Your 5K fitness wasn't the problem, it's that rock steps and a pack don't show up in mile splits.

Check how the pins come out, because pressing straight down still bends them if you drag the board instead.

The hinge being the issue makes sense, but a dime's width is actually pretty big for an anvil gap. Most chippers want that gap around 2 to 3 thousandths of an inch, and a dime is about 50 thousandths thick. If you were really off by that much, the blades would have been smacking the anvil instead of shearing clean. Worth grabbing a feeler gauge to see where you actually landed after the fix. The dime trick is fine for a quick check on the trail but it won't get you a real setting.