Triathlon - Basic traithlon information please

Hey guys traithlons have always intrigued me and I am looking for some information about them as i know nothing about them other then you bike, run, and swim. Now...

1. What order do you do the three things in or does it change for different races.
2. Generally how far is the run, the bike, and the swim?
3. Is everything back to back or is there a rest in between stages?
4. Is it swimming in a pool? Ocean? I would guess pool but do any go to the beach? In a pool I assume you do laps.
5. What is so special about a specific triathlon bike? What is different about it. I see the hand positioning is different. why? what else?
6. Any other info you could give me would be great. My ultimate goal is to try one of these out.

Thanks

1. Typically swim-bike-run
2. Different distances based on the type of race (sprint, international, Half IM, Ironman). Most people start with a sprint which is usually around 1/2 mi swim, 12 mi bike, 3 mi run...but they vary.
3. Some are in pools, some are in open water (lakes, ocean, etc.)
4. Lost of things but in a nut shell...more aerodynamic & the position is a bit better for when you transition to the run.
5. Check out www.trinewbies.com, www.beginnertriathlete.com, and www.active.com. Lots of info on these sites. Give them a try and feel free to come back with more specific questions.

Cheers.
-CJ

thanks for the links

6. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=triathlon&btnG=Google+Search
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triathlon

Rests between stages? Nononono... that would be civilised! It's a mad rubbery scrabble. And it's a whole event in itself, getting a good clean transition.

I might have to suggest a rest, though. Nice cup of tea, slice of cake. I could weigh down the elites and improve my ranking... :)