Destin isn't an easy place to train. The traffic makes biking difficult (and riding in a car even more so). Running is generally boring and near traffic; I've had my best luck on Holiday Isle. The only pool swimming I've done is at Silver Shells, a large condo complex with a large irregularly shaped pool that you can get 25-20 yds out of in the early am. I've tried swimming in the gulf parallel to the shore, but generally lose my nerve in short order.

Dragon Sports is a tri shop in the area that may prove to be a valuable resource to you. Check them out at dragonsports.net.

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Coach at KonaCoach Multisport

Definitely give Dragon Sports a call. They run an informal open water group that meets at White Point Park (north side of the Mid Bay Bridge in Choctaw Bay) in the summers, and Pam coaches a masters-friendly swim program out of the Bluewater Bay area, which is reasonably close to Destin.

Biking in Destin proper is pretty much a lost cause, but there are groups you can hook up with out of Dragon Sports or Robin's Cycles, or you can portage your bike up to the Bluewater area, park in the Winn-Dixie parking lot, and do a couple of decent Niceville area rides from there. FL 285 even approximates small hills. In theory you can ride the Mid Bay Bridge, but there's enough debris you're just asking to shred a tire or two.