Sources:

Dave Nice’s excellent thoughts

The CTR debate

I had a fantastically dense post all worked up earlier, before the computer crashed an blogger’s auto-save proved itself to be a big lie. This is a question worth pondering, but I’m annoyed at lost words and lethargic with an afternoon nap and belly full of sushi. Ergo, this may get revised.

The MTBR conversation rubbed me the wrong way, and tested my resolve to be a good citizen and generally well-behaved in that context. (Quite enough of the rest, without my occasional temptation.) My objections come down to two:

-One of the major tenets of self-supported racing is to stay close to the ground in order to enhance the experience. Part of that enhancement should be the humility gained from being slapped around with one’s own insignificance, literally and cosmically. Any complete experience thereof will necessarily bleed over into other aspects of life, and therefore other realms of personal conduct.

-Any good “text,” be it a book or an organized race, will only fulfill it’s potential when it outgrows the intentions and control of the person(s) who created it.

Yes, anyone can time trial the GDR whenever. Yes, anyone could ride any other route whenever they like. The principle of integrity as to what methods are used, and to ensure that the route is followed, does not vary significantly here. The social aspect, be it enjoying the rare company of freaks like you, or the additional motivation of fellow Don Quixote’s out in the forest, is an undeniable draw. That, and we’re all drinking form the communal trough of inspiration, anyway.

Which brings me to the ironclad rule of wilderness sport humility: somewhere out there is someone else you don’t know, who is not only much better than you or anyone you know, but has the self-restraint to not talk (inherently a vague form of bragging) to anyone about it.

I’d rather be the little fish in the big pond, the other way is just sad.

Edit (0823, 7.27):

Scott Morris emailed me this morning, bringing to my attention that amoung the several actually relevant questions at stake is the fact that I’m being an ass by not taking my issues to the people involved. The above will stand as written, but I wanted to put forth my apologies. This is exactly what I don’t advocate doing on the net, and fell victim to my own short sightedness.