I was very excited for this race and have been looking forward to it since I registered several months back. Last year I ran in the Inaugural Tuscaloosa Half Marathon, be sure to read my recap from the 2013 event.

The weather was looking to be much better than the frigid temperatures of the year before and I was ready to take full advantage of it. In my mind I was focused on working to push a 1:30:00 finish. I arrived in Tuscaloosa Friday night and slipped in to pick up my bib just as they were starting to pack things up for the night. After my bib was secured I went to watch the University of Alabama Women’s Gymnastics take on Stanford, then we had dinner with my friend Tiffany at the Mellow Mushroom. (Always on my dinner list in Tuscaloosa) before driving to Birmingham where we were staying for the night.

Saturday morning I awoke for the race and drove to Tuscaloosa, found a Dunkin Donuts for my race day pick me up and walked out to the starting area by the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater. After a warm up I made my way to the start line.

I knew there were a lot of route changes this year but there turned out to be far more than I expected. This race ran all around and through the University of Alabama. #rolltide. We started in the downtown area of Tuscaloosa and around Mile 4.5 found our way onto Bryant Dr. running past the iconic Rammer Jammer restaurant and Bryant Denny Stadium. We wrapped back around to University Dr. where we had to run on the sidewalk for a little bit. I’m not thrilled with sidewalk running in a race, but it was very wide and spacious. I was running 3 wide talking with a few runners. After circling around the campus for a couple miles we faced the hill in front of the student union. When I realized where we were on campus I knew it was coming just before I turned the corner and saw it. It’s a beast to run, it’s a beast to walk. At this point I was just over a minute off total pace, but still felt strong and was pushing as long as I could hold on for.

It wasn’t until Mile 9-10 when I recognized the course from last year. I knew exactly what was left and exactly what to expect from this point on and was ready to red-line it through the last 5k. Unfortunately, my body didn’t feel the same way. Once I hit mile 10.25 I felt my heart rate spike and was in desperate need of water. Water that didn’t come for almost 2 more miles. I fell off pace and tried to keep moving as quickly as I could running down the riverfront. When I made it to the water station I took longer than normal to stop and drink. When I felt satisfied I thanked the volunteers and wasn’t stopping until I crossed the finish line. It was a great feeling coming up to the amphitheater and seeing the finish line. I even saw Mandi King in the crowd as I came around the last turn.

Last year I ran the race with a friend and stuck by her side the entire race, finishing in 2:56:46. This year, I missed my 1:30 goal was thrilled to cross the finish line and set a new half marathon PR at 1:33:28 finishing 42nd overall and 9th in my age group! (This breaks my previous 1:35:01 PR set earlier this year in Los Angeles, CA at the New Year’s Race).

The post race event was fun. There was good music, good bbq, and good ice cream; always a winning combination. I even got the chance to snap a few pictures with Big Al!

Roll Tide!
Overall a great event put on in Tuscaloosa and one that I will continue to run in the future.

The New Years Race started in downtown Los Angeles at 7pm. We arrived downtown just before 5 and visited with one of Brooklyn’s friends at her hotel a few blocks from the start line. We got dressed and ready for the race (watched the first quarter of the Saints game) and made our way down to the streets just after 6 o’clock. After gear check and few pre race photos, I said my goodbyes and went find some space to stretch and warm up before taking my place in Corral 1 at the starting line.

I knew before hand that the course was a bit hilly, but I was not expecting what was to come. The race kicked off and we were on our way through the streets of LA. In the first mile we ran past City Hall and the Plaza Olvera running down Broadway Ave and over to Main Street running over Highway 101. The first 2 miles featured several small rolling hills, but as we ran away from town we began a steady ascent that lasted until Mile 5! During this time we ran up Stadium Way and into the Parking lot of Dodger Stadium (a race highlight for me) before immediately turning left and leaving the stadium and making our way through Elysian Park.

The run through the park was difficult. The roadway was slanted and the only flat part was broken up asphalt with dirt and gravel down. I ran on holding a really great average pace of around 8:00/miles. After leaving the park we ran back into the Dodger Stadium parking lot and in mile 7 turned into the stadium and ran a lap around the warning track. Similar to the Disneyland Half with the lap around Angels Stadium I was ecstatic to be running around the stadium.

