Can I Tri

You bet!! No, you don't need to be able to swim the English Channel, you don't need a $6,000 bike, and you don't have to run marathons. You can start with a "Sprint" triathlon, consisting of manageable distances, with very little special equipment. And yes, you can even use your mountain bike!!

A typical sprint tri consists of a 1/8 to 1/3 mile swim, a bike of 9 to 15 miles, and a run of 2.5 to 4 miles. The swims are sometimes laps in a pool rather than in open water - but both are common. Typical finishing times are under two hours. Entrants vary widely in abilities. Some swimmers use side- or breastroke to survive the event while others glide through the water with fish-like smoothness. Bikers range from experienced speedsters to those with distinctively non-racing bicycles (some with baskets even!) and little preparation. As in typical 5k's, runners might be clicking off 6 minute miles - or maybe 13 minute miles. All are welcome!

You can find some more great tips to get you started and a cool calculator to help you estimate your performance!

Bottom line - you can Tri!!! Find a local sprint and give it a shot!