I've been looking back at the LEJOG record footage, and wondering what I think about it.
I followed the attempt from just South of Preston, largely without preparation, as the ride took place over a weekend, so I could use Heather's company car. I had a drone, bought for LEL filming, so I thought I'd use that if it was calm enough and not raining. Previous filming had shown the pit-stops are good subjects, and I also knew a few of the key scenic points would yield some good footage.
I also had footage of the back-story, revolving around the Mersey Roads 24. This assemblage of those components starts with a discussion at the 24 in 2016, when the subject of LEJOG first came up. I used that partly because it has Jasmijn Muller in the background. When I did this very loose edit, Jasmijn was still to do her attempt, and I was thinking in terms of a film which combined both rides.
Looking back at the footage, the most striking elements are the team aspect, and the sense of history. The support needed is so great that there's an obligation to finish if you possibly can.
Events such as LEJOG are transmitted across the traditional media and the internet, and there are a variety of views which fit the pre-conceptions of the various audiences. It's difficult to know where to pitch a film to satisfy those audiences. There's lots of other footage of the attempt, so mine might be a spine of key shots, and someone else can attempt to carve a narrative out of all the video.
I'm most struck by the family element, Helen driving Michael on, with a baby crying in the background. That gives the finish a multiple sense of relief, Mike is safely home, and Helen doesn't have to go through this again.
The question of why you might put yourself through this remains, but people do. Jasmijn's two attempts show that. The actual ride is the tip of the iceberg, most of which is submerged.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuK3jTNmmDk