Started off really strong on the race, I mean ride (it's a race, no matter what they say; it's a pretty aggressive fight to the death kinda thing). Average in the 16+ mph range for the first two laps (15 km/9 mi ea.) and kept on the aero bars for most of it. By the third lap, I started slowing down and dropped down just below the 15.8 mph needed to make all 6 laps within the 3.5 hr time period. Thought I'd still be OK based on my performance on the first two, but the fourth lap got slower still but I pushed through. Could've stopped at 4 and still have gotten the Silver medal but I forced myself to do one more lap since that's what I did last year. Made it through that lap but the last time up the Air Force Memorial hill about killed me. I knew it was going to be the last one I'd do today and I made myself finish strong. That fifth lap took 40 minutes and I came across the line with 20 minutes left in the time period so there was no way I would've finished in time. Plus I wasn't even sure I could do another lap, much less in the 40 minutes I just did on the fifth one, so I settled for a 5-lap Silver. But it's alright, and it's my friggin' birthday so I say it's A-OK.