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On March 18, Singapore hosts the Aviva Ironman 70.3 Triathlon, an annual event that attracts thousands of participants, both amateur and professional. The 70.3 refers to the total number of miles the event requires athletes to traverse in various parts of the island, starting with a 1.2-mile (2 km) open-water swim, followed by a 56-mile (90 km) bike ride and ending with a 13.1-mile (21 km) run. Consider yourself a triathlete in spirit but find that kind of distance just a little too taxing? No matter. Here are three great experiences — cycling, swimming and jogging — that will give you a taste of the triathlon with none of the pain.

Cycling on Mount Faber
Carpeted by rain forest and dotted by the stately colonial bungalows known locally as "black-and-whites," Mount Faber is popularly known for the cable cars that gently swing down over the sea from its forested peak. But for cyclists, it has a much more active connotation.

As a swampy tidal flat, Singapore has very little of the steep terrain bikers traditionally use to build up muscle strength in their legs — which is why Mount Faber, on the island's western coast, is such a gift. But while the journey to the top is tough, the glide down is its own reward. Perched above the resort island of Sentosa and the rocky outcrop of Labrador Park, Mount Faber offers some of the most beautiful vistas in Singapore.

For information on bike rentals, visit smbf.com.sg.

Jogging the Pasir Ris Connector
Singapore is blessed with nearly 30 km of "park connectors" — walking, cycling and jogging trails that connect eight of the city's 53 lush municipal greenswards, complete with refreshment pit stops en route.

The Pasir Ris trail may not take you on a run through any of Singapore's tourist attractions, but for the visitor that's part of the charm. At around 5.5 km long (when combined with the contiguous Loyang Park trail), this connector instead offers a glimpse of everyday Singaporean life, leading past housing estates, schools and through a riverine swamp filled with mud crabs and rare tropical birds.

Though much of the connector winds through Pasir Ris' empty mangrove forest, there is interesting history there. In the tumultuous early days of Singapore's independence, the country's first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, retreated to a local seaside bungalow to brainstorm his country's future. Perhaps the seeds were planted as he paced up and down the sands — for a decade or so later, Changi Airport opened next door, and the planes that helped catapult Singapore from a tropical backwater into a prosperous trading nation began roaring over Pasir Ris' hitherto unruffled greenery.

For details, see nparks.gov.sg and click on Park Connectors Network.

Swimming off East Coast Beach
At first sight, east coast beach is an unlikely place for Singapore's open-water swimmers to gather. On any given day, dozens of ships lie at anchor off the shore, from tramp freighters to oil tankers, while others cruise the horizon. But the fast-moving currents that affect Singapore's isolated beaches are absent there, accounting for East Coast Beach's popularity.

True, visibility in the water isn't good — the sea gets clouded by sand churned up by all those sluicing hulls and whirling propellers — but the Singaporean government, which monitors the quality of water at all public beaches, deems these waters safe and clean enough for swimming. "Most swimmers are afraid of the dim visibility underwater," says David Lim, operator of local swim school Yellowfish, "but there's no reason to be." And besides, it's best to keep your head above water, where you can look out for all the waterborne traffic.

Swimmers usually gather at East Coast Beach on weekend mornings. After your dip, refuel at one of the many seafood restaurants at adjacent East Coast Park.

• Neel Chowdhury
• Leave Ironman to the diehards