Next Thing Up

Next up is the Heart O' Dixie Triathuhlon. Sorry. That is my subtle protest. There will me a man on a sound system welcoming all the athuhletes to the 37th Heart O' Dixie Triathuhlon July 23rd at around 6:am. He, and everyone else, not only adds the extra syllable, but he accents it as well. I can't take it, and I fear attacking the MC and getting arrested by the police. Somebody help me.

I am looking forward to the triathuhlon although I don't do many of these anymore. No longer do I view myself as a triathuhlete, but as a swimmer who occasionally does a triathuhlon. I was one of the original triathuhletes back in August of 1980 which is one reason this event remains on my schedule. Despite the fact that I don't train properly for it, I enjoy completing the race and consider it as one of the great workouts of my year. By not training properly, I mostly mean that I don't cycle enough to ride fast and then be able to run well off the bike. I swim a lot and run a fair amount, but without a lot of cycling, you will never ride well and never run well off the bike.

As one of the original participants, last week I received an email and phone call from a reporter from the Nesoba Democrat. he did an article on me concerning the HOD and he also included some information on my Chicot Challenge. I hope he will give me some press next year when I do my swim. I hope.

The race begins with a staggered start for the half mile swim in beautiful Lake Tiak O'Khata in Louisville, Mississippi. I consider this race's start to be one of the great innovations to the sport. They line us up on the order of our race number and every six seconds we are sent on our journey. With a start like that, safety is greatly enhanced, and we have the ability to swim to our potential.

The bike leg of the race is a 27.5 miles jaunt down Highway 15 from the lake to Philadelphia, Mississippi. We ride straight through downtown Noxapater which you may remember if you read this blog. My Great Noxapater Journey Run that I did last November ended there. We stay there with my aunt and uncle the night before, which is another reason this race has such an appeal to me. We, my wife and I, get to visit relatives, visit and couple of towns are an area that was important to my development as a child, and Penny shops at the fair while I sweat it out on the road.

After we get off the bicycles, the real fun begins. The seven mile run (actually 6.6) is hot and hilly with little shade and no mercy for the weak. It is in fact brutal. But I love it anyway and finishing at the world famous Neshoba County Fair on the half-mile horse track in front of the grand stands is always a big thrill. 

So to make a short story long, I am trying to muster the mojo to get out today and hit some cycling and running. I need a long run with some intervals and a easy spin on the bike trainer. This is the last week I have to change my fitness before the race Saturday after this one. Next week is all about the taper. A little light work and a lot of rest. I don't do a full taper but for three events per year and this is one of them.