Two-speed Saturday

The first day of the first big alberta cross weekend got off to a start in Edmonton today. The course was top-notch among alberta 'cross venues (hats off to Aaron/Ryan and ERTC on a job well done) with a rats nest of turns, cambers, and short steep ups and downs to keep riders on thier toes for the whole lap. Lots of sand seems to be a trend this year - I am looking forward to a race where I dont have half a sandbox in my shoes at the end.
Evrything was off to a good start and I was feeling good about my prospectd in the lead when I laid the bike down hard on the runout of the "hairy downhill". The rear wheel was fully locked up when I remounted, and my first reaction was rage at the fact that I had rolled a tire after the better part of a week spent gluing the new setup. Further inspection revealed the culprit was a rear shifter/brake  lever jammed out at a 90• Angle from vertical and completly incpabable of shifting.
The remainder of the race was an involuntary experience in quasi-single speeding: i had a small and big chainring to choose from, but was determined to make the most of the day. Eventually I fought my way back up to the front, where Aaron and I dueled for the lead before the effort and energy expended did me in for a second place result.
A big thanks to Craig for bailing me out with a spare shifter for tomorrow. Hopefully this one can be put to better use...