Monkey on my back

Duluth! A quick 3.5 hour drive from the house. Sophia and I made the drive up and set up camp. Ate some food and called it a night. In the AM we gave it a preride. Still wet from the morning dew, scoping out lines and talking about rocks etc.. Now I start thinking about gearing. The orginal plan was to run 52 inches but after the preride my mind was changed. Sophia lines up in a field of 11 ready for the up hill start. From the gun she is off and pushing the pace off the front. As she comes through the woods the first time her gap started to grow. By the third lap she was up to a minute forty five. She soloed in for the win 1:33 blowing up the woman's class. My turn,,,,,I am ready warmed up and eager to get up the start hill and in to the woods. Well second switch back the group was still tight together and Jesse R went down and this caused a big hicup in my start. After getting back up and running to remount Hwood was holding a spot for me. I jump in the train and hit the woods now every one is on their brakes and this does not go as smooth as I would like. Rock roots drops this is a fast fun bunch of single. Working with what is around me and not where i want to be I push on. long side hill decent bottom of the hill shit stung by bee in the middle of for head. And now we climb back to the top of the ski hill. By the top the sky decides to rain this makes the tech stuff in the woods even more interesting. My goal is to hang on and make up time on the big up hill,,, things were working until a flat at the very bottom of the hill. Quick change getting passed by 5 guys, back on the bike and working hard up the hill. Caught all but one guy. Across the line. Not what I wanted the flat slowed things a lot ,,,and that is where I lost a lot of time. Their were a lot of things that went wrong but I walked away, and with one more left to see how things all shake out. Lots of fun and tons of work .. Big Shout to the Kid for KILLING it....