How do you know if triathlon is for you?

Triathlon has an image problem in reverse. From the outside it looks like the preserve of people with carbon bikes and very precise watches. From the inside, at a small local event, it looks more like a village fête with wetsuits: families cheering, someone's dad on a shopping bike, a lot of people having a slightly ridiculous good time.

Signs it might suit you

• You get bored doing one thing. Swimming, cycling and running in one morning is the opposite of monotonous.
• You like a project with a date on it. A race gives you a reason to swim on Tuesday and ride on Saturday.
• You enjoy a crowd. Event days are sociable, noisy and full of people doing their first one.
• You like a little logistics. Laying out your kit, working out where to put your shoes, remembering your helmet: some people find this joyful.
• You are curious about one of the three. Plenty of runners take up triathlon because they wanted an excuse to swim more.

Signs it might not, yet

• Deep water frightens you. Start with a pool-based event, or spend a season getting comfortable in the water first.
• You hate being timed. You can treat it as a day out, but a clock is involved.
• Your weekends are already full. Triathlon is three sports; the training does not need to be enormous, but it does take some time.

None of these are verdicts. They are reasons to start small.

Start short

Triathlons come in many sizes. The Ordnance Survey's beginner's guide to triathlon lists the common ones: a super sprint of a 400 m swim, 10 km ride and 2.5 km run; a sprint of 750 m, 20 km and 5 km; and the standard, or Olympic, distance of 1,500 m, 40 km and 10 km. Many local events are shorter still, with pool swims, aimed squarely at beginners. Distances vary between races, so read the event page.

A short, pool-based race is an ideal first one. No wetsuit, no waves, a lane rope to hold, and a clear end to every length.

Kit you can borrow

You need much less than the photographs suggest:

• A bike that works, with good brakes and pumped tyres. A hybrid or an old road bike is fine. You will also need a helmet; check the race rules, which normally insist on one.
• Swimwear and goggles. Some people race in a tri-suit to avoid changing; others just pull shorts and a top over their swimming costume.
• Running shoes. Elastic laces save a fiddly minute, but ordinary laces work.
• For open water, a wetsuit, which can often be hired for a season.

Ask around before buying. Triathletes tend to own spare kit and enjoy lending it.

Transitions, the fourth discipline

The changes between sports are where beginners lose the most time and gain the most stories. The Ordnance Survey guide points out that transition time counts towards your finish and is worth practising. A few basics:

• Lay out your kit on a small towel in the order you will need it.
• Put your helmet on and fastened before you touch the bike, and keep it on until the bike is racked again.
• Practise riding then running: the first minutes of the run feel strange, as if your legs belong to someone else. The same guide notes that people often set off too fast because their legs are used to bike speed.
• Know where your rack is. Count rows, pick a landmark. Everyone wanders once.

The social side

Triathlon clubs are often unusually welcoming because they are used to people who are good at one sport and new at two others. Many run beginner sessions, group swims and coached rides. Even if you never join, an event day with friends, followed by a long lunch, is a fine way to spend a Sunday.