The St James Epic has been a favourite of mine ever since I first raced it 3 years ago. The race travels 103km through the beautiful St James Station and with plenty of climbing and rugged terrain it is a true test of ability. I decided to treat this year’s race as a long training ride and slipped off the front of the lead group down the back of Mailing Pass, the first big descent. From there I just kept riding a steady tempo, finishing in 4hrs 51mins to take my 3^rd win in a row. It was an extremely hot day with temperatures in the high 30’s so I was grateful I didn’t have to push hard the whole race and could just ride a steady tempo. My average heart rate in the end was 136bpm which was a lot less than last year where I pushed a bit harder. Hope to be back next year for my 4^th year in a row, schedule permitting.