Raceday started off with a nice 2 hour ride up 89 in and out off rain showers. During registration PJ notices the three numbers we were given are our graduation years ( 86, 87 & 88 ). So in a stroke of brilliance we ask the nice lady to switch our numbers around so each of us had the right year. No problem she says, we will re-visit this later in the report.

During our pre-ride I find the course to be much better than expected. A little slippery, but no deep mud anywhere. The race start is smooth for me and I settle into a comfortable pace. I spent most of the first lap riding smoothly and a little slow to avoid any slime induced crashes. Even with this less than aggressive pace my back started to sieze up before the end of lap one. Nathan passed me just before the awesome downhill sections and started to slowly pull away. Through the fields I can see Nathan, but can't make any gains. Amazing how much a sore back messes with you mentally and slows you down. At the end of lap one I hear a loud belch behind me. It sounded just like the belches I had heard when Nathan was behind me earlier. Look back and there is Nathan, he had taken a wrong turn in the fields. So he passes me again and pulls away. I spent most of lap 2 suffering with a back that keeps getting tighter. But that did not stop me from doing one of the more entertaining endos I have executed in a long time. A few minutes later I come around a corner and there is Nathan off the side of the trail with his legs cramped up. Shortly after passing Nathan I come to the longish hike a bike hill. The time off the bike turned out to be the solution to my issues. Once back on the bike the back had freed up and I was able to race pretty hard to the finish.

Nathan recovered and came in a minute behind me and PJ a few minutes after that. Once results are posted we realized the number swap had not gone as smoothly as thought. PJ got my number and time, Nathan got PJ's number his own time, I apparently never really was there and got no time. Oh well, we had a beer calling us in Burlington and decided it was not worth sticking around to fix the problems. I think I finish 9th, but may never know for sure.
 
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The course was excellent considering the rain we had. I was too lazy to change out my slicks, so I didn't. Started on Nathan's wheel and spent the first mile there before losing him on the slippery climb. I felt guilty looking for any type of vegetation for traction. Got to the fields on the other side of the road and enjoyed it over there. I was coming out of the field ending rock section, which felt like riding over coral when I saw a white jersey zip right past that section. I pedaled like hell to get his number but lost him when it got slippery again. Some lucky lady gets to marry a guy who cheats at a mountain bike race, I hate to see this guy play candy land.

2nd lap was uneventful, steady, and fun. Came off the first steep hill a bit fatigued, when I noticed I was still in the big ring. I slip, slided home to a rather weak finish. My number was MIA on timing sheet, but it recorded me in 9th, which was not true, that was Brian. I was a bit later. How much?, well if its not in the results we'll never know.

PJ