Bob the runner

I had never been to Mississippi before this race and not sure I will ever return. T he name "Mississippi Blues" and some of the reviews attracted me to this race.  I love old country songs and many of them talk about the blues, so, I thought "why not run a half marathon there and hear some good music?". We arrived at our hotel Thursday evening and were instantly concerned by all the abandoned businesses and homes near the hotel. The Hilton Gardens in downtown Jackson seemed safe and was a decent hotel but they also warned us not to go walking around after dark. Seems there are a bunch of homeless people in the area that are considered dangerous. We are not downtown people so we were a bit uneasy and decided to eat dinner at the hotel Thursday evening and it was very good. Friday we walked about 10 minutes to the Expo. It was held at the Jackson Convention Center and was lots of fun!  We found some good bargains on clothes and listened to some good B