Jazz Half Marathon

Since moving to The Woodlands from the New Orleans area post Katrina, I always look forward to returning to the city that I called home for some 15 years.  The year following Katrina, I returned to NOLA for the 2006 Crescent City Classic 10k.  I returned in 2007 for the Mardi Gras 1/2 marathon (before it became a competitor Rock n Roll event).  In 2008 I ran the Jackson Day 9k race the weekend of the BCS Championship game where LSU beat Ohio State to win its 3rd National Championship.

I didn't make it for any 2009 races; for 2010, I signed up for the 2nd edition of the Jazz Half, a stand alone local 1/2 event.  There were around 2,000 runners; hopefully this race will continue to grow.  I came into this race not race ready but confiident that I could complete the 13.1 mile distance.  A trigger point in my right calf kept me from running regularly for 2 months leading up to the race.  Like 10 for Texas 3 weeks earlier, I was good for the first 7 miles and then my conditioning/lack of kicked in.  I finished with a 2:02 - an injury PR run, a NOLA run PW.

My son ran this race as well.  I was able to see him for the first tenth of a mile or so as he ran a 1:44 PR.  The post race party was typical NOLA.  Beer truck, red beans and rice and/or jambayla, hot dogs, Blue Bell ice cream were all there as well as a couple of bands.  My first events away from NOLA had me confused as my running started in NOLA and this type of post race party spread is typical for all races, 5k's on up to marathons.

Hopefully I can run a future version of this event when I'm race ready.

Another 2010 finish in compression socks.