To the editor:

I read with some frustration the article about the Midwest Mayhem triathlon at Lone Star Lake.

I do appreciate the coverage of this exciting event, but I was annoyed at the emphasis on pain. Oh, the pain, the terrible suffering of physical exertion! I am weary of this cliched view of sports. It is bad for overweight and underactive America, and it also is inaccurate reporting.

Participating in a triathlon or a bike race or the MS 150 or a 10K or climbing a mountain or many other challenging activities is not about pain. It’s about joy! It’s about fun, satisfaction, the pleasure of moving under your own power.

For those who compete against others, there is the anticipation and, for a few, the transient satisfaction of winning. For most there is the setting of goals and working toward them.

There is true joy in using your potential to the fullest, of pushing hard and responding to the challenge. For anyone who stops to think about it, there also is a heavy sense of gratitude for the good health that allows this sort of activity.

The reporter’s attitude of half-humorous awe and disbelief that normal people could do this sort of thing woefully undervalues human potential. Forget about pain. Grab your running shoes or your bike (remember your helmet) and have some fun!

Joe Douglas,

Lawrence