by C. M. Erickson

Created on: June 03, 2008   Last Updated: September 05, 2008

People of all ages and fitness levels can become triathletes. While the pros are all svelte cheetahs, speeding through the events with pizazz and 6 percent body-fat, normal people can do triathlons, too. While you may not be as fast, get paid money by a sponsor, or look particularly sexy in spandex, becoming a triathlete is a realistic goal for the majority of people on the planet.

So what do you need to get started? You need a bike, some running shoes, a swimsuit and a pair of goggles. You will also need to be decent at swimming 300 to 500 meters in open water, and be able to ride your bike for at least 10 miles. If you're half dead by the time you hit the run, you can always walk it.

There are many workout programs available on the web, but you don't need a personal coach to get ready. You just need a target race and a little bit of personal motivation.

Go to www.trifinder.com and pick you state. If you live overseas, type "triathlon" and the name of your country into google and see what pops up. Find the shortest race you can at least 2 to 3 months away, and sign up for it. Put the race date on your calendar in huge red print, and dust off your bike.

You will need to train at least four times a week to get ready. Your training should involve at least one swim, one run, and one bike. Train the extra day on whatever event is hardest for you. Depending on your personal level of fitness, start with a reasonable distance for each workout, and increase the distance no more than 10% each week. As a beginner triathlete, you are not looking for speed. You need the endurance in each event to complete each discipline in succession on race day. Remember while swimming to practice bringing your head up every five strokes to sight in front of you, as you'll need this in open water swimming to make sure you're not veering off course.

If you are already moderately fit and can run, bike, and swim comfortably, try to swim twice a week, run three times, and bike twice. If your run is great, but bike is weak, do two runs and three bikes. You will wind up doing one event in the morning, and one in the afternoon. Consider it a bonus on your calorie burn that brings you one workout closer to the look of an elite triathlete. Remember to take it easy when adding mileage as sudden increases can lead to injury.

When you get to one month out, start doing weekly "bricks." A "brick" is when you bike, then immediately hop off and start running. You will want to do this at least two times to

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