Run For The Roses 10K

Sunday morning I ran the Oregon Run for the Roses 10K in Sherwood Oregon. It's one of the many events around town for the Rose Festival. Having rode a century bike ride the day before, I wasn't sure how I'd do. Got to the start 35 minutes early in my mind and as I was putting on my shoes I heard the PA announcer say "everyone line up we've got two minutes till start time"- ohoh. I hurried down and the gun went off while I was registering, so my official time is about 2:00 different from my watch time. Started out late and caught all the walkers and slow runners and just past mile 1 saw some 5Kers on the return of their loop, probably 5-6 minute pace runners. This run would have been hard for me had I been rested. If you lined up all the level spots in the route, they would equal maybe 20 feet. Up and down and up and down, then up some more. The last mile was a winding hidden bike path behind a housing development in big fir trees. Very pretty and you'd never know it was there. Crossed the line at 56:19 for a 9:05 pace, my slowest run since March. Officially 58:07, but that's ok, at the finish line there was a woman handing everyone a rose and a bottle of water with a church label on it. As the guy ripped off the bottom of my number for time placement I noticed my number was 142- I'm in the 142nd Fighter Wing- never had that number in a race before. Talked to a volunteer about the hilliness and he said "that's Sherwood, imagine the farmers farming these hills." Kudos to anyone who has ever done an ironman, it was hard doing a 10K a day after a century let alone a marathon right after! Had enough time afterwards to just make it to church.