Made sure not to start too hard. Within the first minute I settled in pretty good but was still averaging around 315 watts. HR wasn't pegged yet, so I decided to roll with it for now.

I hit the fire hydrant at around 2:45 and the stop sign at around 4:35...right on track. I made the decision to ease up just a tad though as I knew I needed to save some energy for the steeper section just before the halfway point. I know that mentally I have to get through that section strong otherwise it's hard to keep the motivation on the not so steep section after that. The plan worked out pretty well as I got to the halfway point just under 11 minutes...which meant I was on track for a PR.

The shallower sections were tough to keep power above 280, and AP started to dip down to around 294. I was catching up to Jeff who started 30 seconds ahead of me, but at the same time Carl came from behind and passed me. There was nothing I could do to make those 30 seconds back up, but I at least used Jeff and Carl to push me the last 3/4 of a mile after the bridge. I did flip it up to the big ring, but it didn't last long and I dropped it back down.

I knew sub 22 was a possibility, but I almost blew it at the end. Coming into the final corners with my computer showing 21:30, I figured I had it in the bag, but soon I realized that time was slipping away. I crossed at 22:02 on my computer, but I did start it 3 seconds early at the start line. 21:59 officially...thank goodness.

I don't think I paced it perfectly, but not bad either. It was perfect conditions today, but just too fat right now. Overall, I can't complain though. If I'm still focusing on bike racing next year, the goal will for sure be to go under 21.