Before the club ever became a club, Paul had been training with various people here for years. Today, he can still be counted on to be there for a training ride or run. We caught up with Paul for this spotlight interview.

                        Paul Reale on the boardwalk at the Westchester Triathlon

What was your athletic life like before triathlons?
"I ran track and some cross country in high school and played Rugby in college [Villanova]."

And how did you get started in triathlons?
"I was strictly a runner, when one day on a run I met up with a triathlete and I couldn't beleive how fast she could run on only 20 miles per week. I immediately went out and bought a bike which led to racing duathlons the following season. After a few years of duathlon racing I became injured and was forced to swim to stay in shape."

Were those the Master's Swim workouts?
"Yes. When my injury forced me into swimming, I joined a masters swim team in White Plains where Don Sandford was the coach followed by Maryann Stevens. Later that season Rich Izzo and Rory Stuart joined the team and the three of us began cycling together."

At present, are you injury-free and ready to race this season?
"I'm not sure. I'm actually injured again and unable to swim, so now I'm leaning towards duathlon racing again."

Has dealing with injuries led you to change your training approaches this year?
"I'm trying to train smarter rather than harder and manage my injuries."

What about equipment, anything new on that front?
"No. Nothing. But in addition to training smarter I'm training cheaper and keeping things simple."

Why do it? Why keep at it over the years?
"I don't know. I have a lot of deep rooted psychological problems that go back to my childhood. I think this is a question that I should probably be working out in therapy."

[Nervous pause] Let's change the subject. Are there other interests or hobbies outside of triathlons?
"Funny you should ask. Yes. I've played guitar for many years and recently James Kelly and Rory have rekindled my interest in playing again. With so many musicians in our group (Rory, James, Bob, Rich, Chuck, etc.) my goal is to someday form 'The Westchester Triathlon Club Rhythm and Blues Revue'. Lisa Loprinzo has suggested the name 'The Iliotibial Band' which I like also."

Cool. And what about your day job? Does hobbies and work leave enough time to train?
"I work for a small pension consulting company. Sure, everyone thinks it's glamorous. . . but really it's just a job. Yes, it's difficult sometimes to train. I work a lot of hours but I make sure I make the group workouts and try to squeeze in my other workouts in the evenings."