Training Day

Push yourself to the limit— try a triathlon.

If you are looking for a new activity that gets you outside, keeps you in shape and provides an exhilarating rush, maybe a triathlon is for you. Whether you are somebody whose favorite way to spend an afternoon is channel surfi ng or someone who stays in shape by hitting the gym a few times a week, training for the event will give you a great physical goal to work toward.

Does the thought of swimming, biking and running, one after another, sound crazy? Don’t worry, there are triathlons for all fi tness levels. According to USA Triathlon (usatriathlon.org), training for a low-level event should take up to a year, which is half the fun. While you might not be able to take part in the events below, plan to cheer on the competitors this year and beat them the next.

EASY
TUCKAHOE TRIATHLON
BEESLEYS POINT, N.J. (2 hours from Newark)
Aug. 17

Test your mettle in the heart of summer-loving Cape May, N.J., with a 1/4-mile swim with views of the famous Tuckahoe Inn Restaurant; a 12-mile flat bike ride though the town’s old and scenic neighborhoods; and a two-mile run that crosses the closed Route 9 bridge, providing a memorable jaunt over the water. citytri.com

DIFFICULT
PHILADELPHIA WOMEN’S TRIATHLON
PHILADELPHIA
July 13

Women who dare will begin this endurance test with a .46-mile swim in the Schuylkill River. Next, jump on a bike for two rounds on an 8.5-mile loop on a closed course that circles the historic Philadelphia Museum of Art, along the banks of the river; top it off with a flat and fast 3.1-mile out-and-back run. cgiracing.com

YOU BETTER BRING IT
OSHKOSH TRIATHLON
WINNECONNE, WIS. (about 40 minutes from Appleton)
Aug. 10

Find out what you’re made of with this Olympic-level competition. It begins with a 3/4-mile out and back swim in Lake Winneconne, followed by a 28-mile bike ride that will go out along the lake, then head north and east on country roads featuring small hills; the race tops off with a flat 6.2-mile run. midwestsportsevents.com

YOU CAN MAKE MONEY!

Last year the Hy-Vee Triathlon began offering the largest prize purse in triathlon history,
$700,000.