I run therefore, I am!

Got my pacers organized at the start of this race and lined up without any warmup. First of all, I have to explain my mishap. I was wakeboarding 2 saturdays ago and tried to attempt a flip and the outcome was 3 fractured ribs. I havnt run a lick since.  My pacers were doing this race so I went up without really knowing what to do. I was going to take a spot if someone didnt show up. They all came so I decided to just line up and do my best. I was talking to Clyde and he told me he was injured from wakeboarding as well. Go figure. I lined up next to them and talked to Steve Anderson who was my only threat for winning Masters overall.  I was joking about his attire as he was wearing board shorts and a t-shirt that had ripped sleaves and neck out of it and had Jeff Dunhams arab skeleton with the words Silence, I Keel You! Haha. When the gun went off, Steve was standing near the river side of the road and I pushed him. I was laughing so hard and I hope they got a pic of it. He didnt fall into the water like I had planned. I started this race right with the group of fast guys and immediately felt pain. I told Steve the first mile that I couldnt push this pace. I let him go with Albert. I ran with Clyde and Adam and another guy for a while and the terrain started to drop more and I felt ok on the down because I honestly wasnt breathing hard so I I got to a 5:35 pace. Whenever I got to a flat or uphill section it destroyed me. I was trying to compensate breathing hard by changing my form of running to a smaller stride and it just made my times drop right to the 6-6:30 pace. I knew I was in second for masters so I didnt really care about the younger guys passing me at the end. I went from 9th to 12th in the last mile which I know wouldnt ever have happened if I could push it. I felt good with this time and from last years time of 1:12 I know I wouldve been sitting in a better position but I had to run regardless of my ailments.  My pacers did awesome and the local newspaper did a write up on them which was a great deal, The race director announced us at the start and the finish and put our logo on their tech shirts! I really do like this race and the sponsors for it. They gave away a ton of prizes that were nice at the end including 2 treadmills.