Swindon Triathlon Club put novice CHRIS PANKS through his paces, as he explains, and you can see for yourself...

"AS a long-time runner, I've been interested in the challenge that triathlon poses for a long time. Having trained on the track with triathletes in Salisbury, they seemed like a different breed, often outperforming the athletes that specialised in road running alone.

"Running races are hard, but adding a swim and cycle before the start is a unique challenge.

"For a man who only taught himself how to swim a few years ago and who bought his first bike in a decade in 2012, it wasn't something I wanted to try on my own. So I joined up with Swindon Triathlon Club, for a week's intensive training across all three disciplines before tackling Royal Wootton Bassett Sprint triathlon on May 18, 2014.

"Almost 200 competitors lined up for 400m pool swim, 14 mile cycle and tough 5km run in blistering sunshine. The town's first triathlon event in more a decade was sold out, with another thirty disappointed applicants left on the reserve list.

"The race was organised by club member Ciaran Alstowe, who was inspired to create an event for the town following the untimely death of his mother last year.

"This video tells the full story..."

By @Christopher_EP http://justaride.tv/