Tour de Lake "Sandbaggery"

While hanging out with Bala because I have no internet, he talked me into racing WVMBA this weekend. So Bala, James, and I mooched a ride from Shawn on the crazy long twisty 2.5hr ride to Spencer to hit up this course that I don't think any of us had ever done.
On Saturday night, Bala and I cut my brake lines to shorten them, and after 3hours I still couldn't get them bled well, but they were...lets say OK. The WVU crew all signed up for Sport class, and Bala told me to block for him, so thats just what I did, being the first into the woods, then falling over the mud. Bala took a HUGE lead, something like 5-7min, while everyone bitched that he should move up. I slide around on my CrossMark tires wishing I had more knobs.
Around 3/4ths way through the race, I was sitting in about 3rd, and caught Bala pushing his bike uphill. Ready to hand him tools/tubes, I was agast to see he was just tired, hungry and dehydrated. Apparently he didn't know he was in for 18miles of pure muddy, narrow, twisty, single track. I wasn't much either, but since I was "sandbagging" I my tank was full enough to finish in 3rd, with some very tired triceps.
Overall, the course was great, race was great, we all had a fun time and left with some bloody spots on arms and legs-just like a MTB race should do to a body.