San Jo…You Know!

We took a whirlwind trip to San Jose last weekend so that D could run the San Jose Rock and Roll 1/2 marathon.  We also managed to see D’s family and have dinner with our friends.  D’s cousin and his wife graciously let us crash at their place Friday and Saturday nights.  I feel bad for not taking more pictures.  I just was not in a picture-taking mood, I guess.

We waited until k was let out of school to leave.  This was strange to us, since we usually leave before sun up.

This sums up why we usually leave early!  We ended up arriving in Santa Clara at around 9:45 p.m., about seven hours of driving. 

On Saturday morning, D picked up his race bib at the San Jose Convention Center. 

Had to make a stop at the photo booth.

Stopped in at the Mazda booth and scored a few goodies (not as much as Vegas, though!)

We woke up bright and early to accompany D on race day.  We hung out in the lobby of The Fairmont.  I did not realize this tree was made out of chocolate until n said that he could smell it.

I was excited to see this Muji store, until I read that it did not open until 11:00 a.m. (after we were leaving—darn!)

D and I had VIP bracelets for the VIP lounge at McCormick & Schmicks.  Luckily, they said kids under 8 could come in for free.  k just made it!  The continental breakfast was ok, but D did not want to eat too much pre-race.  He was able to forego the long lines at the port-a-potties and use the restaurant bathroom, though, so that was worth it!  We were also able to pick any entrée from the brunch menu after the race, which was the best perk of all!  I had salmon, D had an omelet, the kids had eggs and bacon, and D’s co-worker (who also ran the race) had eggs benedict. 

The start line.

I had to yell out to D a couple of times to get his attention along the race course.  The spectator next to me said “He’s focused!”  D is very serious when he runs.  Look at that woman in front of him smiling away—haha.

The kids and I wandered the streets of San Jose while D ran.  There are some nice parts, and some not-so-nice parts, which is the case with most cities, I guess.

D ended up running the half marathon in 1:49:18, his second best time for that distance.  That was really good, considering the race did not start until 8:00 a.m., and it was a warm day!  The headliner band was Echosmith, but we missed them--“I wish that I could be like the cool kids”.