A 24.6 mile clockwise loop around Grand Lake St. Mary in Celina. Good weather with a slight 5-8 mph wind out of the west.
I started out in a good rhythm keeping my pace at a constant 26-27 mph. As the course headed south into the state park there were a series of nice "S" turns and smooth pavement. The turns were fun to blast thru and with a posted speed limit of 25 mph, I passed a guy on a motorcycle, which was kinda cool.
Once the course headed west, it was into a slight breeze and a few stretches of false flat. Just enough to make you work a little harder and difficult enough that all I could do was maintain my pace. Over the last few miles there were several sharp turns that broke up my rhythm. Just about the time I would get into a smooth cadence I would have to come up out of the aero bars to negotiate a turn.
The final 3 miles were a straight shot to the finish with a final hard right turn with about 150 meters before the finish. I was able to pick up my pace slightly during the final stretch, but nothing significant.
I hit the line in 56:08 (26.2 mph avg). First in the Cat 4 and 7th fastest overall. Cash payout to the top 5 overall, DOH!!
