Back at it... sorta. This past Sunday, 3/1/15, I ran the 408K. I signed up sort of last minute, right before the final price increase. I'm really hoping to get the Run the Bay Challenge medal this year so it was necessary to run this race. Plus, I was excited to run in San Jose again. Words cannot express how happy I was running this course, and for a few reasons. First, San Jose is my hometown. There's an influx of techies there now, I can't even afford to rent or buy a decent place within the city limits but this is the city that made me. Second, the course took me past my most recent place of work and I have happy memories there. Third, I ran down The Alameda and through the Rose Garden area which is an area of San Jose I love. Finally, it ended on Santana Row. While I was working in San Jose (I left in 2012 to pursue my Masters) I would stop at Santana Row for lunch and after work all the time- as a shopaholic, The Row is my happy place!
This was my first time running since the 49er Rush in November. Ridiculous... I know. I was nervous to make my first run an 8k rather than 5k but I did it and surprisingly my results weren't absolutely horrid. I finished at a pace of about 12+ min/mile. I was expecting to have around 13+. Now onto what I loved about the race:
The Mariahci Mile. Again, I love my city. I put on for my city. The mariachi bands were a fantastic touch to give the 408k a more authentic San Jose feel (in my opinion)
Route. For reasons already explained.
The Medal. I looove it! I don't even watch hockey, so I am not a Sharks fan (blasphemy, I know), but the medal is a shark, wearing a sombrero and traditional mariachi attire, and playing a trumpet. Although now that I come to think of it, I'm not sure if that's cultural appropriation or not... The ribbon also has velcro closure which is pretty unique.
The Perks. There were plenty of offers and discounts offered to runners after the race. Lots of businesses on Santana Row had something to give. Bottomless mimosas, cheap Pressed Juicery juices, free bag from Lucy (!), free post-run massage, and more. I didn't take advantage of the brunch or mimosas since I was solo and I didn't have my wallet with me (long story).
Race Photo. Thanks to Stevens Creek VW (as you can clearly see) runners received a free race photo. Beats the terrible price the 49er Rush tried to charge for pics.
Post Run Snacks. They weren't extensive and there were no cream cheese-less bagels this time. But I loved the Kind bar that we got: Oats & Honey with Toasted Coconut. (I hate coconut but I didn't taste it at all!)
The not so good:
I honestly can't think of anything super negative about this race. The tech shirts were a bit plain but I'm used to that.
The Memorial Mile. So last year's race, this happened. It was an incredibly sweet moment. Part of me felt that this year's memorial mile kind of took something spontaneous and organic and made it into "a thing," but then I experienced it during the run and it was quite nice and I could tell intentions were nothing but good. The family put a chair outside of Joe Bell's home with his picture and memorial flag on it. Some folks took pictures next to the chair which I thought was questionable. There were also veterans lined up on either side of the street for the memorial mile and folks (myself included) high-fived and thanked them for their service. This was what this race was all about, since it benefits the Pat Tillman foundation.
I highly recommend this race not that my recommendation counts for anything lol. I will definitely run it again next year if I have the opportunity.