Q: I am a 49-year-old housewife who plays tennis three times a week for exercise. I will turn 50 in February 2001 and would like to be in a triathlon event for my birthday! Am I crazy? If I'm not, how do I get started from ground zero? - S.C., Charleston, SC

A: No, you're not crazy, at least no more so than the rest of us who do such things. Let's see what it would take to get you started.

The first order of business is to find out if there are any sprint-distance races (swim about 400 meters, bike about 13 miles and run about three miles) available in your area by next spring. Call local running and bike stores to inquire. Or, if there is a triathlon club in your area, contact them for information.

The training itself really isn't as daunting as it may seem at first, especially since you've been active playing tennis. The biggest hurdle to overcome is limited time for training. This is usually best resolved, I've found, by doing your workouts first thing in the morning before the demands of your day interfere. Waiting until later usually means missing workouts.

If you can eventually devote 30 to 45 minutes a day, six days a week, to swimming, biking and running, you'll do fine. Just alternate between the three sports by doing a different one each day. The pattern may be something like: Monday - swim, Tuesday - bike, Wednesday - run, Thursday - swim, Friday - bike, Saturday - run, and Sunday - day off. Start with a few minutes of each sport and slowly increase your distance over time. Every third week, take a break from training by cutting back on all your distances. In the long run, you'll be in better shape for having done so.

Aside from training, you'll need to consider equipment. Since running is the sport most likely to cause problems such as overuse injuries, be sure to invest in a good pair of running shoes. Go to a running store with knowledgeable sales-people; to find one, ask other runners where they buy shoes. You can train and do the race on any bike you have - from a mountain bike, to a touring bike, to an old get-around-town bike. You may decide to upgrade later, but for now go with whatever is available. As for the swim, you'll progress faster if you find a swim instructor who can help you develop the proper technique right from the start, rather than building up bad habits that need to be broken later on. Ask about instruction at local pools and health clubs.

I'd also suggest reading Triathlon 101 by John Mora (1999, Human Kinetics, ISBN 0-88011-811-3) and Time-Saving Training for Multisport Athletes by Rick Niles (1997, Human Kinetics, ISBN 0-88011-538-6). Once you have gotten into it and want to move on to greater triathlon challenges, you might read my book, The Triathlete's Training Bible (1998, Human Kinetics)

Source: fitlinxx.com