NATCHEZ — Cathedral School football coach Ron Rushing is taking a little bit of his own medicine these days.

Rushing, who is currently working his players hard during their summer conditioning program, is doing some conditioning of his own. He plans to compete in the Tarpon Triathlon in Houma, La., Sept. 3, and is currently getting into shape in preparation.

The triathlon includes a 3-mile run, a 250-meter pool swim and a 10-mile bike ride. Rushing said he looked to a friend’s example as to how he might get in shape.

“I just came up with the crazy idea,” Rushing said. “One of my buddies, Ryan Marchbanks, was doing it, and I needed to lose a little weight, so I figured, why not? I started out at 232 pounds and gotten down to 190.”

And Rushing said he drew inspiration from the hard work his players have put in during the summer months.

“I sit here and make these kids work hard all summer long, and they do what I ask,” Rushing said. “It seems like some of that rubbed off on me.

“I was just thinking about all I ask them to do, and I’m sitting there at 230 pounds and not doing what I’m preaching.”

Rushing said his boss, Cathedral principal Pat Sanguinetti, has gotten him into a program that gradually builds up someone’s ability to run for long distances.

“The program’s got me to where I can run 30 minutes,” Rushing said. “I run up to 5 miles every time I run, and for me, that’s a lot. I also bought a bike at Walmart, and I swim twice a week.”

His mindset for competing in the triathlon has evolved with time, Rushing said, to where he wants to do better than simply finishing.

“I got to where I just wanted to finish to where I don’t want to finish last,” Rushing said. “I’m sure when the competitive juices are flowing, I’ll speed up, but if I don’t finish last, I’ll be good.”

With all the training he’s done, Rushing said his family has been very supportive of that on top of his regular duties as Cathedral’s football coach.

“My wife has been very supportive,” Rushing said. “I’m out here doing football five to six hours a day, then I come home and train, so I depend on her for a lot.

“I actually think my two sons are more excited about it than me. They talk about it all the time.”

Rushing said he’s not sure how much of an advantage training in the heat will be for him, but he said it can’t hurt that he’s already doing football stuff outside.

“As much as I’m out in the sun with the kids every day, I think I’d be a little more accustomed to the sun than others would be,” Rushing said.

Ultimately, though, Rushing said he’s doing the triathlon for a change of pace in his life.

“I tell everyone that it’s my mid-life crisis,” he said. “Instead of buying a convertible, I’ll go out and knock out a triathlon.”