training

If nothing else, preparing for a triathlon has given me an appreciation for cross-training. Over the years, I've been a dabbler: a hatha yoga class here, an evening jog there. But I've never kept up anything for very long, or with any consistency, let alone alternated between more than one activity.

In a month and a half, when I find myself trembling at the starting line of my first triathlon, I'll be on my own. But I won't be alone. All of the friends who have helped me during training will be swimming, cycling, and running alongside, too, invisible to everyone but me.

Two personal trainers dish on what clients should do in order to maximize their results and what drives them crazy

To compete in a triathlon, you need to be able to do three things: swim, bike, and run. But let's face it, if you hope to have fun on race-day, you need not only to be able to do these things, but to do them reasonably well. This is where training comes in: building endurance and skill, over time.

Day one of the triathlon challenge: decide to do a triathlon. (Hurray!). Day two: stumble over a heap of questions. (Er .....).