Marathon and Mission Weekend – October 2008

My experience at the San Jose Half Marathon 2008 was a positive one. This is the second time I have done this race, missing last year to visit my love. Again, the third annual race was very well organized, the miles ticked off pretty fast, and the bands were spectacular. The weather was great, the route was relatively flat, and there were plenty of bands to include 14 entertainment stages along the course. I think my favorite part of the race was running by the rose garden and the Mexican mariachis that played in front of a local shop. A guy came up and just started singing away “Dos la la laaaaa”.

There was plenty of water/cytomax, each mile was visibly marked with the corresponding mileage sign and the course time, and there was plenty of free parking at the HP Pavilion. I can't believe this event was so big. I heard there were about 13,000 runners. Considering the crowd, that's pretty amazing just to find your coral and to stretch a little. Two runners were talking about pancakes and Starbucks at the beginning of the race. How can you tempt me like that prior to breakfast? I saw them half way through the coarse and I asked where my pancakes were. They offered me a Gu. Thank you I responded wholeheartedly!

I loved all the bands that played along the course. The music motivated me to go faster! From the bib pickup, to the morning bag check-in, to the post race refreshments, muffins, and the route set up, everything was very efficient and well planned. I'm definitely looking forward to running other Rock n Roll Marathons. This is my sixth RR event and I do think they put on the best races. I give kudos for the folks at Elite Racing for putting on another spectacular event.

The Rock n Roll Half Marathon San Jose really rocks!

Day Two – Dinner at the Fish Market, Vietnamese for Lunch, and Two California Missions: Mission San Jose and Santa Clara

The Mission of Santa Clara was established only three months after the Mission in San Francisco in January 1777. To the dismay of the missionaries at the time, a large group of colonists arrived from Mexico, only six months after the founding of the San Francisco Mission. The padres did their best to keep the mission and the pueblo separated. Ultimately, the mission and pueblo grew into the twin cities of Santa Clara and San Jose. The site was relocated several times due to flooding and fires in the area. The site was relocated from the present site of the San Jose Airport to the present-day location on the grounds of Santa Clara University. Mission Santa Clara was given to Jesuit University in the mid 1800’s, and they maintain the church and mission to this day. The site is beautiful and the gardens and palm trees are thriving. There is even a cat that welcomes visitors to the garden. Nice kitty kitty! The school is also very beautiful and it would be a grand place to study if you can afford it.

Mission San José was found in June 1797 on a site located in Fremont, California. The Mission entered a long period of gradual decline in 1834, though numerous restoration efforts have reconstructed many of the original structures. The original padre's quarters are now a small museum. The church has a regular Mass and a nice visitors' center telling the history of the Mission. The site is not as grand as some of the other missions we have visited. It was also considered one of the troublemaker missions, as Indian confrontations and mischief often occurred on-site. As we visited the cemetery to the north of the main hall, we knew exactly why it was considered a troublemaker site. Half the cemetery patrons were Irish citizens who immigrated to the area in the early founding of the region! We also discovered a beautiful large statue of St. Patrick in the museum.

After two missions, three stops for food and soda, a 13-mile race competing with the Kenyans, it was time to venture over the hill and back home. It was a fun weekend. We enjoyed our stay at the Wild Palms Hotel and eating a romantic dinner at the Fish Market. We hope to visit there again soon. Did I tell you about the bamboo and the palm trees they have there? Maybe next year we can visit the city by the bay again.

Lara & Baby at 20 weeks

Pictures can be found here:

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Sean Race Information:

Bib Name State Country Age Sex Chip Time Clock Time Sex Place Age Grade
4675 Sean CA USA 39 M 2:01:04 2:02:13 2071 50.6%