I left home Saturday morning at 4 am, on my way to the Cotton States Triathlon in Lake Providence, Louisiana. Even with a 10 minute train delay in Tallulah, I was racking my bike in the transition area by 6:20.
I finished the swim leg 1 second slower than last year. The bike leg was a minute and a few seconds faster. The run was awful. It was hot. I carried a water bottle to pour on my head and had to have it filled at the water stops. I've been training as usual, trying to push myself faster, but any gains I recognize on the home trail at 5:30 am temps are lost when I have to run in the sun after 8:00. My 5k time in a November race is nearly 5 minutes faster than in the heat.
Anyway, the Cotton States Tri is a fun race. The small town's Junior Auxiliary does a super job with what they have, and the local law enforcement is everywhere on the bike course. The turnout for the race was lower than usual, and I'm betting it was because of the heat forecast of 102 degrees for race day. I sure felt it.
