PACKET PICKUP: Packet pickup was at Santana Row. Being new to the area, I had no idea what Santana Row was and turns out it is a really nice outdoor shopping mall. Given the address, it was not hard to find where to pick up my stuff for the run. They even had signs directing you where to go which was nice.
Bib pickup was fast and easy. We went around noon on Saturday and it wasn't crowded.
The race shirt has a cool design.
As a Represent Running Ambassador I also picked up some really nice ambassador gear. The team is sponsored by Under Armour which is pretty awesome. We got a team shirt, shorts, and a pair of Speedform Gemini 2s. I slipped the shoes on and they are comfy and fit nicely. I'm looking forward to taking them for a run. Thanks so much Under Armour and Represent Running for the great gear!
RACE DAY: I'm so happy we stayed the night in San Jose. It is always nice to get that extra bit of sleep. We stayed at the La Quinta Inn by the San Jose airport (got a good deal on Priceline) which was only about 10 minutes from the start. I had hubby drop me off around 7:25ish as I wanted to get to the start line for a Represent Running ambassador group pic at 7:30. The start line is right by the SAP Center where the San Jose Sharks hockey team plays. Walking there, I heard someone say hey and I turned and it was Kimly, another ambassador. She recognized my shorts because we were both wearing our new UA shorts.
Walking towards the start line, there were lots of porta potties and not much of lines which is always nice at a race.
At the start line we got a group pic of Represent Running ambassadors.
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| Photo credit: Brian |
It was fun to meet fellow ambassadors. I got to meet Brian aka Pavementrunner for the first time and had to get a selfie. I also met and took selfies with EmmaLouise, and Jason at the start. It was so great meeting you all and also those that I did not get pics with!
I'm so happy that the weather cooperated because rain had previously been forecasted but it changed the night before. It was perfect running weather, 50 degrees and partly cloudy. The race pretty much started on time. Below is the map of the course.
After the national anthem and the wheelchair racers headed out, we were off. I was in the first wave with a bunch of speedy runners. I felt good but looked at my watch and was going way too fast (7:50 pace) so I slowed myself down. I always tend to start races off too fast, even with what I thought was slowing down I ended up with an 8:11 first mile (according to my Garmin).
Between miles 1 and 2, I was still feeling pretty good. But I think going out too fast in the first mile was affecting me. I tried to maintain a constant pace but felt it slowing a bit. At least the scenery was beautiful. Loved seeing the blooms at this part.
Around mile 3 was the Memorial Mile. It's a mile dedicated to those that serve, from military to first responders. It's so great that they have this mile to thank veterans and those serving now. It's a nice addition to reflect and think about those that help our country. The football player in the sign below is Pat Tillman. He was from San Jose and a professional football player that enlisted in the army but was killed in Afghanistan by friendly fire. Some proceeds from the race go to the Pat Tillman Foundation which is great.
It was fun to see the mariachi bands playing along this mile. It was nice to see their smiles and they helped keep me going. :)
I believe this pic is of me running on Santana Row towards the finish. I look pretty serious. I think I just wanted to finish.
I was happy when I crossed the finish line. We had to walk a ways to get our medals. They had this nice balloon display telling us that our medals were up ahead.
The medal. Pretty cool and it even stands.
At the finisher's area, they had water and bananas. We were also handed purple canvas bags that had some snacks - corn thins, fruit snacks, cashews, and a macrobar. The kiddos took my corn thins and fruit snacks. :) I had myself a banana which was perfect after the run. There were also a bunch of booths from the area to check out.
My official results. 41:54 not bad.
I'm happy with my time. I had thought that this was my first 8k so an automatic PR but I had actually ran an 8K 10 years ago when I lived in Seattle (Beat the Bridge) and my previous time was 45:22, so still a PR. Yay! Here's a finish line pic with other Rep. Running ambassadors.
Photo credit: Brian
Overall, the race was awesome. Met some cool people, the race was well organized, and I had fun. I couldn't stay to partake in the festivities at Santana Row, but I heard there were some great discounts at the local businesses. Hoping to be back next year! For those running the Run the Bay Challenge. I hope to see you at the next race, the Across the Bay 12K & 415K. I'll be running the 12K and I'm really looking forward to running on the Golden Gate Bridge. If you haven't signed up, feel free to use discount code: REPRESENT2016SH for a 10% discount. 
Happy running!
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