Multi-tasking Russian wins today’s YMCA Triathlon in Youngstown

Multi-tasking Russian wins today’s YMCA Triathlon in Youngstown

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Roman Kharkovski is a native Russian who emigrated to the United States 13 years ago.

As many newcomers to this country do, Kharkovski learned much by study and observation. One piece of information gleaned was that former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld didn’t have chairs in his Pentagon office.

“He stood up when he worked,” said Kharkovski, who took the idea and ran — actually biked — with it to optimize time.

“I call it working while working out,” Kharkovski said of combining computer tasks with exercise on a recumbent bicycle on a specially constructed platform in his office at home.

The unique form of multi-tasking helped condition the 40-year-old, who won today’s Central YMCA Adult and Youth Triathlon with a total time of 1 hour, 4 minutes and .01 seconds.

“I want other people to start using this method,” Kharkovski said of the duality that exposes a triathlete’s personality.

Kharkovski’s time topped an adult field of 140 through a 500-yard swim, 12-mile bike race and 5k run that are executed successively without a break.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.