| Swimming is often the sport that keeps people OUT | | | | It is important to know that even the strongest of pool |
| of triathlon. The mere thought of swimming for any | | | | swimmers might face considerable anxiety in an open |
| distance in the middle of a lake or ocean with plenty of | | | | water environment. I am a strong swimmer and the |
| uncertainty swimming around you is often just enough | | | | first time I put a wetsuit on and entered the local lake I |
| to keep people at the shoreline. But this is not an all or | | | | turned into a hyperventilating mess. That did nothing for |
| nothing sport! Many beginner triathlons offer pool | | | | my confidence but then someone wiser than me, who |
| swims so that you can try out the sport of triathlon | | | | had watched me struggle, came over and suggested I |
| without really risking your life! Some of these triathlons | | | | take some time to frolic in the water. I did exactly that |
| might even allow you to take a flotation device along | | | | and it helped me calm down in this unknown |
| with you just to calm your nerves in a race | | | | environment and I was able to swim despite my initial |
| environment. | | | | reaction. |