Monster Dash Half Marathon – My Review
It’s been a little over a week since the Monster Dash Half Marathon and I am reflecting on the whole experience. It all started with the decision to sign up, training and then executing on the game plan.
The Decision To Sign Up For The Monster Dash Half Marathon
Looking back on my three year fitness journey so far, I’ve come a long way but I also like a new challenge. It was time to complete a half marathon. The decision was made. I still don’t even consider myself a runner really but it was something I really wanted to accomplish.
The Training
They say the decision is the hardest part and the rest is downhill. That is somewhat true since I put off picking my run and date for a little while trying to find the “best” time for it. I was fresh off my Beachbody Summit trip and finishing the Beachbody Ultimate Reset. I wanted to try Les Mills Pump and figured it would be perfect. The schedule has three days of built in optional cardio, so it was a no-brainer for me. I put together a hybrid Les Mills Pump and running schedule and jumped in.
Along the way I struggled with short runs such as a 3 or 4 mile run. But after a few weeks, I started to use the word “just” in a sentence. I “JUST” have 9 miles on the calendar today. I also fought with mild plantar fasciitis. I worked around it and ended up getting orthotics just a few weeks before the half marathon.
The weather really changed during the training days. I started in July and ended in October. It was hot in July and by the last runs, I was pretty bundled up and fought through some rain and wind. I even had a couple black and blue toes after my 12 mile run. I took that as a badge of honor. LOL.
My Goal For The Monster Dash Half Marathon
At first I didn’t have a clue on what I wanted for my goal time. I started to see what a comfortable pace was for me. After some simple math, I figured “under 2:00” was my comfort zone. I’ve heard it is pretty good time and if it’s my first then it would be really good. A funny thing happened along the way…. I started to see that I could do better than that! I changed it to 1:55. As race day approached, I realized I needed to push it even more and really go for it. Under 1:50. I could do this.
Race Day
Monster Dash Half Marathon Review
Race day was here. All the prep was over. Now what? I got to bed early and had all my clothes and shoes ready. I checked the forecast several times and ate the same breakfast that I always do. Tropical Shakeology with a banana and black ganoderma coffee. I picked up my friend and Monster Dash accountability partner Tony and off we went. As it turns out, the day could not have been planned any better if we tried.
Parking was pretty close to the starting line. Getting out of the car was a big significant event. That meant being cold from here on out. We ducked into a close motel and hung out in the lobby. We stayed warmed and frequented the bathroom several times. That in itself turned to to be another small victory. We timed it about right and made our way to the start line. It already felt warmer. It turned out to be sunny and low to mid 30′s. That may sound cold but it actually felt pretty good.
I found my pace group and pace leader friend Katie for the 8:45 group and we started off. My plan was to see how I felt and then around mile 4 or 5 kick it down for that better time. I felt great all the way through mile 5 or 6. My feet didn’t hurt, I didn’t have to go to the bathroom, the sun was out and I was warm but not hot. It was time. Time to kick it in. I punched it down and still felt great up until about mile 11. It was the last part of the Monster Dash Half Marathon and consisted of a few steeper hills. I pushed through it and made a last dash towards the finish line. I was focused and kept pushing. I made my goal of under 1:50 and came right under at 1:49:20. It was a great sense of accomplishment!
After The Race
We hung around for a bit and then made our way home still feeling good. I did feel sore that night but after some good sleep wasn’t sore at all the following day. I know that this was because of the strict training I did for both the runs and my nutrition. It’s amazing how the body reacts when you treat it well.
What’s Next?
I loved the experience and will do some other runs in the future but for now I am moving on to my next plan. I started a new workout hybrid of Body Beast, Les Mills Combat and Derm Exclusive. Check it out more here. It’s time to add some muscle and reverse the aging process.
On to Body Beast!
