It is normal to have mixed feelings about the swim portion of a triathlon. Even experienced triathletes can feel nervous about the washing machine-experience that is the swim start. But with the right guidance you can make a first-class start.1

that you can see where you are going and aim for visual targets such as the finish line or the turning buoys. Most open-water triathlons in Great Britain require you to wear a wetsuit. This may feel strange but it can help your swim. Wetsuits help buoyancy

Triathlon is hot. In the past five years, participation in the sport of swimming-biking-running has tripled in the UK. It's estimated that nearly 100,000 people in this country will race the triple this year. Who are all these multi-taskers, and why

.Most events fall into one of three racing distances (see below), though some fixtures also offer a super-sprint (shorter than sprint) or middle-distance (between Olympic and Ironman) option. Triathlon Race DistancesSprint750m swim, 20K bike ride, 5K run

of learning more about the three triathlon disciplines. In a single swimming session you might learn why you're not gliding through the water with ease, but you can also pick up transition tips, find out what to eat and drink on the bike, chat about a pair