Best Dam Run- 10K

Today I went to Estacada and ran the Best Dam Run 10K. The race started at 900, but the brochure said to be there at 830 to ride a bus to the start. So I got there at 800 and signed up. Rode a school bus to a boat ramp (picture)with a view of the dam on the Clackamas river. At 800 my Jeep said it was 41 degrees out, but the forecast called for 80, so it warmed up nicely for the run. Started in the middle of the pack and started my watch when I crossed the start line. It was slightly downhill almost the whole run and starting in a group and racing along at the first mile my watch said 8:09! Ran along about a third of the way from the front it seemed like with a gap in front of me. We ran along the river up on a cliff, but you could hear the river and the rapids and it made me want to pee. So I looked behind to see if it was ok because the gap in front was big enough and there was a huge group right behind me- I guess I was the pace runner. Held the pee in and tried to keep a good pace ignoring the water stops and chugging along. There was one 60 foot rise between miles 4 and 5, but other than that it was mostly down. Came across the finish line back in town (lower picture) at 53:01 by my watch an 8:32 pace. Woohoo, new personal best- official time came out at 53:12 which is still a personal best by over half a minute and a pace of 8:35! This run was the first time I've run over 5 miles other than during an Olympic tri since June, so I'm very happy with it and knock on wood nothing hurts. They printed out results and taped them up and I saw I was 14th in my age group, I guess most guys my age run like Papa Louie!