January 10, 2015, Mississippi Blues Half Marathon

I had never been to Mississippi before this race and not sure I will ever return. The 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 Blues music. They gave the runners a cool Mississippi Blues shopping bag, a harmonica, a CD with Blues music on it,  and a running vest. At first I was disappointed there was no race shirt, but the vest is really cool, and much nicer than another race shirt. This race easily wins my award for coolest swag. 

 

After the Expo, we tried to drive the course but the map was hard to follow.  This was partially because the course ran the opposite direction of some one way streets and we ran off road through Jackson State University.  The parts of the course we did see told us it was gonna be a tough hilly run.  Dinner was at Olive Garden and I ordered my usual salad, pasta with olive oil and chicken, as well as their delicious bread sticks.

We ventured out of the hotel at 615am  on Saturday morning and walked about 10 minutes to the start.  It was a freezing cold 25 degrees with wind and more humidity than I am accustomed  to.  I opted for 3 long sleeve shirts on top and my running tights and shorts on the bottom.  The race started in front of the Jackson Art Museum.  About 655am some dude played an awesome guitar only rendition of the national anthem. It was really inspiring and a great way to kick off the race!  I settled in near the 1:55 pacer and was hoping to finish in front of him. I told Julie under 2 hours would be acceptable.  

As with most races, it was really congested at the start. There were about 3600 people running either the full (26.2 miles), half (13.1 miles) or the quarter (10.5 kilometers).  I really don't understand people who start at the front of the pack and walk or run really slow in the first mile. It took some mauvering but after about 1/2 a mile there was space to move. We ran with the quarter notes for the first 4.5 miles and with the marathoners for the first 6.5 miles. The course was clearly marked at all the mile markers and turns. I was a bit nervous about missing the split from the marathoners but luckily it was clearly marked. There were plenty of water stops (approx every 2 miles) that also had Gatorade. 

I saw Julie at the old capital building about 4 miles into race.  She snapped the picture above.  My running form does not look so hot but I had a big smile because I was happy to see her ringing the cowbell!  I was disappointed that there were only two bands playing on the course. Some cancelled because of the cold.  Fan support was pretty much non existent. The volunteers along the course were very enthusiastic and encouraging so that helped. Some 8 year old kid passed me about 8 miles into the race.  I was impressed and fascinated that someone that young was disciplined enough to run a half marathon.  I stayed with the 1:55 pacer most of the race until he took off in the last few miles. I just couldn't keep up with him. Julie told me he came in under 1:50. Hmmm, am I missing something here?  

The course was very challenging.  It threw one hill after another at us.  I felt good until the hill just after mile 9. It was long and steep. I never walked but it was a challenge for sure. I tried to focus on leaning into the downhills and taking advantage of them.  Though I didn't come close to a PR, I was extremely satisfied with my results. My finish time was 1:54:09.  7th out of 54 in my age group is nothing to sneeze at! 


The post-race area was fantastic!  As I was approaching the finish line, the announcer called my name and said I was from Arvaada Colorado.  Close enough!   Next they handed me the biggest and coolest medal I've earned so far, a bottle of water, and a silver mylar blanket.  The medal is a blues guitar with stained glass in it.  I was impressed! 

 

Julie was at the finish line to snap some pictures and give me a congratulatory kiss. We then made our way to the heated food tent where there was lots of goodies (pizza, bananas, chili, chocolate milk, etc). After running 13.1 miles, I took full advantage!  Next we listened to some live Blues music until I started feeling chilled. 

Downtown Jackson Mississippi is a sad place. There are so many abandoned buildings and buildings damaged by fire. They are trying to restore but it needs some major work.  There are some good restaurants close to the Hilton but not too much else that we saw.

The course was not only tough but also not too exciting. Much of it was parallel to a highway.  The people in Mississippi are very friendly and much more respectful than back in Denver. The young folks call you "mam" or "sir".  In Denver they call you "bud" or "man".  It just seems weird to have someone 30 years younger call me "bud".  Everyone we talked to was so helpful and nice.  We ate a late lunch, after the race, at a restaurant downtown called the Iron Horse. Had a terrific burger. I highly recommend the restaurant. The restaurant has burned down several times and been rebuilt and also plays music in the evenings.

 

Would i recommend this race?  If you need a Mississippi race and don't mind a tough course, it's not a bad race.  Also the race swag was the best of any race so far! 

Here are the official numbers:
Finish time: 1:54:09
Overall:  198th out of 1786 half marathon runners  (Top 11%)
Male:  145th out of 660 Male runners (Top 22%)
Age Group:  7th out of 54 Men 55-59 years old  (Top 13%)

Here is the Strava data from my run, if you are interested, just click on the picture: 


 

What's next for me?:  Mercer Island half marathon (Washington) on March 22.