Farewell Ye MTB Season

(FYI: I had this written and thought I had posted it earlier this week. Apparently I didn't hit 'post.' Sorry to my loyal reader[s?])
 
This past weekend was the finale' of the DINO MTB cross country races. As I mentioned last post it was at a venue I had never been to before (Southwestway Park on Indy's south/west side). The trails were really well made and I liked the course. It had a bit of everything: tight twisty tech stuff, open flowy fast stuff, flat straight hammer sections and a legit climb. I had heard talk of "Mann Hill" at SWW, but I though 'how bad can this climb be, it's in an Indy park?' I have to say, it's totally legit. Below is a pic of me on it, suffer face and all. Our race was 4 laps, and it was getting difficult toward the last of those laps. 

 The course also has several log jumps/crossings on it. No huge deal in-and-of itself, but when you're on a course you don't know, logs can throw you for a loop. And one about threw me over my bars. In the first lap I was leading a group of 8or so guys through one of the wide opened 20+mph sections. Just after this head-down hammer section there's a tree down that, in the center of the trail, is probably ~3' high. However, if you move left it is only about 10"-12" high and totally jumpable. Well not knowing that I came into this tree head down, full gas. I looked up and about shit myself with no time to react I had to dismount and jump it cyclocross style. That works fine in a CX race, but when everyone else knew the line over it I was passed by like 6 guys. I was able to slot back in the middle of the group, but I didn't want to be that far back. When we hit the climb on the first lap, I passed them all back and only one guy stayed with me. (pic'd above). 
  

Eventually I dropped him as well and caught some ahead. My friend Will, pic'd above, had a great start and was ahead of me. I caught him and we duked it out for the rest of the race. It was a good race between us, but his front wheel came out from under him in the final single track section and he crashed. He got back up and finished just behind me.  We were 4th and 5th Cat1's. It was a good race.   

(The start was close to a mile open gravel double track. Seems ideal for passing and what-not, but it was fairly loose, so you had to be very careful to not slide out)

Otherwise the training is coming along and things are pretty normal. Getting in my intervals, riding some CX, working the core/rest of the body and taking my easy days. First CX race is 2 weeks away. Hard to believe, but that's what the calendars say.