The MS Blues marathon is the 23rd pit-stop of my race around these beautiful 50 States of ours. I've got to be honest, I had some preconceived notions about the South. Certainly, images of southern hospitality and good southern cooking came to mind (and there were plenty, check out these dishes I inhaled after the race, yes in one sitting, yes by myself)
seafood gumbo
fried oysters
red bean and rice with andouille sausage
but so did the darker images from history books. Was it going to be a fun, safe trip for this Asian boy down in the deep south? The answer is a resounding yes. I encountered friendlier people on the race course and during my stay in Jackson than I did in many other races in big cities across the country. I did not see many other Asians throughout my stay in MS but I certainly didn't feel out of place at any given time.
Speaking of Asians, I did finally meet Mitch "Marathon Mitch" Chan on this trip. Great guy who is a fellow MM from So Cal. Here is a photo of all the Asians in MS gathering at the race!
(Mitch, Jaeson Winters, and me at the start)
The flight from Orange County to Jackson included a hop through DFW and one of those small planes which is not high on my preference list (the plane). Here is a view of Jackson from the air.
The Blues Marathon is properly named as Mississippi is obviously the home of Blues music. The race was also sponsored by Bluecross/Shield ... (clever huh?). It is a small race that included the full marathon, half marathon, and the marathon relay. The expo was small but efficient. The swag bag was OUTSTANDING as it included a short sleeve technical shirt, a blues CD (pretty good stuff), and even a logoed harmonica!
the 2013 race started at 7:00AM at a whopping 35 degrees. bring your jackets and blankets boys and girls!
The full marathon completed 755 runners and was well organized. The first portion of the course (miles 1-2) was a bit crowded as I tried to maneuver around many half marathons in the streets of downtown Jackson. However, once the course opened up it was well marked and staged with water stations and spectators. To be honest, the out and back course was not terribly exciting once outside of the downtown area where some historical buildings resided but I did appreciate the thoughtfulness of the organization. The half marathoners separated fairly early during the course and did not impact the flow of the full marathon. The course included NUMEROUS rolling hills throughout, however as advertised they were gentle and usually included a fair length of flat distance between the hills. After my experience in Atlanta, these hills paled in comparison! I was happy with my 3:55 finish... felt strong after a big 4th quarter 2012 where I increased my overall volume significantly. While I didn't PR, I was able to see the strength and confidence I've gained from last year.
The finisher medal is extraordinary. I don't usually think much about the medals but this one is pretty special!
Thanks for a great time MS! onward to Kansas in April and 1-0-0 miles in May!
one race, one mile, and one step at a time,
Jeff
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