Woodland runner braces for San Francisco Marathon – Daily Democrat

Working in the True Value warehouse for over 15 years, it would be understandable to be worn out after work. But Ernie Hernandez runs differently.

This Sunday, 47-year-old Hernandez will be lacing up his black Nike Windflow 3’s, blasting some Ozzy Osbourne or Metallica through his headphones and running in the Biofreeze San Francisco Marathon in the 45-49 aged group.

Hernandez, a Woodland-native, always kept himself in shape but didn’t take running seriously until the tragic death of his father Frank, six years ago.

After the loss, Hernandez’s uncle Johnny Joe rang him up and convinced him to run in the Sharmrock’n half-marathon in Sacramento, his first event, in honor of his dad.

“After that run, I got addicted to running,” Hernandez recalls. ” I was using running as a grieving tool. The more miles I ran, the more I felt I could talk with my dad.”

Hernandez, who now has over 80 participation medals, started racking up 5k and10k runs along with more half marathons.

“Every run I had to get better,” Hernandez said. “Now I’m running because I enjoy it.”

He set his best time for a full marathon came on Dec. 3, 2017, in the California International Marathon, where he finished with a time of three hours, 47 minutes and 51 seconds.

In the 2018 San Francisco marathon, Hernandez posted a time of 3:50:56, an average of 8:49 a mile.

Hernandez fondly recalls having to work the Monday after the run.

“I woke up all tired and crunchy, but couldn’t let the team at work down,” Hernandez remembers. “My manager worked with me this year and I have Friday and Monday off.”

Hernandez, the oldest of six siblings, will have completed his sixth full marathon on Sunday with another scheduled for December.

He’ll be running in San Francisco alone, but has a support team back in Woodland including his mother, Margaret Sandoval, five brothers, a sister, two sons, and his ex-wife and good friend Juanita Bravo.

Hernandez trains regularly running along country roads 98, 97,27 and 25. He periodically runs from his house to Plainfield Station, a distance of about seven miles.

Before the race, Hernandez likes to keep it light and run hungry opting for only a banana and possible protein shake.

The grueling 26.2-mile course will start in downtown San Francisco, passing through Fisherman’s Wharf then taking runners over Golden Gate Bridge.

The trail then goes into Golden Gate Park, through the Haight and Ashbury neighborhood before finishing downtown where it all started.

The toughest part stretches across miles 13-19 where the elevation leaves runners at the mercy of those troublesome San Francisco hills, according to the San Francisco Marathon website.

A finish time of 3:25:00 will automatically qualify runners for the 2020 Boston Marathon, but Hernandez is just aiming for another personal record.

“I didn’t know how hilly it was going to be so I didn’t push too hard,” Hernandez said. “Now it’s the same run, so I know what I’m looking at.”

After completing the marathon, Hernandez hopes to visit the pier as part of his celebration and plans to enjoy an ice-cold Pepsi along with some fresh San Francisco shrimp.