[HAMR] Current thoughts on the record attempt?

[Exit Stage Left]

There's a camp that sees Zoe Williams' article in the Guardian on Feb 6th as the high point of the ride. The one that had Kurt 'surrounded' by a semi-pro team, but Steve on his own apart from an army of helpers. That was the 'correct' conclusion to draw, and the following 10 months are just a detail.
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/06/bike-record-steve-abraham-longest-distance-cycle-year

[Byronius Maximus]

Ah - thanks for the detective-work, Greenbank!  Yep, I probably shouldn't have assumed that the 'sound of crickets' was ongoing... (but, come to think of it, if LWaB made his offer on or before 11/12 and the thanks-but-no-thanks wasn't given back until 21/12, that's pretty shabby)

More assumptions! LWAB did say "after I had complied with their requests" but didn't say how long that took. Certainly not as simple as crickets. Plus, given the vitriol that the whole "No reply" thing caused, perhaps something a little stronger than "A small correction" might have ben in order. I've highlighted the most judgemental bit of your post 

Are you seriously confused as to why numerous people couldn't understand what your post meant, or are you just trying to take some kind of misplaced high ground here? Write something deliberately cryptic on an Internet forum and people *will not* understand what you mean.

I'm a bit of lurker on this thread and it seems to me that there have been good constructive comments on both sides (yes it is possible to have negative thoughts about how the attempt is going without having animosity towards Steve or the team, and I say this as someone who considers Steve a friend), but petty forum one-upmanship like this just derails what is a useful conversation to have.

Anyway, back to lurking.

[Jaded]

No, I'm not confused. 

[Polar Bear]

Personally I think that people should stop saying that Steve should or must stop for his own good.   Unless you are inside his head and his body, unless you have up-to-date intimate detail of his thoughts and feelings, then it is only your place to speculate or offer opinion, just like sports pundits or political commentators.

After all, we all know best, don't we?

Please, stop bickering, stop petty point-scoring:  let Steve decide.  Be supportive or destructive if you wish but we all value our autonomy, our ability to make decisions for ourselves. 

There is no sense in my mind that there is any failure in Steve's attempt.   He's still riding nearly a year after starting in spite of an accident.   He's clocked up 100,000kms and counting.   It's an attempt, not a guaranteed shoe in.   

[PAC]

Well said Polar Bear

[simonp]

Lovely day today. Maybe time for a bike ride.

[Jaded]

Thank you, PB for that considered post.

[Frank9755]

Personally I think that people should stop saying that Steve should or must stop for his own good.   Unless you are inside his head and his body, unless you have up-to-date intimate detail of his thoughts and feelings, then it is only your place to speculate or offer opinion, just like sports pundits or political commentators.

After all, we all know best, don't we?

Please, stop bickering, stop petty point-scoring:  let Steve decide.  Be supportive or destructive if you wish but we all value our autonomy, our ability to make decisions for ourselves. 

There is no sense in my mind that there is any failure in Steve's attempt.   He's still riding nearly a year after starting in spite of an accident.   He's clocked up 100,000kms and counting.   It's an attempt, not a guaranteed shoe in.

Of course it's Steve's decision as to what he does, and as I and many others have said, he has achieved an amazing amount over the year.

But it is also the decision of those who encourage him, with words, with deeds and with financial sponsorship, to decide whether - based on all the information available - they consider it wise to encourage him to carry on further.

[Polar Bear]

In my humble opinion, it is not about encouraging him in what he is doing, it is about supporting him in how he chooses to do it.   

[zigzag]

It's an attempt, not a guaranteed shoe in.

if i was riding this (ha ha), there would be no word "attempt" in my vocabulary and would ask this section in the forum to be renamed. the word is extremely disempowering especially if used before the challenge even starts. nothing wrong with using this lukewarm word after the challenge if it doesn't pan out as expected.
when i embark on a challenge myself - i'm playing full out, in my mind it's a done deal before it starts. there's no point in attempting or trying - go for it, just do it!!

