Today was a picture perfect day here in Mississippi!  The sun was shining.  Not a cloud in the sky.  There was a light Southern breeze.  Great running weather!

I had a long run on the calendar for today.  When I ran earlier this week the weather was miserable.  With the windchill it was 28F.  The wind was 30 MPH and my run took me straight into it for almost the entire distance.  Not fun.  Today promised to be a lot better.

While I was getting ready to begin, MFH (My Favorite Husband) went and set out water stops for me.  He is a pretty awesome guy!  The first water stop was at the airport exit.  We have visited this water stop in a previous blog.  The second water stop was at EMCC (East Mississippi Community College) and the third was at some peoples driveway.  We do not know who they are and we do not know it they ever noticed a bucket at the end of their driveway for a major portion of the day.

MFH drove me to the Shell Station at the Macon/Meridian exit of Highway 82.  I took off from that parking lot towards the Frontage Road.  Traffic was light and I made good time.  It was hot, though, and when I reached my first water stop, I took of my singlet and left it in the bucket, AKA: water stop.

I crossed the bridge that goes over Highway 82 and went down the entrance ramp to the South side of the Frontage Road.  Made it to EMCC and could not find the second water stop.  I needed Gatorade and my best friend, Advil.  I called MFH and asked where he had placed the bucket.  He told me and I eventually found it.  Got some more Gatorade and a couple of Advil and took off again.

The Frontage Road had been pretty flat up to this point but all of a sudden, it got very, very hilly.  Hmmm…Oh well, nothing to do but keep going.  So, keep going, I did. It started to really get warm about this time, too.

I do not like running in just a sports bra and shorts when there is a lot of traffic.  I feel exposed.  There was a lot of traffic around here because of the community college.  People going to and from classes.  People were honking at me and giving cat calls.  Bother.

Then something funny happened.  This one guy drove by me real slow and whistled, etc. and went to vroom-vroom his car and RAN OUT OF GAS!  HA!  Too funny, that!!!  People were coming to a screeching halt behind this guy and I just kept plodding along.

A dark blue sedan pulled up next to me.  The window went down and there was this really cute guy who asked me if I was doing okay.  I assured him I was doing great and he said he would meet me at me destination.  It was MFH!  He is a keeper!

Made the next water stop.  Grabbed a GU.  Only three more miles to go!  Traffic was heavy now.  I was close to the next town.  People were not watching for runners.  I was forced to run on the gravel shoulder.  The white line of the highway was rumble strips.  My feet did not like the rumble strips.  The shoulder was the lesser of the evils.

The hills were behind me and I was making good time.  There in the near distance was my destination.  The next Shell Station.  They are 17 mile apart plus change.

There was that tricky part of the entrance and exit ramps to Highway 82 to tiptoe through but I got that done without getting mushed.  Ran to the Shell Station parking lot, hopped into the car and we were homeward bound.

That run took me 222 minutes.  We drove it home in 30 minutes.  Maybe that is why they invented cars, huh?

All that time I was running in just a sports bra and shorts?  Well, I have one killer of a sunburn!  Holy Cow!!!  My tummy is not used to seeing the light of day and now it is very, very red.  The rest of me is pink also.  Hopefully, it will tan!    🙂