This was my first 10K run ever. It was very tough, so I can't decide if it was a good one to start with. The next one I do (if I do) I'm sure my time will only be better. I promised my hubby I would stay with him the entire race... He is actually a pretty strong runner, but I had him on the uphills and had to wait for him a few times at the top, but just for a few seconds. I actually appreciated the brief breaks. Until the female runner in the skirt passed me... Then I got a little cranky. Oh well. About 1 mile in a guy twisted his ankle on a rock. It didn't look too good for him. About 5 1/2 K into the race I got tripped up on a root, but made a pretty nice recovery. Then at about the 6K mark I got distracted by a sign the ROC organizers put up and before I knew it, WHAMO!!, I went sliding down to the muddy ground like I was sliding into home base. Had mud up and down both legs, and my shoulder/neck region wasn't too pleased with me. But I feel fine now. Thankfully I landed in a bed of soft leaves instead of rocks. This race definitely made me swallow my pride a little bit. The last 1/2 mile or so is mostly downhill. The organizers say that's because they want people to come back next year! I probably will, but you won't see me signing up to run that loop more than one time for sure.

Not worn my fleece half-zip shirt. I was chilly before the start, but could have done without it for most of the race.

I'm glad I stayed with Rob, but it is in the back of my mind "How fast could I have really gone?" In all actuality, probably not much more. My time ended up being 1 second faster than his, even though we crossed the line together. I told him he better be happy that I got that second instead of him... ;)

Walked around some and went back to the lodge to get some water and a bagel. The highlight of my day: A woman (of all people) told me "You have great legs!" I gasped a little, then she came back with, "Don't worry, I'm married and have 4 kids." We ended up talking a little bit. How could I not get to know someone a little better after a compliment like that! :)


Would need to train more on trails and hills. And train more for longer distances. Until today I had not run a 10K. I used to about 9 or 10 years ago...


The Rochester Orienteering Club has put this race on for 13 years now. I think it keeps getting bigger. It's their biggest fund raiser. I think they were a little understaffed for the turnout. Thankfully we'd registered on-line, so we zipped through to get our tags. At least half of the participants waited until today to register. That line was long. The organizer at the start line really needed a bullhorn as he was attempting to give race instructions, nobody could hear him. And they only had one water station on the entire course, but it is tough terrain and they do warn you on the registration form. Most of the longer distance runners were prepared with their own hydration systems. My biggest, or only real complaint, was that there were not enough bathrooms. The lines were way too long for that. Overall it was a really cool race, and the park is just beautiful. I'll do it again for sure. Rob's going to be on the ROC board next year, so maybe he can help solve some of their difficulties. I have a feeling by default I'll be volunteering my time a lot more too...