They did the Mash.....they did the MONSTER MASH

This weekend, the party van went to Dover, Delaware for the Monster Mash.  Miles the Monster greeted us for packet pick up and at the start and finish of the race.

We left Friday afternoon for an easy drive up the Eastern Shore to Dover.  We got to the Speedway and took about 3 minutes to pick up our packets and our shirts.  We were even able to pick up a packet for one of the other girls with no hassle.  It was quick and easy.  (The shirt is hot pink for the girls and black for the boys, not neon green!  Extra bonus points for the Monster Mash!)  On our way back to the car, we met the race director.  He shook our hands, asked our names and where we were from.  He made sure that everything was okay with our packets.  Great way to start the race weekend!!

We headed to dinner, which was an adventure in itself with the race in town, it being the Friday of pay week, and Homecoming for Delaware State across the street.  When we finally got finished with our Olive Garden deliciousness, it was 8:45.  We made our way to Dover Downs, which was our home for the evening.  Since it was so late, there was no fun and no gambling.  We didn't leave millionaires.  We were there to run, not have fun.  :)

I got up at 5:00 am for the 7:00 start time.  It was about an hour later than my coach would like, but I sat in the dark by myself and ate my breakfast for a half hour before the other girls woke up.  It was a compromise.  :)  As I was sitting in the dark, I saw in the athlete info that there would be no walking allowed for the first 4 miles.  I had a little panic attack.  Thankfully Coach was up early and reminded me to run my race and not worry about it!

We had talked about walking around the Speedway to the start, but made a gametime decision to drive so we would be closer to the finish.  (I had worried about traffic backing up on a little one lane road around the track.  My worries were unfounded.  The race was so small that there was no traffic.)

We got to the start, made our way to the real bathrooms, with flushing toilets, toilet paper, and running water!  Double bonus for the race director!  Then we moseyed to find our friend.  We heard the race announcements, took the obligatory selfie, and made our way to the starting line of the Monster Mile racetrack at Dover Speedway.

Photo Credit to Kristobel McNamee because taking selfies is apparently not my gift.

The race started right on time at 7:00am.  (Note, Charlotte won this round of speedway races....we had a green flag at Charlotte...not so much at Dover.)

Photo credit to Kristobel McNamee

I started running and decided I was going to be in for a long day. In an effort to get ready for Goofy, which may prove to be a poor life decision, I ran 7 miles yesterday.  My legs were TIRED. They felt like lead.  I seriously considered running the track and taking the DNF.  I did run the whole first mile and kept going.  No DNF for me!  Mile 1 took us off the speedway and out onto the roads and I started my :90/:30 run/walk intervals.  We crossed a pretty major road (Route 13 through Dover) and headed into historic Dover.  After the mile 2 marker, my legs started to feel better.  I wasn't going fast and it didn't feel great, but I was below goal pace by about 15 seconds.  We ran past beautiful houses and into the state capital complex for the next two miles.  I was feeling good and the intervals were still feeling strong and easy.  At about 5.5, the course crossed over 13 again and the runners had to stop and wait for traffic.  (This is one of my biggest complaints about the race.  It was small, fast field, I get it, but I was well under the pace for the time limit.  I didn't need the comment from the cop asking my if I saw how mad I was making the drivers.)

I was still going strong, but the course got a little less exciting after we crossed the road.  At mile 6, the temper tantrum started.  It happens every time from 6-8.  I know it's going to happen.  I was a little surprised this time.  I was hitting my splits.  I was feeling good.  It's just the place where I rebel a little bit.  The course was boring.  The race was so small that I ran most of it completely by myself.  We turned by some corn and past some woods.  There were dead, squished snakes on the road and the cones stopped, but there was still traffic.  It was interesting.  At mile 8, I sucked it up.  I hit my mile 8 split and was ready to finish strong.  (Pretty cool....at mile 8-ish, there was a log cabin community hidden off the in the woods.  It looked like a whole neighborhood of Lincoln Logs!)  My brain may have been ready, but my cranky hamstring had other plans.  I hit mile 8.5 and my hamstring started to hurt.  That made me MAD!  I walked for a minute and had a pity party.  Then, the lead marathoner passed me.  That made me even madder.  Then a few more marathoners passed me.  I sucked it up again.  When I got to the mile 9 marker, I switched my intervals to 1/1.  There was a couple who was walking that I had been chasing for a mile or so and finally caught them.  Then I caught a girl in a pink shirt.

I don't pass people too often that late in the race, so I got a huge boost from that. Luckily, the full had turned off at mile 6, met us again at about mile 9, and turned off again, so I wasn't getting passed anymore.  Mile 12 brought the Speedway back into view.  It also brought a HUGE overpass.  (I mean, really?)  Knowing that I wanted to finish strong and happy, I made the executive decision to just walk up the overpass.  In the distance, I saw the lead marathoner making his way back towards me.  I knew that he was going to catch me on the bridge.  I toyed with the idea of putting on the gas (all things being relative), but there was still 1/4 mile left after the incline and I wasn't sure if I had that much left.  So, he passed me (his bike escort talked to me for minute on the way up.  By bike, I mean Harley).  Really, I just let him finish by himself in a blaze of glory.  Wouldn't want to steal his thunder!  Wasn't that nice of me.  He's welcome.

I came down the hill and turned toward the finish.  The race director was there to greet every finisher.  Since he had a microphone and my friends were standing there to give him my name, he called my name as I was finishing.  Even with tired legs, a 2 mile tantrum, and a cranky hamstring, I finished in 2:53:25!  30 seconds faster than Crawlin Crab two weeks ago!  My coach is amazing!!  

The Monster Mash in Dover is a really great race.  It's small, really small.  The field is fast....really fast.  It was well organized and pre-race communication was great.   Packet pick up was easy and the shirt wasn't green.  There was good swag in the swag bags.  Parking was very easy. The starting line bathroom situation was fantastic!  The first half of the course was beautiful.  There were plenty of water stops, manned with supportive volunteers!  The medal was great....it spins!!  The post-race party included a free smoothie and a free sandwich (hot dog, hamburger, cheeseburger of BBQ). 

I didn't like the second half of the course.  It was boring and lonely.  I also didn't like getting lip from a cop.  I don't usually need porta-potties on the course, but there was only one set at mile 8.75.  More would have been nice.  

What I did well:  I started slow.  I didn't love it when I was doing it because it felt slow, but it meant that I didn't go out too fast! I had energy later on.  I was very well hydrated thank to Coach Jamie and the RC3 Nutrition Challenge!  I fueled at 47 minutes and at 1:47.  I could have taken another at 2:30-ish, but I didn't think I needed it for an extra 20 minutes.  I ran smart.  When it hurt, I walked.  When I could, I ran through it.  I ran alone.....I slow down when I talk to people.

What I could have done differently:  Run fast enough to not have to wait at that stupid stoplight.  :)

While I don't think that I would go back because the shirt and the medal don't change much from year to year, it's a great race if you are looking to check Dover off your 50 state list, I would highly recommend it!!  

For perspective, there were 478 people who finished BOTH races today.  (289 half marathoners and 189 full marathoners.) 

Next up, Halloween Half in North Carolina on November 1!