Was surprised that the race was held after the deluge the night before. Singletrack was sloppy so the bike portion was cut down to 1 lap instead of 2. Run portion was dry in the the cross-country section but puddly in the singletrack. I had my characteristic slow run start and the lead pack quickly left me on the gravel road heading in to Rusty Bucket. Picked up some speed after coming out of the tight and twisty Rusty Bucket trail. Felt strong back to the first transition. Quick transition to bike after 30 seconds or so. Practice had paid off. On to the bike leg and feeling good. Only doing 1 lap was a disadvantage for me since my endurance is better than my speed. About a quarter mile from in to the bike leg noticed my rear wheel was loose. This on top of severely muddy trails made me dial it back some but at least the wheel never came all the way out. Another bike lap would've been miserable. Good sportsmanship on the trails. Back to the transition for 2nd run where my