The race started pretty close to on time (I didn't have a watch, but it seemed they were right!) It seems most people lined up by themselves with the fastest runners first (at least based on the rest of my race). We were towards the back.
The park ranger started the race with a "ready-set-go!" and we were off. Just after starting, I hear someone say "I hope it's dry this year--last year this spot had 3 feet deep water!" Now, I imagine it was a slight exaggeration, but there was a spot of just-above-ankle-deep water just past that. Most people were running around it, and I did. But quite a few ran right through it, and it was a detour to go around.
It was a trail run, so there were lots of rocks and trail issues. It was uphill for the first half of the race (with a few downhills)--a fact I didn't realize until the way back.
Just after I passed the 1st mile marker, someone passed me going back the other way. He was the winner in the 5K, but it amazed me that he could be almost done and I was just starting!
I don't wear a watch or a garmin, so I had no idea of my pace. At that point, I was passing lots of people still. We had water at the 5K turnaround, which was a relief--up until I saw the water, I wasn't really sure that we'd get any water, and I was really thirsty.
From mile 2 to mile 3, I was really struggling. I really thought I was going to vomit. The sun was intense, and it was really hot (I so seldom run when there's any overhead sun). There was no breeze, and as I mentioned, it was almost all uphill to some extent. Somewhere in there I started getting passed by those who had already reached the 10K turnaround.
Shortly after the turnaround, I passed Rebecca. She wasn't very far behind.
I was only passed by 2 women the whole race (I was "passed" by several others who reached the turn around before me, but they had started in front of me, too. Only 2 people who started behind me passed me.) One woman passed me, then shortly after started walking. She was behind me until right before the turnaround, then passed me. I passed her again when she slowed down more than me for water, and then she passed me. And one more time, I passed her up a big hill. But when she passed me again, she picked up the pace, and was ahead of me the rest of the time.
On the way back, I passed quite a few people walking the 5K.
I was still having a hard time picking up the pace--the sun was less intense on the way back, though, and there was more breeze. There was pretty much no one around me. One guy that I passed for good right at the 5 mile marker. From 5 miles on, I did not change position with anyone else.
As I mentioned, on the way back I realized that we had gone uphill quite a bit. It did feel good to have more downhills. I also forgot about the standing water until it was too late (I would have had to turn around to go around it), and I ran right through it. Squishy feet for the last bit--not too far, though.
So, I finished at 58:38. Not as fast as I thought I could, but it was a harder course (and the truth is I haven't been very good about training). Rebecca came in not very long after me, at 1:01 and change.
We then watched them try to figure out the placing. It was kind of funny--they started announcing the winners for the 5K. They did a few, then in the 40-49 age group (I think), they announced a guy who said he'd run the 10K. Turns out the guy recording the age group winners didn't realize that 5K tags were red, and 10K tags were black.
At that point we realized I may have placed in my age group, and so we stuck around for the rest of the awards. The age groups were condensed--20-29, 30-39, etc. As it turned out, I did get 3rd in my age group, 30-39. Rebecca would have had 1st in her age group if it had been 35-39, which I think was great!
Here are a few pictures of me. They're small, but Rebecca's on vacation so I will have to ask her for the full versions later:
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