Homecoming Parade

Tour de Gruene 2012

Caryn and I finished 3rd in the mixed team time trial at the Tour de Gruene. We averaged 22+ MPH but Caryn's asthma attack caused us to go a least a mile

slower than we expected. The course is undulating with one big hill, knowing the course would have been a plus, we just couldn't make it to the course to reconoiter it before hand. The course is beautiful as it starts near Gruene Hall, a classic honky tonk with a rich heritage. Most of the first half of the race follows River Road toward Canyon Lake, then returns to Gruene along a state highway. The start and finish areas are tight, causing a few wrecks due to gravel and tight turns, and traffic on the highway is something you have to deal with since the shoulder is chip seal. A headwind on River Road made for a tough start to the race, but after the hill the tailwind had us going 35+ most of the way in.