Day 5: Rachel, NV to Cedar City, UT
Strava Link: Petoji Day 5
Day 5 was a make or break day for me. I was either going to finish the day and build momentum for the rest of Petoji or I was going to have another bad day and have to quit. My confidence wasn't high (you can hear in the video), but I decided that I wasn't going to quit unless I ended up in a hospital.
I ended up having a good day on Day 5. I would like to say that I
responded well to the pressure and had a good ride when I needed it, but
the truth is that I had favorable winds for most of the ride. I did the
first 110 miles in about 8:20, which isn't that good. After that there
was a good stretch of 40 miles that were either flat or downhill (with a
tailwind) and I made up a lot of time there. Up until mile 110 I was
averaging 14.7 MPH. For the rest of the ride I averaged 16.8. I got
lucky with the profile and the weather. Most of the climbing was done
early and most of the tailwinds picked up late.
I rode into Cedar City that night around 7:30 with a huge sense of relief. Maybe I could do this after all. In the moment I wasn't thinking about the wind or the elevation profile. I was under the delusion that I stepped up and had a good ride when I needed it the most. I can look back now with a clearer mind and a little more humility, but in the moment it certainly helped to feel that way. I had a renewed belief in myself, and that belief carried me through the rest of Petoji.
I rode into Cedar City that night around 7:30 with a huge sense of relief. Maybe I could do this after all. In the moment I wasn't thinking about the wind or the elevation profile. I was under the delusion that I stepped up and had a good ride when I needed it the most. I can look back now with a clearer mind and a little more humility, but in the moment it certainly helped to feel that way. I had a renewed belief in myself, and that belief carried me through the rest of Petoji.
