Monster Dash 5k

October 25, 2015
Providence Monster Dash
Results 17:09, 3rd

Halloween happens to be one of my favorite holidays.  Ever since being a little kid, I've loved the fun this holiday brings and enjoy throwing on a goofy costume and having some good laughs.  With the Charlestown Halloween Hustle 5k ending, the opportunity to participate in another halloween type pace really appealed to me.  Add into the mix that I've always wanted to run a road race in Providence and here we have the Providence Monster Dash 5k.  I even convinced Shara, who is not a fan of costumes, masks, or dressing up, to join me for the race and run in a matching Batman/Batwoman get up with me.

Upon arrival to the race, we checked in to grab our race numbers at the Wild Colonial Tavern and then headed out on a warmup.  I wanted to warmup a little longer than normal (approximately 2 miles) so my knee would feel good for the start.  We watched the kids race and then headed to the starting line.  While lining up I came across strong RI runner, Steve Brightman.  Steve and I greeted each other and he asked me if I was going to run sub 17.  I said that would be great, but not to count on me as my fitness wasn't that great.  I mentioned the goal of finishing under 17:30 was most reasonable for me.

The gun went off and we shot off.  Brightman was dressed as Steve Prefontaine and he did a great job impersonating him by taking a strong lead right off the gun.  As Steve ran in 1st, I had a couple of other dudes to battle with.  I kept my eye on Steve but also reminded myself to run my own race. Shortly after a mile, we entered the RIPTA tunnel, which was pitch black and filled with spooky characters who jumped out at runners as we ran by.  While I thoroughly enjoyed the theme and antics of these characters, the scariest thing I came across in the tunnel was the incline.  We kept climbing and climbing.  By the time I came out of the tunnel, I felt gassed.  I guess this is the payment I get for running beach roads.  We ran back down the tunnel and I was in recovery mode.  Leaving the tunnel, I got passed by a young dude without a costume who was wearing real deal racing garb.  He looked pretty strong and I wasn't sure if he was going after Brightman next, who was not too far off.  I still felt like I was running a decent race and wanted to finish strong.  I came across the line in 17:09 in 3rd place overall. While I would have loved to crack 17, I was still pleasantly surprised by my time. Not outstanding but a step in the right direction.

Shara crossed the line as the 1st female in 19:04.  A new PR and a very strong race.  We both enjoyed racing in Providence and the atmosphere.  One of the most enjoyable parts of my race was hearing spectators, "Go, Batman."