mud, sweat and a bruised scapula

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Hi,
I just returned from a cross-country race. The conditions were atrocious with long muddy sections that were so bad that I could neither ride my bike, push my bike without the wheels completely gumming up, or carry the bike since it got so heavy with impacted mud. I did end up with a bruised scapula from carrying the bike short sections and it was a lesson in agony.
I lost the race basically because of a poor strategy in these muddy conditions as I completely exhausted myself by alternately pushing the bike till the wheels stopped rolling, and then trying to carry it laden with all the extra kilos of mud.
I probably should have started carrying the bike when it was less heavy with mud and when the wheels could still roll. So, my question is: is there a simple accessory that can be attached to the top tube that will aid in carrying the bike so as not to hurt the shoulder so much? If so, I really want to try it.
Thanks, Al

We tape some soft pipe wrap around the top tube, like the stuff you get on roof racks works a treat cheap as chips light as well.