Swimming, Biking, and Running (continued)
One of my running buddies, C.T., suggested I do a local triathlon with him.
I told him I could swim well enough to save myself if dumped overboard,
but never swam any real distance. The event was called the Heart o’ Dixie
Triathlon. It started at a small lake near Philadelphia, MS and ended at the
Neshoba County Fairground. It was a half-mile swim, a 27-mile bike ride,
and a 7-mile run. So I started swimming at the campus outdoor pool to see
what I could do, which wasn’t much but I was sure I could survive the swim
and easily do the bike and run. Several hundred people participated and the
start was something I hadn’t anticipated. We were all corralled in a
seriously muddy area of the lake, I was in mud half way up my shin. At the gun
we all started swimming. Nancy said it looked like piranhas churning up the water.
The water was so muddy you could hardly see a foot ahead of you. I got
kicked and punched in almost every part of my body in the first 100 yards
before we all got spread out. The swim was a big U-shaped area outlined my buoys.
I soon discovered I could not swim the entire distance so would swim a couple
hundred yards, then side stroked, resting to catch my breath until I finished.
Fortunately, the finish was at a sandy beach.