He Sees Triathlon as an Exercise in Longevity

Some people run for exercise, others for the thrill of competing. Larry Sherwin runs for his life.

“I’m doing it to stay alive,” said Sherwin, 59, who will compete Saturday in Tri-Fest ‘92, a triathlon and 5-kilometer run-walk sponsored by the Cerritos Chamber of Commerce. Organizers expect about 350 entrants in the race, which begins and ends at Cerritos Park East, 13234 E. 166th St.

Sherwin, a La Mirada resident, started running in 1975, after a stroke left him with amnesia for six months. He had no idea who he, his wife or his children were.

During his recovery, doctors told him that being 60 pounds overweight had contributed to a blood vessel bursting in his brain. Before the stroke, “I was as sedentary as the clock on the wall,” Sherwin said. After a complete recovery, “I decided I had to do something about it.”

Sherwin went back to work at his trophy-making business in Whittier and started training in his spare time. He has run marathons, most recently in Los Angeles, and competed in 15 triathlons, including one in which he swam 1.2 miles in the ocean, pedaled 26 miles and ran 9.2 miles.

He also has run the Mt. Wilson trail, a climb of 4,000 feet. “I’ve run it for the last 10 years,” Sherwin said. “I come in last or second to last and it doesn’t bother me. The best part is finishing.

“People who don’t exercise don’t know what feeling good is. I wake up in the morning and I really feel good. And it’s never too late to start. All anybody needs to do is say: ‘I need to do it. I will do it.’ And then do it.”

Sherwin has competed in five of the Cerritos chamber’s six triathlons, he said, placing third in his class last year. He hopes to place again this year. “It’s great fun,” he said. “I don’t really care about getting the trophy.”

The 5-kilometer run-walk begins at 7:30 a.m. The triathlon begins with a 5-kilometer race at 8:30 a.m. followed by a 15-kilometer bicycle ride and a 200-meter swim in the park’s Olympic Swim Center.

Entry fees are $38 for the triathlon, $15 for the 5-kilometer run-walk and $69 for team entries. Entrants receive a T-shirt and complimentary refreshments. To register for the run, call the Cerritos Chamber of Commerce, 19141 Bloomfield Ave., at (310) 809-2262 or sign up on the day of the event. Proceeds benefit the chamber’s project to aid small businesses.

Streets around the park will be closed at 7 a.m. Spectators who arrive later may park at Whitney High School on Shoemaker Avenue just west of the park. Bleacher seating will be available at the pool for the swimming event.