Many athletes are seeking less traditional forms of competition to develop their fitness and challenge their mental stamina; one of these is the triathlon. This event may seem daunting, as most people associate triathlon only with the infamous Ironman (which requires athletes to run a marathon after swimming 2.4 miles and biking 112 miles), but triathlons come in many lengths, ranging from the sprint to the Ironman.

Writer Karen Schroeder completed her first triathlon. Here she shares her experience.

The Challenge

Swim, bike, run. It sounds simple enough. On any given summer weekend as a kid, I had probably done each of these activities. And as an adult, I run several times a week, get in a few laps at my Mom's pool during the summer, and ride my bike around town a bit. So, I knew that I could swim, bike, and run, but could I do them one after another and do them quickly?

That was the challenge my brother Jim posed to me and my friend Bob one Sunday in August. Jim had completed the Hyannis, Cape Cod sprint triathlon about five times, and he was looking for some brave new souls to do it with him in September. Bob and I were just those eager takers.

Time to Get Ready

"None of my friends who have done the triathlon with me have done it a second time," my brother warned us, but we were not scared off so easily. I had run in several road races, Bob had competed on his bike many times, and we were both ready for a new challenge.

With only a few weeks to prepare, I borrowed a friend's bike and spent an afternoon out on the roads with Bob, where he refreshed me on the finer points of shifting, turning, and braking. I kept up my regular running routine, and we even plunged into the cool waters of the Atlantic for a few strokes. And then the day came.

Race Day

On that crisp and windy September morning, I stood on the beach among the seven-hundred-plus nervous athletes, donning my swim cap, goggles, and new triathlete bathing suit (complete with strategically placed padding to make the bike ride more comfortable), waiting for the first gun to go off.

I Did It! I'm a Triathlete!

In just over 75 minutes, I became a triathlete. For the next few moments, I basked in my own private high. I have experienced the "runner's high" several times before, after completing a road race, or during an ordinary morning run lit up by an extraordinary sunrise. But this high was a little stronger, an intense combination of relief, pride, and sheer exhaustion that gave me a sense of exhilarating serenity.

Although the intensity of that high has faded a bit with time, the pride remains and plays a significant role in the ongoing process of defining and refining my sense of self.

Since that September morning, I have noticed a slight shift in the way I perceive things, including myself. I find beauty in the smooth outline of a flexing muscle, the grace of a lengthening stride, and the power of a strong scissors kick. I am proud of my strength and my stamina, not my jeans or dress size.

I rarely step on a scale to evaluate myself, instead I track how long I can hold the flexed arm hang and how much closer I am to doing a pull up. No longer am I secretly thrilled when someone asks if I have lost weight. Instead, I am honored when I hear a friend refer to me as a triathlete.