[LMT]

It's an attempt, not a guaranteed shoe in.

if i was riding this (ha ha), there would be no word "attempt" in my vocabulary and would ask this section in the forum to be renamed. the word is extremely disempowering especially if used before the challenge even starts. nothing wrong with using this lukewarm word after the challenge if it doesn't pan out as expected.
when i embark on a challenge myself - i'm playing full out, in my mind it's a done deal before it starts. there's no point in attempting or trying - go for it, just do it!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXsQAXx_ao0

 

Take away the cheese and it ain't a bad vid imo.

[zigzag]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXsQAXx_ao0

 

Take away the cheese though, and it ain't a bad vid imo.

yeah, good and funny, could be a part of the riders morning routine, with "210 miles" blinking every split second

[Greenbank]

It's an attempt, not a guaranteed shoe in.

if i was riding this (ha ha), there would be no word "attempt" in my vocabulary and would ask this section in the forum to be renamed. the word is extremely disempowering especially if used before the challenge even starts. nothing wrong with using this lukewarm word after the challenge if it doesn't pan out as expected.
when i embark on a challenge myself - i'm playing full out, in my mind it's a done deal before it starts. there's no point in attempting or trying - go for it, just do it!!

Sure, but if you wanted to keep that up you wouldn't be reading (first hand) any Internet forums discussing your progress. You'd either have someone to cherry pick the positive comments from them, or you'd leave them well alone. No idea why anyone could expect a forum (no matter how friendly or supportive) to be 100% positive.

[Von Broad]

yeah, good and funny

So is this...especially the first few minutes. Briliant!

[Martin]

Of course it's Steve's decision as to what he does, and as I and many others have said, he has achieved an amazing amount over the year.

But it is also the decision of those who encourage him, with words, with deeds and with financial sponsorship, to decide whether - based on all the information available - they consider it wise to encourage him to carry on further.

not only that but it's the right of Steve's sponsors to question the wisdom of continuing the attempt once it becomes apparent that it is not going to be a serious World Record Attempt they are financing.

[Pale Rider]

Of course it's Steve's decision as to what he does, and as I and many others have said, he has achieved an amazing amount over the year.

But it is also the decision of those who encourage him, with words, with deeds and with financial sponsorship, to decide whether - based on all the information available - they consider it wise to encourage him to carry on further.

not only that but it's the right of Steve's sponsors to question the wisdom of continuing the attempt once it becomes apparent that it is not going to be a serious World Record Attempt they are financing.

It is.

And I'm sure Steve is savvy enough to assess the various comments and give them their appropriate weight.

Which might be none in some cases, as it should be because it's Steve's decision.

[Wowbagger]

It's an attempt, not a guaranteed shoe in.

if i was riding this (ha ha), there would be no word "attempt" in my vocabulary and would ask this section in the forum to be renamed. the word is extremely disempowering especially if used before the challenge even starts. nothing wrong with using this lukewarm word after the challenge if it doesn't pan out as expected.
when i embark on a challenge myself - i'm playing full out, in my mind it's a done deal before it starts. there's no point in attempting or trying - go for it, just do it!!

That's an interesting comment. About a year ago I remarked, somewhere on this bit of the board, that Kurt was declaring in advance that he would "spend 2015 breaking TG's record". I've put it in quotes, but that may be a paraphrase. Whatever the correct wording, it left no doubt that that would be the outcome. I thought that "making and attempt" would be right, and anything else would be presumptive. I noticed that his celebratory photo of him breaking the 70,000 mile barrier was posted in the morning before he achieved it as well!

Someone, I forget who, suggested it was how Americans see their attempts as done and dusted and leaving no room for any doubt as to the outcome, compared to a much more reserved BRITISH attitude. I have always tried to be realistic in the likely outcomes of competitions and challenges I have been involved in, taking into consideration a number of possible outcomes, of which the desired one was the aim, but it was always possible for it to be overtaken by events.

