Gosh, no... my normal Saturday ride is 15-16 miles. I did 20 once. So 26, for me, was a big jump up.
There were a fair number of gentle climbs throughout the ride and getting lost added a couple more.
The biggest thing was the weather... must've been up in the low 80's with just a few moments of shade here and there and no breeze to speak of. I know that doesn't sound like much but it's the warmest weather I've ridden in to date. And I was feeling it. Hit a big-time slump (when my BP fell to almost blackout levels) at about mile 18 or so but after a nice break, perked right up again. Between that and the LeMond working me in places or ways that I haven't worked in the past year, I felt like a day to rest the legs was very, very much in order.