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Day 3- Race Across America

 

 

The third day of the 2007 RAAM for Patrick has been a roller coaster of ups and downs. He slept only briefly on the side of the road outside of Flagstaff and headed out into the desert highlands invigorated and rested. The road between the Time Stations 9 and 11 was long and straight. There were two consecutive 70 mile stages that left him tired and worn down. With only 18 hours to go before the first cutoff in Cortez, CO, Patrick was battered and broken. He developed saddle sores from the constant chaffing of the bike seat. His legs were stiff and sore. His skin leathered from the brutal sun, and his mind beaten from the constant grinding of the pedals. With much encouragement from the crew and his daughter, Patrick started into a series of three mountainous stages that weaved through Monument Valley and the Four Corners area which would bring him to Cortez, CO and the first cutoff point.

 

The first of these stages was one of the most beautiful on the route. The isolated two lane road spanned out the vast desert of Monument Valley. Huge towers of rock and mesas jutted out of the stark landscape in all directions. At one point Patrick and Estelle posed for a photo with this month’s copy of The Improper Bostonian and the spectacular landscape in the background in the hopes of getting the photo published and bringing publicity to Patrick campaign. The beautiful landscape was tainted by the brutal condition of the road, which constantly wore on the worsening saddle sores. After reaching Mexican Hat, UT, Patrick rested briefly and began again to ride uphill into the mountains as the sun was setting. As the evening settled into the night, a brisk cold headwind picked up, making the long day seem endless. Patrick rode into Time Station 13 in Montezuma Creek, UT beaten and tired, but remained upbeat. Encourage by the crew and the news that two riders were just within an hour ahead of him; he braved the night and got back on his bike. Setting out at midnight, he rode off into the dark night to attempt to complete the final stage before the first quarter cutoff. The stage was only 49 miles, but mostly uphill. The cold headwind had died down and the dark Utah sky was illuminated with millions of visible stars. After 1 ½ hours, he crossed the boarder into Colorado. He was extremely tired and signals the follow vehicle that he wanted to sleep for a few hours on the side of the road. The follow vehicle crew was also extremely tired, but Patrick was encouraged to continue on to complete at least half the stage before sleeping. With the follow vehicle urging him onward with the help again of Phil Collins on the sound system, Patrick pushed on ahead, conquering several steep climbs. He gathered more energy and confidence as the next 30 miles passed. Ultimately passing three riders who had stopped along the road to sleep. As he pedaled into Time Station 14 in Cortez, he looked and felt as strong as he had the entire trip. He had also surpassed the cutoff time by 9hours!

 

Patrick had overcome on of the hardest days physically and mentally as anyone could imagine. He was transformed from exhausted and beaten to confident and motivated. It was truly an inspiration to the crew to see him be so strong after 3 days. This was truly the inspiration that he needed to believe that he can overcome the RAAM.

 

Patrick rides on today into the Rocky Mountain, where the most challenging climbs of the route are located. If he continues to ride strongly as he did yesterday, he will surely surpass this challenge. Please continue to follow online at www.racecarossamerica.org for updates.

 

Rob

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