Try a tri'--swim, bike, and run.

Maybe you think of all triathlon competitors as another class of being altogether--iron men and women not quite made of the same flesh and blood as the rest of us. But in fact, triathlons, and those who compete in them, come in all shapes and sizes. If you have established a good base of fitness and mileage, triathlon training is not out of your reach. It requires picking the right event and having a commitment to consistent training. Developing good technique and avoiding overreaching and over-training are your most important training goals. Spending endless hours training is not necessary or necessarily desirable.

Why Tri'?

All running all the time is fine, but training for a triathlon can produce fitness gains unreachable with running alone. Multi-sport training that includes swimming, biking, and running requires a more balanced musculature, as well as total fitness for performance in all three sports. And it accomplishes this with a lower risk of injury than is possible by piling on higher and higher running mileage alone. This is crosstraining with a twist. Each crosstraining venue is aimed at its own performance goal-not simply a break from running.

A Trio of Tri's

The Ironman Triathlon may be the most famous of triathlon events, but it is far from typical. With a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run, it is an ultra-event. But there is a trio of shorter triathlon distances that put triathloning into reach for many of us. "Long" triathlons are half the Ironman--1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, and 13.1-mile run. Olympic events include 1.5K swim, 40K bike, and 10K run. And the "sprint" distance is a 1/3-mile swim, 12- to 15-mile bike, and 3.1-mile run. Sprint events are a great introduction to the sport.

Find Your Weakest Link

For many of us swimming is a frustrating weak link in the triathlon repertoire. As a runner you're used to having your fill of air on demand. Swimming puts an added burden on training--breathing must be coordinated with your stroke, making good technique hard to fudge. A smooth, well-coordinated, efficient stroke is essential. If swimming is your weakest link, consider taking a class at your local YMCA or nearby university, or finding a coach. In addition to mastering stroke technique, it is also important to do some open water swimming in preparation for your first event.

Tri' Cycling

The cycling portion of the race is usually everyone's favorite. If you are new to cycling you might want to look for a class at your local bike shop that focuses on technique and equipment. For triathlons, you will want a bike that will yield the best aerodynamics and the lowest weight, although you can retro-fit any existing road bike with handlebar extensions, known as aerobars, to improve the aerodynamics of your current bike.

But don't take the apparent simplicity of cycling for granted. Racing involves strategy; experience with cadence and gears, attention to perfect bike fit, practice eating and drinking on the bike, and critical bike-handling skills to keep you and the other racers safe in the fast-moving knot of cyclists during a race.

Run For It

Running is your strong suit, but running in a triathlon is most likely new territory. You are probably very proficient at running when your legs are fresh, but running after the swim and bike segments of the race is another experience. Your legs will feel like bricks, very sluggish and heavy, when you step off your bike, and your training will need to take this into account.

(See "brick workouts" below.)

Training for a Triathlon--Seek Balance

Balance is the key element to seek in triathlon training. You should neither take any one segment for granted (as in "I've got the run in the bag, I'll focus on swimming"), nor dismiss your weak link (as in "I'm hopeless in the water, I'll make up for it on the run"). You should focus your training equally on all three segments. Balance is also essential to avoid overreaching and overtraining, which at best will hamper your performance on race day and worse, can cause chronic fatigue, injury, and illness. Always plan rest, recovery, and additional nutrition into your training schedule. You may want to consider using a heart rate monitor to help target your heart rate at 60% to 70% of maximum for optimum base building.

You do not need to think of triathlon training as adding hours and hours of training on top of your current schedule. Instead, you will substitute some training hours previously devoted only to running for swimming and biking. If your goal is to compete in a sprint triathlon event, your total training commitment doesn't need to exceed 10 hours per week. For longer events, you will need to invest longer hours in training.

Tri' Workouts

Swim--If you're just looking to complete the swim portion, start your swim training by using sets of 50 and 100 yards. Here's a sample swim workout that will lead to better efficiency and make you more comfortable on race day:

10 X 50--focus on form

5 X 100--pick up the speed on the final lap 

10 X 50--using a kickboard 

Bike--Start out with a 30- to 40-minute ride at low intensity After a few weeks you should be riding comfortably for one to one-and-a-half hours. To gain speed include some intervals. Interval sets can be from one to 10 minutes depending on your fitness and experience. During intervals aim for heart rates up to 80% to 90% of maximum for optimum speed gains. Recover between intervals with easy pedaling for two to three minutes.

Run--Assuming you have a sufficient base, running three times per week should suffice for proper triathlon training. One of these runs should be a track session focusing on 400's and 800's. Try a fartlek for your second workout--any unstructured speed workout on the road. Go long for your third workout.

Brick Workouts--In order to get used to the feeling of running on "brick" legs, you will need to incorporate "brick workouts" into your training. This is a short run after a long bike workout. For example, go out for a twenty-mile ride, including some speed intervals. Then get right off the bike and put on your running shoes and go for a 15-minute easy run. Try other combinations of shorter bike rides and longer runs. These workouts will help you become accustomed to running on slightly dead, "brick" legs.

Flexibility training--Stretching is essential to maintain flexibility and range of motion and to minimize your risk of injury. You should attend to every muscle group in your body with regular post-workout stretches.

Tri' Resources

Search "triathlon" on the Web and you'll discover a huge community of triathlon enthusiasts out there. Try these tri' sites: www.trisite.com is a clearinghouse of information on gear, events, training, and links; www.usatriathlon.org lists events; and www.insidetri.com has articles and information on all aspects of training and competing. Swim, Bike, Run by Wes Hobson, Clark Campbell, and Mike Vickers, 2001, Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL, $17.95, 255 pages, is a new guide to technique, training, and racing by seasoned triathlon veterans and coaches.

(Lee Zohlman is a USA Triathlon Certified Coach Level ll and is lead coach and owner of Body Zen Multi Sport Coaching in Miami, FL, Visit www.bodyzen.com or email him at [e-mail].