Normally I would have stopped to take pictures, but after crossing the halfway point I started to pay attention to my watch and piece together a game plan for the back half of the race. I knew that after leaving the stadium it was back along the same course that I had already ran and knew what was to come as far as elevation changes go. So at Mile 8 I passed the gates of Dodger Stadium and started to pick up the pace to a 7:30ish/mile. As I left the stadium I passed by Brooklyn, her mom, and their friends entering the stadium and yelled as I passed by.

I ran back along course that I came in on with the intention of picking up the pace for the final 5k. At Mile 10 I started to separate myself from the others around me and as I entered the Broadway Corridor at Mile 11 I was all alone and running at a 6:30/mile pace. I pushed into a sprint for the final mile and crossed the finish line at a new Personal Record of 1:35:01! To make the finish even better, after crossing the line I immediately pulled out my phone just in time to see the final score post of the Saints, Eagles wild card play off game. A new PR and a Saints postseason win!

After the race I changed clothes, drank a chocolate milk, and made my way to the post race party across from the Staples Center while I waited for Brooklyn and her mom to come across the line. Once they made it through we enjoyed the festivities for a little while before heading back to the hotel to gather our belongings and head to In-N-Out Burger for post race refuel and make our way home.

This year the Blues decided to not give a a tech shirt that will more than likely be seldom worn by participants but instead have a fleece, quarter zip hoodie with the race logo embroidered on the chest. Very nice addition! Of course the swag bag still included a MS Blues CD & a harmonica etched with the race logo & date.

Due to construction in the capital city the race course was altered from the 6 previous races. The change was for the better! This new course was great! The race started with a 3.5 mile loop around & through the campus of Jackson State University and looped back towards the start line. In an effort to keep the run lighthearted & energetic for Pittman I decided I was going to wave & say good morning to every group of spectators along the route.

At mile 4 I spotted Stephen on the sidewalk who was waiting patiently with a beer for me, he’s a good man. We ran along State St. up and down the rolling hills and in front of the University of Mississippi Medical Center & Veteran Memorial Stadium (home of the 1993 DCI World Championships) all beer in hand and interacting with as many people as I could. The half marathon split from the full just before mile 7 and as we made the right turn to start our return journey a woman runs up and says “I wish we had pacers for the half.” So of course I ask what she wanted to run. Her response? 1:45. “Hello, my names is Joe. I’m your pacer.”

So Kami (with a K) joined Pittman and myself. She is a pharmaceutical sales rep who won the female Masters division in last year’s Blues Half, but due to a busy work schedule this year was just looking to run and have a good experience. As we tackled the next handful of miles I realized two things. 1) Pittman was starting to fade and was about 30 seconds back 2) there was a group of about 5 runners who had evolved into a pace group all following Waldo.

The hills coming out of Belhaven and back into the downtown area were between miles 11 & 12. These are always the toughest hills along the course, regardless of what miles they come at. This was when Kami started to fall behind, along with almost everyone else that was running with us. I kept my prescribed pace through the final mile & half and crossed the finish line at 1:45:05, turns out I’m a pretty decent pacer. Look at how great this medal is!

Pittman’s wife, Amanda, works in sports medicine and was working the finish line medical area and was handing out medals knowing that we should be coming in to the finish soon. She gave me my medal which I quickly handed off to Stephen & I took off back into the course. I passed by Kami and cheered her on as I was hunting for Pittman. I found him just before Mile Marker 13. I ran with him shouting encouragements & pushing around the final turn. He was moving quick along the final turn and I couldn’t keep up as he sprinted to a 1:47:50 finish, shy of his goal but still 7 minutes quicker than his previous Personal Record!

The post race party always features great food, beer, and music. This is always a race highlight for me at the Blues. I was stopped by several people (strangers) and asked to take pictures. I put my Twitter/Instagram handle on my bib and asked them to please tweet them to me. It was a great social experiment seeing how excited people were that they found Waldo. (including the race announcer as I crossed the finish line)