Birthday Triathlon Is Just Icing on the Cake : Exercise Has Been a Way of Life for James Rundell, So It’s a Fitting Way to Celebrate Turning 65

Retired gym owner James Rundell is literally sweating over his 65th birthday.

For the past three months, the Palos Verdes Peninsula resident has been training for a triathlon he hopes to run (and swim and cycle) tomorrow, when he celebrates a birthday that many would consider the threshold of old age.

If everything goes as planned, Rundell will warm up at 5 a.m. at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School by bench-pressing 250 pounds. From there, he will run 13 miles around the back roads of Rolling Hills Estates.

To cool off, he will dive into the ocean off Belmont Shore in Long Beach for a two-mile swim. Then, it’s off on a mountain bike for a hilly, 50-mile ride on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

If he’s still in the mood for adventure, he will cap the day by strapping on a parachute and jumping out of an airplane above Perris Valley.

“At 65, I can do things that a lot of people can’t do,” said Rundell, a father of four and grandfather of seven. “You don’t want to say ‘I’m better than you,’ but I try to set a good example.”

To prepare for the big day, Rundell has stepped up his normal exercise routine. He usually runs about 10 miles a week, but lately has been grinding out 20. His regular 5 a.m. workout in the weight gym has grown longer. And in the past few months, he has doubled the time he spends swimming in the ocean each week.

Such exertions are nothing new to Rundell, who works part time as a football coach and strength trainer at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. When he turned 40, he celebrated the day by running 40 miles. And on his 55th birthday--the day he became eligible for senior discount movie tickets--he played 55 games of racquetball.

But setting a good example, Rundell says, involves more than just daily exercise. It means never swearing, saying no to cigarettes and alcohol and avoiding eating meat. “If I can catch it--I can catch a pig or a cow--I won’t eat it,” he explains.

During a weightlifting session at the Family Fitness Center in Torrance earlier this week, Rundell paused between stretches to talk about what drives him to perform his physical feats.

“I think part of it is probably ego and the other is to try to make people realize you can still be active, that you don’t have to be sedentary,” he said.

He also admits to a strong competitive streak: “Every time I think I’m good, I can think of somebody who is 10 years older than me who does something better.”

Gerontologists say Rundell is among a growing group of senior citizens who are serious about staying fit.

In the past few years, for instance, the number of people competing in the U.S. National Senior Sports Organization’s Senior Classic has grown from 2,500 to more than 7,000. And gerontologists expect the fitness trend to continue as more and more studies link regular exercise with longevity.

“A generation ago, 65 was definitely perceived as being older,” said Doug Corderman, the sports organization’s president. “Today, we have people over 100 who compete at the local levels.”

It’s not as though Rundell, who took second place in the 1984 Mr. America contest for men over 55, doesn’t feel his age. The trim, 5-foot-6 athlete no longer runs six-minute miles, and the 300-pound bench-press is about 50 pounds out of his reach. But Rundell, who had a grandmother live to see her 104th birthday, doesn’t worry about slowing down.

That’s because vigorous exercise has been a way of life for him since his mid-20s, when he took a job at a New York gym.

He later moved to Los Angeles and opened his own fitness center--South Bay Gym--in Lomita. It was what he called a mom-and-pop operation, where members received personal attention and guests could visit for free. When he sold the business three years ago, the American Body-Building Coordinating Committee presented him with a plaque honoring him for his influence on the sport.

“You have always spoken out strongly against drugs and tried to teach your trainees good sportsmanship and respect for others,” says the plaque, which hangs in his living room. “Jim, you have made a difference.”

Since his retirement, he has been working as a personal trainer and a part-time high school coach. At the Family Fitness Center, where he leads trainees in sit-up sessions several mornings a week, his love of a good joke is legendary.

“People love him,” said manager Steven Holliman. “He’s one of the most outgoing, funniest people you’ve ever met in your life.”

The message on his answering machine makes the point: “Hi. You’ve reached the residence of Mr. America. I’m probably pumping iron. If you would please leave a message, I will press your number. Remember, square meals make round people.”

Rundell often refers to himself in the plural, a habit that can confuse listeners but seems rooted in his sense of himself as a teacher. Discussing the benefits of exercise, he noted: “We don’t promise people you can live forever. But you will have quality living.”

And how will Rundell feel if he fails to meet his own goals during his self-imposed birthday challenge?

“I think competing is very important to keep you young, but it would be all in vain if you weren’t a good sport,” Rundell said. “Just as you get a high in winning, you should have the gracefulness to accept defeat.”