[Kim]

Personally I think that people should stop saying that Steve should or must stop for his own good.   Unless you are inside his head and his body, unless you have up-to-date intimate detail of his thoughts and feelings, then it is only your place to speculate or offer opinion, just like sports pundits or political commentators.

I wasn't suggesting it out of concern for Steve's health - I trust he has that in hand - but simply at a strategy level.  It's clear that he has no hope of beating Kurt on the original attempt, which means that if he takes the record, it will be in August.  On the basis that some time off the bike can only do him good, and there's room for improvement strategy wise, I'm suggesting that he might as well take the opportunity to improve his chances and make it n months later.

[Von Broad]

Someone, I forget who, suggested it was how Americans see their attempts, as done and dusted and leaving no room for any doubt as to the outcome, compared to a much more reserved BRITISH attitude. I have always tried to be realistic in the likely outcomes of competitions and challenges I have been involved in, taking into consideration a number of possible outcomes, of which the desired one was the aim, but it was always possible for it to be overtaken by events.

Blimey, what a complex subject this is. There's always a balance.
Positivity [yes we can] must surely be a good thing, but it can also be delusional sometimes.
As can negativity [no we can't] - on the one hand damaging and self-defeating but conversely sometimes bringing a sense of realistic balance into a situation gone wrong.

Thing about Kurt's attitude is this: it's far from hot air [to state the obvious], any positivity and self-belief has been heavily underpinned by a large dose of self-knowledge of his own capabilities and limitations. For example, he doesn't like riding in the dark, so he's doesn't do it [or as little as he can get away with].

[mattc]

 sometimes in life we dont have all the facts, but have a decision forced on us - so we have to make it.

But when you dont know all the facts about SOMEONE ELSE'S situation, it is very often wise to just shut the .... up.

[EDIT: cross-post with Von-Broad, with which this has no connection!]

[Polar Bear]

Personally I think that people should stop saying that Steve should or must stop for his own good.   Unless you are inside his head and his body, unless you have up-to-date intimate detail of his thoughts and feelings, then it is only your place to speculate or offer opinion, just like sports pundits or political commentators.

I wasn't suggesting it out of concern for Steve's health - I trust he has that in hand - but simply at a strategy level.  It's clear that he has no hope of beating Kurt on the original attempt, which means that if he takes the record, it will be in August.  On the basis that some time off the bike can only do him good, and there's room for improvement strategy wise, I'm suggesting that he might as well take the opportunity to improve his chances and make it n months later.

Well thought through Kim.   i would suggest that Steve knew,  we all knew, Kurt knew, that given Steve's accident, if all else went to plan then Kurt would take the record first.   Of course, and not wishing to wish ill on anybody, kurt hasn't crossed the line just yet.  I sincerely hope that he does and that Steve does at some point in August.

I don't know whether time off the bike would do Steve any good at all.   We might privately consider it to be the best for him but only Steve and those close to him know what drives him and have any idea how he is both physically and mentally.   

I only hope that Steve does what is best for Steve and that his sponsors and supporters continue to back him enabling him to try for the record.     

[Wowbagger]

We have a pretty good idea that all is not right physically. Steve, when fit, is worth >200 miles a day. Every day. He would certainly not, by choice, have found himself well over 1700 miles behind schedule when, a couple of months ago, he appeared to be going so well.

[Kim]

I don't know whether time off the bike would do Steve any good at all.

It would give him time to address strategy properly.  There aren't currently enough hours in the day for that.

But fair point about the mental side.

[Kim]

But remember Steve has been here before, on his AUK record year.

I'd suggest that that's the part of his strategy that could be improved.

This isn't an audax record, and he doesn't need to ride under audax conditions.

[Polar Bear]

I take your point Kim re strategy.   I would be completely surprised though if there is no ongoing management of strategy, tactics, his health and his equipment on an ongoing basis by his 'team' with Steve's continuous input.