Yes! You can start a triathlon program in your school!

In 1978 a group of U.S. servicemen got into an argument about who were the fittest athletes in the world: long distance swimmers, bikers, or runners?

One genius proposed combining the three existing endurance events for these sports (all held annually in Hawaii) into one mega-endurance event consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike, and a 26.2-mile race. It would be called the Ironman triathlon and the winner would be recognized as the fittest athlete in the world.

Over the next two decades, the triathlon would grow into the most popular cross-training activity in the world. Ironman distance races are now held in a dozen countries and are revered as the ultimate physical and mental challenge in all of sport. But it has also adapted to the everyday athlete who doesn't have the time or capability to complete such long events.

Much shorter races are being held in every corner of the country, with people of all abilities and ages experiencing the thrill of finishing a race. The distance can be as short as a 300m swim, a 7km bike, and a 3km run.

The triathlon is currently gearing up for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where it will be an official event for the first time. Once dominated by Americans, it is now dominated by Germans, Canadians, and Australians, whose successful school-based triathlon programs are being adopted all over the world.

Can triathlon be adopted by high schools? Yes, easily, and it has many positive attributes to offer the athletic program. Athletic directors should consider it for the following reasons:

1. To promote fitness, health, and a balanced athletic lifestyle among the students.

2. To create a great cross-training program for rehabilitation purposes or as a medium for the students who do not participate in the more popular team sports.

Any school can establish a successful triathlon program by following these 10 easy steps:

1. Get a triathlon coach. Though triathletes are renowned for having very few hours to spare in between training sessions and even less for coaching, you may be fortunate enough to find someone who is available or even a retired triathlete who could direct your program.

Advertise in the paper or at a local Masters swim club for a coach who has experience in competing, training, and has a knowledge of PE principles.

2. Establish a video and reference library. Triathlon is a lonely and demanding sport that does not have the glamour and pomp of some other sports. A good way to motivate your potential triathletes is by showing them videos of triathlons and breaking down what they see.

You should even video-tape your athletes practicing in each of the disciplines so that they may see what they are doing. Triathletes are hungry for knowledge and the latest breakthroughs in the sport. You can get off to a good start by putting together a reference library of magazines and other material.

3. Start slowly. The first program I began started with 13 athletes. We swam twice a week, did indoor biking twice a week (it snowed a lot that winter), and ran three times per week. Our goal was simply to finish our own triathlon with a smile on our faces.

Because we were the first and only high school program in Quebec, there was no need to invite other teams or travel to other competitions. The atmosphere was relaxed, and I highly suggest that every program start with its own triathlon and own athletes.

4. Have a weekly seminar. Since training takes place over long distances and is usually very time-consuming, it is hard for anyone to actually "coach" the athletes during their training. This is why I believe the team should meet once a week to discuss a principle of triathlon training and racing. The topics are numerous: anaerobic and aerobic training, brick workouts, fartleks, tempo runs, sightbreathing, transitions, nutrition, and my favorite how to survive dog attacks! These subjects are lively, enjoyable, and educational.

5. Start with teams. The first triathlon experience can be a scary thing - a confidence test in your physical shape that you can't hide from. Despite training in all disciplines (something required of all triathletes in the program), I want my novice triathletes to compete in their first race in a team format.

Three athletes share the burden, each completing one discipline for that one race (i.e. a swimmer, biker and runner). It is a confidence booster that allows the group to experience a triathlon and witness the other aspects of a race, fostering team spirit in a sport that is characteristically individualistic.

6. Mini-competitions: can be spread throughout the season to keep the athletes focused and motivated. Suggestions: indoor biking time trial, swim-a-thon, "brick" competitions (an event or training in which two disciplines are combined back to back in order to simulate an actual triathlon).

A fun motivational tool can be made up of a week-long competition in which the athletes can record the number of yards/meters in swimming or miles/kilometers in biking and running on a chart that is visible to the team and student body.

Any extrinsic motivating tool that you can think of is a good one.

7. Go aerobic and keep training logs. Instill the practice of training in the aerobic heart rate zone and avoid intervals and speed work for serious distances until 50% of the season is done. This is, above all else, an endurance activity, and anaerobic activities should be kept to a minimum. All athletes should keep logs of training, nutrition and other factors that they can share with their coaches.

8. Find a swimming pool. The most obvious choice is your school pool. If it is unavailable, you will have to contact a local team or Masters club to help with a schedule and availability.

9. Incorporate strength/plyometric training. This is crucial in order to promote a balanced athletic lifestyle and to help prevent injuries. This fourth discipline is always a fun way for the team to congregate and enjoy a little diversity.

10. Involve the school staff. One of the most successful aspects of my programs involved teachers and staff members in the training sessions and competitions. The students loved it and it promoted an enthusiastic student body.

11. Safety: The final and perhaps most important element is safety. The minimal safety or caution requirements for every program are a certified coach in water safety to supervise every swim practice, safe roads with a low traffic flow and a shoulder for bikers to ride on, and helmets for bikers.

Other suggestions that will guarantee a successful program are to involve local authorities to control traffic during your school's competitions, hire lifeguards for any race in the pool, and always have enough water on hand for water stations during training sessions or competitions.

Starting the first high school triathlon program in Quebec was a highlight in my coaching career. But nothing matched my excitement more than when five years after that inaugural season I looked at the list of entrants in a local triathlon and recognized the names of three of the athletes from that year!

They were just as excited as I was to be competing against each other, and it was then that I realized that the program, the efforts, and the hours involved had really made a difference.

Suggested distances for a school-based triathlon:

HIGH-SCHOOL: swim 500m, bike 20k, run 5km.

COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY: swim 1.5km, bike 40 km, run 10km.