This guide is based on an article written by Gale Bernhardt from the Triathlete magazine.

Let us begin by attempting to describe your current athletic self. Your athletic profile begins with swimming. You know how to swim, but it has been a long time since your arms and legs have actually propelled your body through water over significant distance. In other words, you lack swimming endurance.

   As for cycling, you might ride a bicycle now and again, mostly noodling around the neighborhood. On occasion, you might ride a stationary bicycle at your health club while waiting for aerobics to begin or as a means of warming up before weightlifting.

   Finally, there's running. The running you do is mostly of the short duration, like running bases in softball, or chasing a ball in racquetball. You might have even run a 5K once.

   So your multisport profile for endurance sports isn't great, but you're not sitting around channel surfing either. This plan assumes you are currently active in some type of sport three to six times per week. The specific sport isn't as important as the fact that you are active doing something.

   If you aren't currently active and decide to use the plan to get back into shape, be sure, as they say, to consult a physician before beginning an exercise program.

   One of the most common mistakes made by people just beginning to train for a triathlon or for any other endurance event, is doing too much too soon. Early enthusiasm can lead to injury or overtraining.

   This plan gently builds aerobic endurance in all three sports and suggests specific workouts to do each week. Precisely, the goal will be to go from a current state of no swimming, minimal cycling, and no running to completing a 450-500 meter swim, 11-15 mile bike, and about a 3-mile run consecutively: your first triathlon.

   Before getting into the gory details of a schedule, let's cover training intensities and some comfort tips for each sport. On the training plans, I'll recommend a training intensity for each sport. Many triathletes use heart monitors, but I'm going to assume that since you are a newcomer to the sport, you don't own a heart rate monitor.

sentence requires a breath before each word. Knowing that the goal is to comfortably complete the event and save your water/land-speed record for a later date, let's consider which types of equipment you'll need for each sport and some tips to make the event more comfortable.

Swim: All you need for the swim is a comfortable swimming suit and goggles. For women, if you decide to go with a two-piece suit, be certain it is one designed for sport and not sunbathing. For guys, if you are uncomfortable in a small Speedo-style suit, trunks will work fine (though almost everyone wears the Speedo style for races). As for goggles, everyone's face is different. Go to a sporting goods store where the sales person is willing to let you try several different styles on and give you some tips on proper fit. The nosepiece should not dig into the bridge of your nose. The foam on goggle cups should cover your eye socket, forming a waterproof seal. It shouldn't be necessary to pull the strap over your head to get an idea of proper fit. If you wear glasses, it is possible to get prescription goggles. Unless you are really blind without glasses, you can get by without special goggles until triathlon becomes an addiction. Most of the time-lap counters are willing to hold glasses or you can position a person to hand up your eyewear at the exit of the pool.

    A preventative measure for foggy goggles is shampoo. A concoction of 50% no-tears baby shampoo and 50% water will do the trick. Just before swimming, put a couple drops in each lens of your goggles and smear it around. Rinse the excess out by giving your goggles a couple of dips in the pool. When you begin swimming, if the water in the goggle bothers your eye, you didn't rinse well enough. And if they become foggy, you rinsed too well.

Bike: Any style of bicycle will work. A road bike will be less work; but if your only two-wheeler is a mountain bike, it will do. To reduce injury risk, be certain the bike is correctly fitted to you. Ensure that the seat is not too high or too low, either can cause numbness in the toes or genitals. This is not common and can be easily fixed by adjusting the seat.

    A good pair of cycling shorts will make training much more enjoyable. The seam that typically creates the crotch on any pair of shorts or pants can be a source of discomfort when squished between your body weight and a bicycle seat. If you don't have a helmet, watch out for the cops watching the race *smirk*. Unless you plan on walking your bike home during some point in your training or racing, learn how to change a flat tire. Carry a spare tube and a pump with you.

Run: Invest in a good pair of running shoes. Do not run in your aerobics, softball, weight-training, or lawn-mowing shoes. Once you purchase running shoes, use them for that purpose only.