If you've ever wondered about tackling a triathlon (swimming followed by cycling and then running), you're not alone. About 50,000 people now compete in them in Britain every year. Bev Price, a nurse working with disabled children, is one of 10,000 people taking part in this years Michelob ULTRA London Triathlon on 6-7 August 2005, with team-mates Laura Shepherd and Claire Lindsay. Between them the ladies will be covering the full Olympic distance of 1.5km swimming, 40km cycling and 10km running. handbag chats to Bev about what it takes.

Why did you decide to take part in a triathlon?
'The three of us all work together with special needs kids, including those with autism. It was one of those things you decide to do after a bottle of wine. We were looking at The National Autistic Society website and thought it would be a good idea to do it as a team event and raise money for NAS.'

Have you done anything like it before?
'I've never done anything like this before. I entered the London marathon last year, but I didn't get through.'

How did you decide who did which discipline?
'I'd been out of the office and when I got back Laura and Claire had already decided what they would prefer to do! However it made sense that Laura did the swimming because she has competed before and Claire has done some running before, so I took the cycling.'

Had you done any cycling before?
'Yes, a bit. I already had a mountain bike, because I used to go out on it with my two daughters. I've bought a road bike now though.'

What kind of preparation have you been doing?
'I've been concentrating on the cycling and covering about 10 miles at a time. However last weekend I managed the full 27 miles!'

How have you found the training?
'It's hard fitting it in, because we don't do a nine-to-five job we've been either getting up early and training at 6am or after work at about 7pm or 8pm. The amount of training has also increased in the last few weeks leading up the triathlon.'

Have you had to change your diet too?
'Yes, I've had to look at my diet, because of my job I used to find it very easy to skip meals and when you're training you need to eat regularly. I'm a vegetarian so I've had to make more of an effort which has been good for me. It's all about balance, but I've had to cut down on the red wine!'

Would you considering doing all three disciplines yourself next year?
'It makes you think, because you realise what you can achieve, but having the time to train for all three is a different matter. I will probably be entering the marathon again though.'

Would you encourage handbaggers to take it up?
'Definitely. You really feel like you've done something positive and it gets a great response from people. We work with children with autism and it's nice to be able to show the parents that you are doing something about it. As for competing as part of a team, it really motivates you and makes you look at and think about your diet and fitness.'

Further information
To find out more about triathlons visit the British Triathlon Association
For details on the The National Autistic Society visit http://www.nas.org.uk