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After running the Marine Corps with my friend Rick, and finishing so crappily, I figured my season was over

A week later, my standard 4 mile run was effortless, and I started looking for another state.

With Arkansas the only one available-- and it was close to my current project, and therefor possible at one end of a trip -- I signed up. I told Rick I was doing it and he signed up as well.

It didnt work out that I was in St. Louis, so I booked SWA into Branson, and a hotel in White River, 15 minutes from the race in Cotter.

We ended up being on the same flight from Chicago -- not surprisingly since Branson is Sooooooo small and the flights limited.

The car I rented from Hertz was at the other airport so I ended up with enterprise, that worked fine. The two hour drive to Cotter and packet pickup was peppered with Rick giving me shit about my driving and route.

We got to PPU, and unconsciencably they didnt give us our chip -- telling us that we needed to pick it up race morning. The pasta dinner was good and filling, and we split early.

I couldnt decide whether to wear race-tights or sweats over my race ready shorts. Acutally, I agonized about it. I got outside early and it didnt seem too cold -- 30's -- and I dont mind that, so I went with the throw away sweats (that I figured I would toss at the start). Trying them on, I found they were too small, and cut the cuffs and crotch

It's like forshadowing writes itself

I got to the school about an hour eary and grabbed my chip, then went in search of a Bathroom. Since it was a school -- an elementary school -- the bathroom was a 2 x 1, and that is a drag for a bunch of runners. Worse for the woman who had a line a block long...

I wasnt ready to get to the start but Rick was anxious, so I told him i'd meet him up there. He is me 15 years ago, and even though he was planning on running this slowly, I figured he would see the race profile and take off in search of his PR

With a couple more trips to the bathroom, I was late getting ready, and didnt have my headset hooked up correctly. Then I had deal with the rental car keys.

I went hide the keys under the fender of the car, but couldnt find a place. Running out of time, I pinned them to my belt, and, unfortunatly, through my shirt. I couldnt see what I was doing with the sweatshirt on.

Again, forshadowing.

It was much colder at the start than at my hotel, and I kept the ill-fitting sweats on. The start was a 1-2-3 go! ordeal, but with such a small race, was easy to get a line thru the crowd.

The course was loop up and down the White River, with the wind in our face on the first outbound. On the turnaround at mile 6ish, and set the wind at my back

At about mile 10 I realized that the throw away sweats -- a tag I guess -- was burning a whole in my back. I tried to get to my aquafor but couldnt. The car keys were pinned through my shirt and into the sweats. Here's were it got bad.

The Aquafor was in my pocket, but I couldnt see my shorts -- as it covered with the sweatshirt -- and when I pulled on it the safty pin popped -- and the keys went flying.

I grabbed the keys and re pinned them, but now the sweats and my shorts were not "aligned" and I couldnt hold the belt and the sweatshirt and pull up my pants and sweats

I ran up to a guy and said "I need your help -- pull these up." And he literally gave me an atomic wedgie.

Needless to say, I never really got situated the rest of the race.

I pulled it in in just about 4'50