Paul and Darlene Upson, of Latrobe, are defying age. Paul, 62, and Darlene, 50, are cycling enthusiasts to the extreme, biking thousands of miles a year. Darlene Upson laughs and embraces growing older. “When I went out to celebrate my 50th birthday, Paul told the waitress it was my birthday and she told the band,” she said. “And I was yelling ‘I’m 50!'” The Upsons said they’ve never seen anybody so thrilled to be turning 50. She said this is a whole new chapter in her life. “This is just a great time in our lives that we just get to play and goof off. It’s fun,” Darlene Upson said. One of the reasons she was so happy to turn 50 was that she can now compete in the Westmoreland County Senior Games this year. The games are for people 50 and older, and cycling is one of the events. The games run through Friday at Mammoth Park. Paul Upson is a Westmoreland County Senior Games veteran. Two years ago, he finished second in cycling and last year he finished first. He edged out Ken Lloyd, also in the 60-69-age bracket, by one second. Paul Upson also set the record time last year. Lloyd said he was 4 inches behind Paul Upson at the finish line. Lloyd, a decorated cyclist, won the gold the year before. Darlene Upson was there to watch it all. She saw their helmets coming down, and she knew that it was her husband and Lloyd streaking down. “They were neck-and-neck. They just came flying in,” Darlene Upson said. “Even the park police and the road marshals said they never saw people on bicycles go that fast.” Lloyd said they were probably traveling about 28 miles per hour. Paul Upson said it’s not just about winning. “Yeah, I like to finish first, but I like to compete,” he said. “It’s just great to compete. It’s a reaffirmation that maybe I’m old, but I’m not dead.” Paul Upson bikes an average of 100 miles per week. He also races in many of the events throughout the area. He is a member of a competitive cycling group in Pittsburgh, the Lebo Masters team. “You have to be 50 years old or older,” he said. “And you have to be semi-nuts enough to ride yourself into oblivion is the other requirement I guess.” Paul Upson spends seven to eight hours a week on the bike. He goes to the gym two to three times a week. “He’s more of a hardcore racer. I’m just kind of a pleasure girl. I like to ride for pleasure,” Darlene Upson said. “He loves to race, he’s very competitive. I’m not. I like to ride and look at scenery and stuff like that.” She may not be as serious as her husband, but Darlene Upson also competes in events. Both have won various trophies and awards. But for Darlene Upson, there is one reward that trumps them all. “I ride for ice cream,” she said, “because I love my ice cream. So I figure, if I ride about 50 miles a week, then that gives me my ice cream every day.” She loves cycling, too. She has always been an avid cyclist and, in fact, dragged her future husband into the sport before they were married. “I told him ‘I’ve been riding bikes all my life and I like to ride. So if you want to date me, go get a bike,” she said. “So he said ‘OK. I haven’t been on a bike for so long but, OK.'” The couple has traveled across the country, visiting different states to sample the terrain. They even have a tandem bike that they use for leisurely rides. For Paul Upson, riding is about more than competition or fun — it’s about health. “The final analysis to me is that cycling is a health care policy, it’s a health care plan. Yes, I’m competitive, and yes, I’d like to win,” he said, “but in the end of the day, I win no matter whether I win the race or not because, from a health point of view, it’s good for my health.” Paul and Darlene Upson are riding through life enjoying the scenery and staying fit. And they get their ice cream, too.

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