The Blues...... first time back since 2018! This race was never one of my favorites and since I've done so many in Mississippi, I had just been skipping this race. My half marathon count by state:
Alabama - 4, Florida - 7, Georgia - 1, Louisiana - 5, Mississippi - 23, Nevada - 1, Tennessee - 3, Montana - 1 for a total of 45 half marathons! I wish I had known about this 50 state thing when I started running half marathons... I could have tried to spread these out to more states and I'd be so close to having 50.. Oh well.... Guess I could start now and maybe by the time I get to 100 halfs ... I'll have 50 states covered. 😂😃
So my PPRF (Peer Pressure Running Friends) talked me into this back in 2021. Then the race was postponed in February, 2021 to November, 2021... on my daughter's wedding day! So I deferred to 2022 thinking that I could at least talk a few of my friends in going with me.... well that did NOT happen. 😏 They ran it in November and said NEVER again. 😑 So I was the lone ranger.
I did have a long run anyways building to my marathon coming up on March 5 so I decided why not plus we could see the grands in Jackson for the weekend. Well, it turned out the grands already had plans so I ended up just staying in a hotel and running alone. The weather was perfect. Cool, but sunny. The race starts and ends by the state Capital.
I had purchased a $4 jacket at the thrift store to throw away after we got to running, however I ended up just wrapping it around my waist and keeping it. I asked a lady with the Miss Coffee runners to grab my picture before the start.
Very small group of Miss Coffee runners! Usually they are like 30-40 of us. I hate to say it but since the race was taken over by a new race organization many people have stopped doing the race. It's not near as well organized as it use to be!
We started the race with a guy playing the guitar for the National Anthem.
Ran into my friend Jennifer at mile 10! She's a hoot and always running somewhere all over the world! She's probably close to getting her 50 states, but today she was cheering us on. 💓
I had forgotten how many HILLS the race has along the course! Which I needed them to get ready for the March and April marathons I'm signed up to do. But man did my body want to shout at me... what the heck ... 😂 Plus there was a sharp grade on several of the roads and my hip was killing me.
I was so glad when it was over. LOL
I was mistaken when I typed 42! it's my 45... 😀
However, to my surprise when I looked up the results later that night when I got home... they had me in the 10K and that's not even my finish time! So I emailed them.... and guess what?? If they had put me in the right place, I would have placed 3rd in my age group! I don't think I've ever placed in a half or full marathon. Heck I never hang around for awards. On average I'm usually in the top 10 of my age group, but I never make the podium.... This time I did and they don't have the results right. So aggravating! However, I'm not alone... many people had their results wrong also... something about a timing mat not working properly.... Again.. this new organization needs to work on a couple of things to draw back the Mississippi crowd of runners they have lost.
After I had emailed them about timing results they asked me to email them my watch times to show that I did run the half. In doing so I took a look at what the bathroom stops cost me. See highlights. I will say that my two stops were not a full blown blow out like the past so maybe this new medicine is working and my stomach didn't seem to literally bother me all day after running... so their is hope... Or at least I'm praying their is for me. I felt pretty good about my times considering the HILLS. 😀
Monday.... 2 days after... well I'm TIRED... I biked 30 miles yesterday and my legs felt like they had 20 lb weights on them! Today I'm just plain TIRED and so glad it's REST DAY!
Happy Running!
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