one can only assume that Labinski's future will hold continued successes, he sees an uncertain future for his sport of choice. Like many
triathletes, he fears that amateur races will become draft–legal, saying, "It takes away from the whole biking part. You have to be a great swimmer to be in the group and then just stay in the bike pack. Then it comes down to who can run the best 10K."
Labinski does hope that triathlon, which made its Olympic debut in Sydney, will continue to be featured in future games. This, he believes, combined with the increased interest people have in fitness, will ensure a
long life for the sport.
To this end, Labinski is doing his part. When he posed the question, "What is a triathlon?" to his more than 350 physical education students, not one knew what the sport was. Now they know firsthand.
"We do something called triathlon warm–up in class," he says. "First, they go up and down the gym on scooters on their stomachs for the swim part. Then they sit on them and power the scooters with their legs for the bike
leg. Then they get off and run two laps around the gym."
If Labinski's passion for triathlon proves infectious, it is likely that he will inspire at least one student to run in his footsteps. He or she can be grateful that Labinski is not in that age group.
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