Thinking of Trying a Triathlon? Beginner Triathlete Starting Points...

Have you thought about maybe trying to do a triathlon this year? The sport is becoming more and more popular and is relatively easy to break into because of the varying distances offered. A good thing to remember when you're considering doing one is that you can start out with a sprint triathlon, which if you break it down, is not all that daunting really. You can find one with a lake swim which is less intimidating for some than an ocean swim and the sprint swim distance is only 1/4 to 1/3 mile -- regardless of your swimming skills the first part of your triathlon will almost definitely be done very quickly. Then the bike portion is usually about 15 miles for a sprint triathlon (some mountain bike tris, like Wildflower are even shorter at 9.5 miles - though much hillier). Biking is pretty straightforward and you probably already feel comfortable riding one. Then the run is usually about 3 miles, which if you're not a runner may sound long, but once you get out there running a bit you'll realize it's completely manageable. And since it's January and triathlon season generally doesn't start until around April you've got plenty of time to get started. Don't even think about finish times for your first triathlon - just focus on finishing the race and having a good time. You'll love that you tried it.

It's not necessary to completely gear up with a new bike, wetsuit, etc. for your first (or second or third) race. A gym membership, bathing suit and sneakers is pretty much all you need. Indoor biking or spinning should be enough to get you in shape for the bike portion as long as you are disciplined and then you can rent a bike for the race. Swimming in a pool is a fine way to get in shape for a short swim and you can run anywhere, so that's pretty much all you need.

Check out a multi-sport/triathlon expo or conference near you to learn more and get a feel for it. You'll likely find that the people who participate are not as intimidating or cultish as you may have thought. It's generally a really friendly group that welcomes beginners, especially at the sprint distance level.

In New England, there's a multisport expo the weekend of March 21-22 that's free to attend and includes workshops, vendors and presentations. If you register early and are in the first 2,000 people you get a free goodie bag when you check into the expo. Go to http://multisportworld.com/ to register and learn more. The 2000 mark hasn't been hit yet so you can still get your free goodie bag. Danny Dreyer from Chi Running and Terry Laughlin from Total Immersion Swimming are going to be there as well as others.

Trifest is a conference and expo in Tucson Arizona on March 6-8. This will include more workshops and conference presentations than an expo alone. The expo is open to the public for free (with a food donation) but the conference costs $275. Go to http://www.trifest.com/ for more info and to register.

Anyone have any other tips for people thinking about doing a triathlon? Any questions about training or picking a race? Also let us know if you know of any other triathlon expos or conferences. Good luck!