Hi, this is Debbie Boyles, coach at Mojo for Running with podcast number 61, first-time triathletes.

I write an article for each issue of Florida Running and Triathlon magazine, and I thought today I would

share one of my recent articles with you. It's about three runners I know who recently did their

first triathlon. If you'd like to

subscribe to that magazine, just go to their website. I will link to it in the show notes. The title of

the article was, first time triathletes discover the complexities of multi-sport racing. I know this is a

running podcast, but I find that more and more runners are getting

the itch to do a triathlon. I say do it. Give it a try. You got to live life. There has never been a

better time because there are many sprint triathlon options for the beginner triathlete. If you live in a

city near the water, you'll have more options, of course,

but there are lots of triathlons in which the swimming portion is done in a pool or lake.

So in most areas, there are at least a few opportunities each year, and if, like me, you live

near the water, the opportunities are immense, and training for a triathlon will do wonders for your running.

Now here's the article about three people who took the plunge.

Every weekend day, somewhere in Florida, long before daylight, first-time triathletes make the trek from vehicle to transition,

toting a bag full of gear and

a gut full of anxiety. On a recent muggy morning, Scott Lynch was among the throng of several

hundred triathletes readying their gear for the first ever courage to try triathlon at Sand Key Park.

Most of the participants were relatively new to the sport,

and for many, this would be their first foray into the world of triathlon. The first time they'd

struggle with the logistics of dragging all their gear to transition, setting it up, reporting

for body marking, and finally tramping barefoot, goggles and cap in hand

...