remember when...

racing sscx was a bone headed idea?

i've been racing cross for many years now. before many of you knew what the hell it was. now...this isn't going to turn into a 'i'm old school & you suck' blog. rather a 'oh, how times have changed' type of one.

i used to race my my ss mtn bike (a voodoo nzumbi), and racers would always comment & cheer me on. being on a ss in a cross race. the races i did on that were brutal. there were more flats, & as i would keep up with everyone in the tech sections; once that flat section hit, and i heard the shifts move, i was left in the dust. however, i never entered a race to win, but to have fun. as time went on i built up a custom sscx bike. i set it to flip/flop, and i have been known to take it fixed off road. which is a complete joy.

i never really raced the sscx in past years, but always had it at the races as a back up. now, in recent years as i've been in and out of racing due to; 1) i would rather spend time with my family, & 2) racing gets so expensive. so last year i stayed away completely. the year before that i was able to do a few races, and i did do those on the sscx, because i was working out bb issues on my jake.

so fast-forwarding to this year...there is a ss category. a friend of mine over at http://scumcityracing.com/ talked me into racing exclusively on ss. so i went for it. he said that field wasn't that deep. however, he did not speak of the caliber of the field. again, in years past, the people racing on ss were the people that really didn't give a fuck, or was their only cross bike. now, it's the guys who crushed it in either the b cat or a cat, & want a new challenge. which really puts me behind the 8ball. mostly because i suck. but now i'm racing in a cat of a bunch of hard asses. guys that are taking this sscx way too seriously.

the whole 'scene' has just kind of exploded in the last few years, with two 'b' cats now, & a massive 'c' field. i suck so bad that if i went back to gears, i might have to race in the c cat. this is really great for the sport in general (but i think a few bugs still need to be worked out, but that's a different post)

all & all, i think my statement becomes this: 'why so serious?' it's just cross racing in neo.

amitabha...

good vs. bad

much has been said about Strava in the media and in conversation over the last few months. about if Strava is the ruination of biking/running. for those of you that do not know, Strava is a social tracking app that maps a route of cycling/running, and tells you your time on given segments .

taken from https://strava.zendesk.com/entries/20420137-what-is-strava:

Currently focused on the needs of avid cyclists and runners, Strava lets you track your rides and runs via your iPhone, Android or dedicated GPS device to analyze and quantify your performance. Strava makes fitness a social experience, providing motivation and camaraderie even if you’re exercising alone.

Strava grew out of our own needs as athletes. With busy lives requiring much solo training, we missed the sense of camaraderie and friendly competition that drove us to achieve our best through training with others. 

Today, Strava lets athletes all over the world experience social fitness—sharing, comparing and competing with each other's personal fitness data via mobile and online apps

this controversy has been as such with a quick google of 'what is strava':
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/nevius/article/Strava-s-KOM-awards-blamed-for-reckless-bicycling-3657025.php

http://questadventure.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/what-is-strava/

the app being blamed for the death of a cyclist using the app:
http://allthingsd.com/20120619/gps-app-strava-sued-over-cyclists-death/

in short the controversy comes in where the riders are more focused on their time and what is going on with the app more than what is going on around them. there is even a saying 'if it's not on strava, the ride didn't happen.'  where people get so wrapped up in the app, and being the KOM (king of the mountain) on a given hill, or getting to point a to point b the fastest. losing sleep when someone takes away your best time on a segment. this may cause one person to ride beyond their own limits just to re-claim their spot on the ride. the result may be disastrous. and all because someone that is better/faster on a given portion of our favorite ride/loop.

people blame strava for this; however the worry is misplaced. is it strava's fault? is it the casino's fault that i lost my paycheck? or the hammer's fault that i hit my thumb? strava is a tool. a tool that is able to be used for training. to see what your friends are doing with their riding. to track my progress. as a hammer pounds a nail, strava is there as a personal guide to track my rides. to know my personal best in a quick and consist way. strava is not to blame for this controversy. strava is good. i can record my rides, and see my own personal progress. to see if i am progressing in my riding. to see if i can make it up that one hill faster the next time i come to it.

strava however does do something else. it shows us something about ourselves. who we are as people. our obsessive personalities. our tendencies to want too much. to fly too close to the sun. it does help provide us with glimpse of the ugly side of our nature. with this knowledge, this then is something that we as people need to work on. to try and cultivate to be the people that we want to be. things happen in our world that show us things about ourselves, and it's up to us to choose how to act & how to be. are you going to let a 'thing' rule your life? are you going to give up your freedom of choice? guess what? there are people out there that are faster and better than you. deal with it. now i am not saying that you should try and push your own personal envelope. you should, and strava helps with that by putting everything at your finger tips.

so get out there and ride. keep track of your progress; however don't obsess & get better. don't let something own you. create space, create freedom. all in moderation.

amitabha...