The younger sister of the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, Pippa Middleton, is fast becoming the icon of a modern, athletic woman in the UK as she stays in shape by biking, running, swimming and joining triathlons. With triathlons gaining back its popularity, preparing for one can be such a daunting task, but a task that brings with it so many benefits.

The younger Middleton has done everything: run a 20 mile course, biked 30 miles in Scotland, and did a triathlon in Woodstock, England, Celebrity Health Fitness reported. With the media now putting the spotlight on her, more specifically, admiring her physically fit body, what does it take to run a triathlon just like Pippa?

Triathlons, as everyone knows, are composed of three parts: swimming, cycling, and running. Swimming, which maybe the one that is most feared among the three, in a triathlon is often done in open water, The Guardian reported. With no specific course to follow, the good news about swimming in triathlons is that there is no swimming technique required.

With that in mind, most tri-athletes consider swimming freestyle. And of course, proper gear for swimming is also a must as a wetsuite that can aid in buoyancy is essential.

When it comes to preparing for the cycling part of the triathlon, it must be noted that the bike ride is the longest part of the three challenges. In cycling, there are different things to consider, such as one's ability to actually ride a bicycle and the bike itself.

Since it is the longest part of the three courses, Men's Health recommends that a person should properly train in the different disciplines of cycling: the use of gears, climbing, riding in groups, taking corners, and navigating in traffic. How to fix one's bike is also a must in order to stay in the game.

The next thing of note when it comes to cycling is what bike to use. While some suggest going for a lightweight, multi-geared road bike, others fo for hybrid bikes that double as a road bike and a mountain bike. But regardless of bike selection, one should have a helmet, bike gloves and a cyclometer to get a sense of the speed and distance.

Running, which makes a good one-third of the triathlon, is often done last and is a test of a person's endurance having done both swimming and cycling. Aside from almost exhausting majority of the energy swimming and cycling, running contends with the impact done on the joints and on the feet.

To avoid all of the risks that is included in triathlons, training is the key. Through training, a person can get comfortable with the pace as well as increase their endurance to tackle on the challenges.

In training, one should focus first on a training plan as this is crucial in deciding how a person can last in a triathlon. When planning on how to go about on training, it is suggested to give a little more time in the sport one is weakest in. It is also crucial to add the transitions to the training - swimming to cycling, cycling to running, eHow.com reported.

Amidst all of this training and preparation, comes health benefit - perhaps the reason why triathlons are gaining its popularity. Because it involves the whole body, losing weight, feeling and looking younger are the rewards for the rigorous training, according to Fitness.com. Proper and consistent training for triathlons will also merit tri-athletes more energy and a decreased likelihood on getting an injury from physical activities.