Al Hernandez Running His 100th Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series Event in San Jose

Al Hernandez, pictured in the blue jacket on the left, is running his 100th Rock 'n' Roll running event this weekend at the Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon. Photo: PhotoRun.net

In the early 1990s, Al Hernandez was a pretty fast runner, one who was consumed by the clock. He ran a 1:13 half marathon and 2:31 marathon, his body fat once measured 5.38 percent and he kept meticulous records of his VO2 max printouts.

“I wanted to bury the people next to me,” he says. “I wanted them to suffer.”

Today, he’s a John Bingham disciple, a runner of the masses, a man who purposely tried to finish last one year in the half marathon at Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas. He failed to finish last but succeeded in dawdling, requiring just shy of five hours.

“It’s OK to finish last,” says Hernandez.

RELATED: Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon Course Preview

Come Sunday at the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose Half Marathon, Hernandez will run his 100th Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series event. He’s only the third person in the 19-year history of the series to accomplish that feat. It will also be his 300th half marathon.

“Who knew?” says the 44-year-old Sacramento food and wine editor.

As a Rhode Island teenager, Hernandez barely missed qualifying the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships. He dreamed big, wanting to go to the Olympics. By 1992, he realized that dream wouldn’t become reality and admits, “I was devastated. I was completely destroyed.”

The 5-foot-9 lithe runner who once weighed 129 pounds let his body go. By 1996, living in the San Diego County coastal community of Leucadia, Hernandez weighed 195 pounds.

A friend told Hernandez to meet him one weekend morning.

Turns out, the meeting place was the start of a 5K. The friend, who was not a runner, wanted Hernandez to help him through a 5K. Hernandez showed up in jeans.

“At the start line,” says Hernandez, “I hated the guy.”

But he ran and walked beside his friend, who struggled, needing 48 minutes to finish.

“I watched him go through this myriad of emotions and go through his personal demons in the course of the 5K,” recalls Hernandez. “He was huffing and puffing the last mile until he saw the finish line, then he decided to sprint.”

Observing the scene around him, Hernandez was amazed.

“Man, was I truly jealous of all these people that were truly happy on the course because I had never experienced that. All these people laughing and smiling, telling jokes, some dressed in costumes.

“I was laser focused when I ran. The idea of running for fun never occurred to me. It just didn’t.”

Hernandez began coaching his friend, who would cut his 5K time in half.

Five years later, Hernandez was living in Santa Monica and another friend wanted to cross a marathon off his Bucket List. Hernandez committed to not only training the friend but run with him. The 26.2-miler they selected: the second Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon.

Hernandez took in the entertainment – the bands, cheerleaders, the Jimmy Buffet Parrotheads at the “Margaritaville” aid station.

“It was the craziest thing I’d ever seen,” Hernandez recalled of the Parrotheads. “I wanted to stop and stay with them.”

At the time, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon brand was in its infancy. Until then hard core marathoners—3 hours, 30 minutes seemed to be the dividing line – snubbed their noses at joggers. Ironically, on an overcast morning when Kenya’s Philip Tarus ran the fastest marathon ever west of the Mississippi River, Hernandez felt the shifting change in attitude.

“For the first time,” said Hernandez, “I felt the running community was all inclusive regardless of how fast you were or how slow you were.”

RELATED: The 2016 Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon Finisher Medal Spins and Glows

That was Hernandez’s first Rock ‘n’ Roll event. Sunday in San Jose, he runs his 100th.

All but one of his Rock ‘n’ Roll races have been stateside. His lone international race was Madrid.

He lists San Diego as his favorite Rock ‘n’ Roll site. Said the food and wine editor, “Not only is it a great food city, you also have everything from sports teams, hiking. It’s such a diverse place.”

San Jose and New Orleans are his favorite Rock ‘n Roll courses.

“Flat as a pancake,” he said.

His running passion helps with what he dubs an “occupational hazard,” eating fantastic food, and sipping wine and beer across the country.

“Running’s a way for me not to weigh 500 pounds,” said Hernandez, who weighs 185 pounds.

As for his Rock ‘n’ Roll future, Hernandez doesn’t plan on slowing down.

“Do I plan on getting to 200?” he asked rhetorically.

Pausing for a millisecond, he said, “Probably.”

RELATED: Snoop Dogg Will Headline 2016 Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Races

The post Al Hernandez Running His 100th Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series Event in San Jose appeared first on Competitor.com.