Louisiana

Sunday morning brought warm temps, 60ish, with overcast skies left over from the previous night's ample rainfall. I started my chrono at about 6:20 a.m. and headed down Poydras on my own. Only the slightest hint of dawn had emerged when I turned left onto South Peters, which yielded to North Peters, which surrendered altogether to Decatur Street in the French Quarter. Passing the Cafe du Monde I saw early risers (or very late party animals going home) enjoying beignets. Mmmmmm…

I turned left for a maybe three mile stretch to the northwest on Esplanade. Many homes had ample purple, gold, and green decor out for Mardi Gras, still two weeks away (I'd never want to come near New Orleans during that). I crossed the bridge over the Bayou St. John and took a right on Wisner, enjoying views of the bayou to my right and City Park to the left. I kept wondering when the first runners would catch up.

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The I-10 overpass brought the course's only hill. Then wheelchair racers passed me in the out/back on Mirabeau. As I added a 1-ply sock before m7 I saw the first runner coming down Mirabeau. The lead pack passed me on Wisner. After I made the turnaround at JFK and began heading back I met the full pack northbound.

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I compared the m9 official split to my actual time and calculated (later confirmed) that the 7:00 start must have been delayed until about 7:25. Good thing I set out early.

The m10 turn onto Moss Street, still along the bayou, brought an aid station with loud high-voltage Cajun Funk/Blues, and a very, very cheerful crowd of volunteers, a few of whom seemed to have been sampling the beer also offered at this station. Moss continued meandering alongside the bayou to the Jeff Davis Parkway. Its oak canopy led to a series of turns leading to the Superdome.

I got a decent halfway split at the Superdome, but that would soon deteriorate. At m14 I made a sock change, put on a Compeed, and returned to the out/back second half.

The Hashers' Red Dress aid station

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Continuing on Prytania through the Garden District I passed the Norwegian Seamen's Church. Never heard of that. I'd like to see what their services are like, but I didn't think they'd welcome a sweaty fat guy in underwear. I began meeting the pack on their return. I saw one lady whose shirt read, "Mooning $15. No refunds." Shortly behind her, two of her colleagues' shirts read, "Flashing $5" and "Mooning and Flashing— Priceless."

I passed the Lafayette Cemetery and Tastee Donuts before a construction-forced course change through a residential area. Another couple of miles led to the gorgeous loop around Audubon Park, where I made yet another sock adjustment.

Now heading back eastward on Prytania I found myself meeting a substantial crowd still behind me (given my early start, I fell effectively five miles behind these people.) As I downed some Krispy Kreme pieces (ohhhhYEAH) at the m23 aid station, a church's noon bells helped me figure I'd finish probably in about 6:30, at maybe 12:45 p.m.

Bernadette, whom I met at the Easter Marathon, passed me just before the Hashers' Red Dress station. At m25 I jogged up most of Girod and circled the Superdome to the finish. I had to grunt up a long, steep ramp for a generous post-race feed before dashing back to the hotel for a shower, and then on to the airport.

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