A 70-year-old man, who ran a half-triathlon, has 3 tips to make exercise fun

a man on a bike in colorful exercise clothing outside in California — Sam Alvis never liked formal workouts, but started biking with friends and decided to complete a half-triathlon distance for fun. Courtesy of Natalie Bartels

Still, he’ll ride his bike for hours along the California coast, run for miles, and play golf, pickleball, and plenty of other active hobbies.

But the word “work” doesn’t appeal to him, and never has.

“If you called it playing a game, I was all over it,” he told Business Insider. “If you said, ‘We’re going to the gym to work out,’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, no, I’m not really going to do that.'”

Now 70, Alvis found a way to make exercise so enjoyable that he recently completed a half triathlon for fun: 1.2 miles of swimming, 56 miles of biking, and 13.1 miles of running.

Alvis said his training didn’t feel like a chore. A retired engineer who worked in Silicon Valley, he learned to love exercising with friends and started to look forward to the feel-good endorphins.

The same strategies he used can help you get more activity in your life, even if you think you hate exercise or struggle to stay motivated.

“You don’t have to be anywhere. You don’t have to buy a fancy bike. You just have to step out your door,” he said.

Add exercise gradually over time

Alvis never set out to be a triathlete. It all started when he used to ride his bike 30 minutes to work in Palo Alto. One day in 2010, he was hit by a car that destroyed his bike and sent him to the ER.

Alvis recovered and said the silver lining of the accident was that his insurance covered a new, expensive bike, prompting him to make the most of it by going for long-distance rides.

He started signing up for “century” rides with friends, biking 100 miles down the California coast.

When Alvis retired in 2018, one friend suggested they try a partial triathlon. His first response: “Maybe we shouldn’t.”

Then: “OK, let’s see — if it’s a little one, we should be able to do that.”

A man in a wetsuit on the beach — Alvis started swimming when a friend suggested they try a short-distance triathlon, like a “small buffet” of endurance sports. Courtesy of Natalie Bartels

The total distance was 500 meters of swimming, 20 miles of biking, and a 10K run. Alvis described it as a “small buffet” of endurance sports, and it got him thinking.

When he turned 70 in October 2025, the symmetry of the half-triathlon distance (about 70 miles) was too good to ignore, and Alvis went all in.

Find a buddy

He couldn’t have done it alone. Alvis said exercising as a social activity made it much more enjoyable and easier to stick to.

During the last stage of his half-triathlon, as the run became difficult, Alvis said a friend joined him for the final push across the finish line.

A man running on the street outside with an exercise buddy. The pair is holding hands and raising their arms over their heads in triumph. — Alvis said friends and family kept him motivated with encouragement and support throughout the process. Courtesy of Natalie Bartels

Workout buddies are one of the best ways to get motivated and stay committed to an exercise plan, according to top researchers.

That’s because another person can keep you accountable, so you’re less likely to hit snooze instead of showing up for an early-morning run. Socializing also builds camaraderie during training, providing a much-needed boost over long miles.

At the very end of his half-triathlon, Alvis said he stayed motivated by thinking of his wife cheering him on.

“All I could think about was when I got to the finish line was getting ahold of my wife and just holding her,” he said. “I was so glad that I’d done it, but it was super hard.”

Enjoy the process

Alvis said his exercise strategy has been taking the scenic route — literally.

Rather than fixate on mileage or pace, he focuses on taking in the gorgeous California views, biking along the coasts, or running around the vibrant parks near his home in San Diego.

It’s part of what keeps him going. The day of his half-triathlon, he started his swim early in the morning, and said being out alone in the calm waters of the bay was a “magical” experience.

Alvis added that the reward at the end of his training is the ability to keep moving, stay healthy, and keep doing what he loves.

“I forget how many hundreds of miles of riding and how many tens of miles of running, but every hour I spent, I was acknowledging something,” he said.

Alvis also describes himself as a procrastinator. During his swim training, he said he would sit in the car on the beach, reading just one more article before jumping into the cold water. To get moving, he focused on how victorious he would feel after the swim.

“If you can remember that it’s just so satisfying to get to whatever finish line you set for yourself today, that can help you get over that little bit of barrier to entry,” he said.

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