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1981. That female triathlete crawlling over the finish line in Hawaii. Remember that? I must have seen it back then, but I don't remember seeing it until triathlon got HUGE and magazines featured that picture as a 'classic flashback' to the 'roots of the sport'. John Collins birthed the idea with a few friends while trying to decide what the hardest athletic test in the world was. That brainstorm is what drove so many of us to combine swimming, biking, and running into one sport. Triathlon.

Once you've decided to get in shape for any length of triathlon, and, of course, after you've gotten the OK from a health professional, find your baseline fitness and ability. For instance, get in a pool, and see if you remember how to swim. Can you survive a length or two? If you can't, then I suggest you take swim lessons from the gym's resident expert. Freestyle, or American crawl, is a very do-able stroke, and shouldn't take a committed student longer than a month in which to be capable.

Next step is to find a bike that is road-worthy and see if you remember how to ride in a straight line. Initially, any bike will do, but there are two major types of bikes. Road bikes - narrow tires with smooth tread designed to increase speed and efficiency. Great for asphalt or concrete, but not good in sand, dirt, or gravel. Mountain bikes - wider tires with knobby tread designed for traction in sand, dirt, or gravel. Not good for speed or efficiency in a race situation held entirely on concrete or asphalt. A beginning rider, however, may like the extra stability and security that a mountain bike offers. Once you've become comfortable with the cycling aspect of the sport, consider upgrading to a road bike built for triathlon.

The last phase of triathlon is the running portion. Running is last so those who are exhausted can just walk, or sit down, instead of drowning (if the swim was last), or crashing off a bike (if the bike was last). Put on shoes made specifically for running, and see how far you can go. A great starter idea is to run for 5 minutes, walk until recovered, then run 5 minutes more, etc.

Once you've established your baseline fitness and ability, find a race to enter that is a 'finishable' distance for you. Find races at http://www.trifind.com/, for instance, or http://usatriathloncalendar.co m/cms/, that are close to you. Once you've picked a race, work backwards in your training so you know you can finish each individual distance at least a month before the race. Spend the last two weeks before the race taking it relatively easy, so you are fresh for race day.

Have a great race, and let someone know how it feels to finish.

Learn more about this author, Ken Locke.
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