JayP

Endurance Cyclist Jay Petervary, Jackson, WY


facebook

Monday, 07 Jul 08

GDR Babbling

Before I type off my rantings and state of confusion, I must congratulate John Nobile on beating my Great Divide record this past Saturday arriving on the border 2 hours and 52 minutes faster then I did last year, for a complete time of 15d 1h 26m. I belive this was John's 3rd attempt.

The progression of the Great Divide Race is one that is changing and growing at a surprisingly rate the past couple years. It was started as a self supported individual time trial (ITT). It was challenged by a few people that decided to start on a common date(making it a race). That common date through the years has grown from single digit participants to just below 20 the past two years.

This year Matt Lee introduced basically the same race but starting two hundred some odd miles up the trail in Canada and one week earlier then the Great Divide race. He also had just under 20 starters.

With this progression and the technology of today certain things have changed.
When you have a group start there is motivation to move faster to win or beat another.
Call ins were random and something to let people know you are safe and your progress. As of this year it says they are mandatory. How can a self-supported underground time trial make something mandatory, such as call-ins, letting people know where your at? I don't want people knowing, espically in a situation when you line up with others.
Cell phones, no sir, get rid of your security blanket advantage.
Matt, spot units, competitors on the internet know exactly where everyone is at all times. Where's the strategy? When I line up against others not only is it a physical game but a fun mental one as well.
Oh, and the "spreadsheet leaderboard", that is the biggest most valuable "earned knowledge" that has become general info. Having the fastest persons splits from point to point prevents people from thinking and suggests to them what they need to do. For the record and my record I carried a calculator, paper, and pencil to figure out where I was and what I needed to do to better the current time, I had no info and no splits. When I stated last year I did not want to call in and this is just another reason.

Well, I'll cut it short and say "I'll be back".
I will be back in the "grassroots" style it was started.
I will start from Banff, I will take a split time from the border.
I will not be waiting till next year, much sooner.

More on this after Worlds Solo at the end of the month, if I can last that long.

82 comments Comments are closed.