Heart O' Dixie Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic

This was a time trial start with 5 seconds between swimmers. Very interesting. In the end, not a lot different than being in waves. I felt like I was swimming steady. Because of stupid cramping calves, I can't really go too fast (in fact, if this swim was any shorter, my left calf probably would have seized up...it was threatening), but I wasn't being languid either. So, I am a little unhappy with my swim time; I would have liked closer to 17min. Anyway, caught a couple of nice drafts, felt others drafting off me. Swung a little wide off the buoy line at one point as my goggles got a little cloudy and couldn't see very well, so followed someone else, who swung a bit wide. There were a ton of buoys, but they were small, so I had some difficulty seeing them, and had to breast stroke a bit to find them. May have had something to do with the arch shape of the course too. Swam to the end until my hand touched bottom and up and out to T1.

Mostly I need to get my cramping calf issue resolved so I can have enough confidence in the swim to push it harder. I really should be under 2min/100yds (or right about 2min/100meters). I will be visiting a massage therapist after I return from France to see if she can help.

Exact same transition time as last time. Funny. I am getting better and more organized.

Smoother, faster.

I wasn't so sure when I started the ride. I felt like I was struggling, so dialed it back a notch and the next thing I know, I'm absolutely flying (for me). This is my fastest bike split in a triathlon ever, and over a decent distance. What is amazing to me, though, is I still had only the 5th fastest bike time in my age group. These ladies are rockets on the bike. I still need to get faster.

Go faster.

T2 is a little different because you have to retrieve your stuff out of your bag. My bag was taped up tight, but I managed to rip it open with no problem. Since I didn't have my handy-dandy milk crate to sit on this time, I actually put my shoes on while standing up and didn't fall over.

Maybe save the race belt and hat for when I start running rather than while in transition. Given the circumstances, I think this was a good transition for me.

I played a trick on myself today. I was anticipating a tough run because I heard the course is hilly (it is, but not horrible) and because I expected it to be freaking hot (we lucked out; it was hot but quite a bit cooler than it had been). So, I started off at my usual slow "triathlon" trot. First mile was uphill, and in retrospect, that may have been a good move. I got to the first water stop and was really feeling quite good. I wanted to go faster, but was afraid I would blow up. I made a bargain with myself. Run a slightly faster tempo for 2 minutes, then go back to the original pace for 5 minutes. Repeat. Except every up-tempo interval, I extended how long I ran. By the 5 mile mark, I still felt great, so just kept the up-tempo going. Hit the race track, sped up for a quick few furloughs and galloped across the finish line.

I felt amazingly good on the run. I think I could have run faster. I have to have more confidence in my ability.

Cool towel over neck, sit in shade.


Mostly self-confidence, particularly in the swim and run. Need to not be afraid to push.


This was the 28th annual Heart O' Dixie triathlon and it may be one of the oldest non iron distance races in the country. Apparently, it's been run on the same course since the beginning. Very fun event. The only drawback to this race is the traffic, both on the bike and the run. There is not a lot of room on the side of the roads and a lot of people heading the same direction to the Neshoba County Fair. Also, a couple of turns (bike and run) could've used a volunteer to shepherd the first timers in the right direction. The race is limited to 300, so spreads out and sometimes not a lot of other people are in front to follow.