The day dawned cold, and fittingly so. For when one signs up for an event as punishing as a 'fun run', the specter of future pain looms over the horizon like a terrifying phantasm.
These ducks may seem happy, but they're actually frozen in place
Pressing on heroically despite these inhuman conditions, I endured the short drive to the beautiful South Hill District of Spokane, where, within the gorgeous Manito Park, a Monstrous Dash of epic proportions awaited.
The 5km Fun Run was to begin at 9am and would circumnavigate the beautiful, if not unreasonably cold, park. Numerous participants could be seen in clever costumes, from the outrageous neon colors one would expect runners to adorn to the more creative, such as one couple dressed as the Incredibles, to Pirates, Cheerleaders, and a myriad of other characters.
I arrived to cheering faces- which, given the temperatures was either an incredible display of the human spirit or, much like the ducks, they had simply frozen that way- at the Pre-Registration booth. I hadn't ordered a shirt (which, it turns out, were pretty cool and a sweet deal at $10) so I picked up my race number (254) and applied it to the front of my shirt. Quick tip: Always crumple your number up beforehand. It allows it to better conform to your body during the race.
My clothing was not up to the task of standing around in the cold, so I gladly took to previewing the course as my warm-up. As I had difficulty locating the start, I simply ran through the finish chute and set about previewing the course backwards. Having this knowledge of the last stages of the course would serve me well late in the race.
After about 20 minutes of easy running, I reported back to the Registration area and learned where the start was. Pleasantly, it would be a fast, gentle decline leading to a sharp left turn. As we waited for the final individuals to line up, I did a few strides (sprints emphasizing technique) to better prepare my circulatory system for the impending effort and to keep warm, as many other participants were relegated to simply standing there shivering.
The very fit woman at the far left is, very understandably, extremely cold.
Also, a baby is ominously raised in the background.
As we were about to start, the announcer took a few liberties with his position to make a few jokes and then counted down.
"10-9-8-4-3-2-1", that's literally what I heard, and we were off!
Three of us lead the sprint out. Fit Woman (middle), likely in a desperate attempt to become warm, Charlie (left), humorously dressed as a female member of the Spokane Swifts Running Club (who generously put on the event), and myself (254). I thought I had fairly good running form, but it looks like I'm striking my heel pretty hard here. Something to look into...
Charlie, from up above, assumed the lead, and I happily found myself running close behind in 2nd/3rd place for the first mile. I had been training in the range of 5:58 - 7:00 pace for my tempo work and my goal was to break 20 minutes for the race, as my goal is to break 40min at the 10km race on November 25.
The course took us along the streets lined and covered by beautiful autumn leaves. We were chasing a lead bicycle manned by a Spokane Swift dressed as a Pink Superhero, her bright pink wig easy to spot 50 yards ahead. The streets wove up, down, and around which provided for a very engaging race. After these twists and turns, with the accompanying minor elevation gains and losses, we were led to a long out and back. This section sent us down a tree lined street with an incline on the out section and a decline on the return stretch. I knew that if I maintained a solid pace going out, I could really stretch it out on the decline, which I knew from my preview continued into the finish. Coming back down the decline I was right with another runner who stayed with me through two surges. There were a few curves ahead, however, and one leading right into the short straightaway before the finish, and I knew that if I could get a gap before the curve it would stick. I threw in a final surge and held it, sprinting in for a strong finish.
Entering the finish chute
I took my time decelerating and tore off the tag from my number, giving it to a volunteer. My incredibly supportive wife, having braved the elements to provide these photos, was there to meet me. I was happy with my effort and the pace that I held. My pace was right around the 20-minute mark (I didn't expect that the race would not be timed, but should have brought a watch myself), which I hope will put me in a solid position to break the 40-minute barrier in my 10km in one month.
Some excellent post race treats were available, and I grabbed some apple slices and a berry flavored FRS.
I highly recommend the Monster Dash as an enjoyable fun run racing experience, and would definitely challenge you to sign up for a race in your area.
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