way to go on the race. this is my first time racing this year too, and i must admit, i have picked up the racing bug! i plan on doing the same race series next year plus some provincial ones. Here are some tips i got from experienced racers:

1) your objective is to finish, safely. don't bother trying to ride a section that is normally quite difficult for you if it is just going to cause you an injury, you are better off (and faster) getting off your bike and running.
2) if you need to run if your bike, put your left hand on your handlebar and the right one behind the seat. you'd be amazed how much lighter and easier it is to push then pull your bike.

excellent work!

Han