Fort Rock Revenge

This was my first MTb race, held at one of my favorite trails, Fort Rock in Exeter as part of the Swansey-Henderson Forest. I registered as a Novice, Senior Class II.
The race went better than I expected. I did better than I expected. Though, during most of the stages of the race, I wish I could have grown another set lungs and legs. but overall I think I was motoring at a good clip. I didn't really have that much problems with the technical terrain, as I was used to the area. However, I did more climbs at the race than I had ever done riding the trails there. Most of the climbs were very technical and I did a majority of them off the saddle pushing the bike. I managed to do a couple 2 footer drops, floated across some rock gardens, while on others came to a great big halt, fell off a short but high log ride trying to get on to it and nearly fell off the 120 foot plank/bridge set up for the race because I was cruising in it pretty fast, and did most of the turning leaning into the turns, but almost misjudged one of the twists on the bridge.
At the start of the race, I think I had pulled up ahead of everyone at the very first climb, then on the backside of the hill, as i was coasting, mainly to bring by heartrate back down, instead of cranking and was passed by 2 people before heading into the woods, and entering the first of many rocky, rooty technical mix of terrain and climbs. At this point I was passed by 3 more people. Most of the climbing was done off the saddle as most of them were laced with the root/rock mix. I was able to catch up to some of the racers further down the race.

At mile 6 of 8, my front tire blew a flat. I was glad to have the lefty fork and the CO2 cartridges as it took me about 0:01:40 to change a flat. However, by the time I had finished and got back on the bike I was already passed by four or five racers. i was able to catch up to two as for one of the two I caught up to had a flat as well, but the others I would never catch. I had finished 7th with a time of 1:25:08 with the 32 lb Cannondale Prophet. There was almost 2 minutes of time between 4 and 7th. Had I not blown a flat I believe I may have finished 4th, or at least 5th. Chris, the guy in the picture to the left, finished 2nd with a time of 1:08:??.