Race report, upcoming races, poker run

So after a mad dash in the shop van and a consequent rotor change in the Hartland parking lot I managed to show up for the race last night. Just before the race I thought: "Hmmm... that rear tire is a little low, ahh to hell with it, it'll be fine... NO IT WONT! If it can go wrong, it will at some point or another, said some guy named Murphy. Well, he was right. In the first few hundred meters, I got a flat. I was only half way up shock treatment too. So I walked back to the start, repaired the flat and got to start again. The second lap was pretty good, but on the third and last lap I felt the rear end getting loose again. Oh sh&%! Another flat?! Yes indeed it was, but it was a slow leak, and I managed to finish the race on a mushy tire...The race was good overall and my cunning strategy of getting a flat on the first lap so I'd only need to do two saved me from puking my guts out. These XC dudes have some weird perverted love for climbs.
There were about 22 people that showed up and the race was nice and casual, true Island style.
The loop that we did consisted of: Shock Treatment, second ave, emergency one, rolly ridge, crazy horse, little face, inventive, skull trail, and the regional trail back to shock treatment. Everyone had a good time even though competitors were somewhat plagued by mechanicals. I think there were 5 or six flats in the race, broken chain etc. The mixture of tough climbs, technical trails and the recklessness of full out racers combined to make for good carnage. Fun times where had by all though, and I'll be sure to show up for the second round which will be an orienteering race, whatever that means.
Tonight its sprints somewhere on the "mean streets" of Victoria. But the real race is on Sunday:
The glorious SIMBS poker run! It will be fun, it's dirt cheap ($5), not to mention all the sweet swag that will be there and the BBQ!!! - Bike race, free stuff, burgers, and beer...what else can you ask for really?

Check it: Poker