Tinker Juarez would be more competitive in RAAM if he didn't sleep so much.
Right now he's left Time Station 37 with 45.3 hours of rest recorded off the bike. RAAM rules for Enduro are 5 mandatory rest stops of 2 hours each at specified locations, plus 30 hours minimum rest at time stations of the rider's choosing. Tinker's got 2 more mandatory stops left, which means he will finish with no less than 49.3 hours off the bike -- that's an astonishing 9.3 hours of extra rest above the mandatory minimum.
Yeah, I know, let's see me try, etc. But I'm not a world class athlete. Point is, you can't win races sleeping while your competition is out there riding and piling up the miles.
For 2007, I think we'll see much more fine-tuning of time management in Enduro. My guess is that the optimum strategy would be to use the 30 hour rest during the middle third of the race, followed by a mad dash for the final 1,000 miles and hitting the last two mandatory stops for 2 hours each exactly.
Tinker Juarez would be more competitive in RAAM if he didn't sleep so
much.
The dude really does like to snooze. I'm not a mtb guy so I don't know much about the mtb endurance events, but I'm under the impression they are 24 hour events. So you go all out, and then sleep the next day. Can't do that in RAAM, it's a week long event. But he may not be able to function without sleep, like most of us. I've done 24 hour road rides, and they really zap me, it's incredible that they can keep the speed up. A lot of people don't even get to the sleep deprivation point before some weakness in their body appears, like the back goes out, or a knee, for some reason I get arm problems. Changed stem lengths, heights, position, etc, and it's only a matter of time before the arms turn to rubber.
But he may not be able to function without sleep, like most of us.
Yup... most people need to average ~8hrs per night even if they just sit around all day. Even in Enduro, being able to function with minimal sleep is a big factor.
"Fred, Team Fred" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Tinker Juarez would be more competitive in RAAM if he didn't sleep so much.
Right now he's left Time Station 37 with 45.3 hours of rest recorded off the bike. RAAM rules for Enduro are 5 mandatory rest stops of 2 hours each at specified locations, plus 30 hours minimum rest at time stations of the rider's choosing. Tinker's got 2 more mandatory stops left, which means he will finish with no less than 49.3 hours off the bike -- that's an astonishing 9.3 hours of extra rest above the mandatory minimum.
Yeah, I know, let's see me try, etc. But I'm not a world class athlete. Point is, you can't win races sleeping while your competition is out there riding and piling up the miles.
Maybe he could give a s*** about winning and is more interested in doing something darned difficult for reasons ultimately much more important than whether or not you finish first or last. What is it with this American obsession of winning? It ain't the finish line but the journey that counts.
"Fred, Team Fred" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Tinker Juarez would be more competitive in RAAM if he didn't sleep so much.
Right now he's left Time Station 37 with 45.3 hours of rest recorded off the bike. RAAM rules for Enduro are 5 mandatory rest stops of 2 hours each at specified locations, plus 30 hours minimum rest at time stations of the rider's choosing. Tinker's got 2 more mandatory stops left, which means he will finish with no less than 49.3 hours off the bike -- that's an astonishing 9.3 hours of extra rest above the mandatory minimum.
Yeah, I know, let's see me try, etc. But I'm not a world class athlete. Point is, you can't win races sleeping while your competition is out there riding and piling up the miles.
Maybe he could give a s*** about winning and is more interested in doing something darned difficult for reasons ultimately much more important than whether or not you finish first or last. What is it with this American obsession of winning? It ain't the finish line but the journey that counts.
Nobody other than an American would ever expect anyone in a bike race to actually try to win.
Aside from the misguided generalization, I agree with you. RAAM, particularly for a first-timers, is about way more than trying to win. It's uncharted territory for first-timers, and as with any extrodinarily difficult task, being good as some facet of that task does not guarantee perfection. The fact that Tinker isn't cleaning everyone's clock doesn't say anything about his potential, his motivation, his desires, etc. It's his first time!
In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...
Quoted message said:
Maybe he could give a s*** about winning and is more interested in doing something darned difficult for reasons ultimately much more important than whether or not you finish first or last. What is it with this American obsession of winning? It ain't the finish line but the journey that counts.
It's called a race. The point of racing is trying to win. If you are not trying to win, why bother? If the journey is the important part, then you are not racing. You are sight seeing. Nothing wrong with that. ---------------- Alex
"Alex Rodriguez" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...
Quoted message said:
Maybe he could give a s*** about winning and is more interested in doing something darned difficult for reasons ultimately much more important than whether or not you finish first or last. What is it with this American obsession of winning? It ain't the finish line but the journey that counts.
It's called a race. The point of racing is trying to win. If you are not trying to win, why bother? If the journey is the important part, then you are not racing. You are sight seeing. Nothing wrong with that. ---------------- Alex
The NY Marathon is a race. I don't suppose the vast majority of the tens of thousands at the depart are there trying to win.
"Alex Rodriguez" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...
Quoted message said:
Maybe he could give a s*** about winning and is more interested in doing something darned difficult for reasons ultimately much more important than whether or not you finish first or last. What is it with this American obsession of winning? It ain't the finish line but the journey that counts.
It's called a race. The point of racing is trying to win. If you are not trying to win, why bother? If the journey is the important part, then you are not racing. You are sight seeing. Nothing wrong with that. ---------------- Alex
The NY Marathon is a race. I don't suppose the vast majority of the tens of thousands at the depart are there trying to win.
No, but those that are tyring to win are not possesed of some crazed obsession because of it. There is of course also a difference between expecting to win, and trying to win.
Maybe he could give a s*** about winning and is more interested in doing something darned difficult for reasons ultimately much more important than whether or not you finish first or last. What is it with this American obsession of winning? It ain't the finish line but the journey that counts.
It's called a race. The point of racing is trying to win. If you are not trying to win, why bother? If the journey is the important part, then you are not racing. You are sight seeing. Nothing wrong with that.
The NY Marathon is a race. I don't suppose the vast majority of the tens of thousands at the depart are there trying to win.
Tinker isn't one of tens of thousands of people. Tinker wins a lot of races. I don't know all of his reasons for riding RAAM, but I bet if you asked him, he would say he does give a [censored] about winning it. He might not expect to on the first try, but I don't think he is there solely for the rush and the training miles.
It's true that Americans are obsessed with winning. That is why an American, Henry D. Grange, invented one of the most difficult sporting events in the world, where the leader's status is so exalted that he wears a special uniform, the Tour de France.
What is it with this American obsession of winning? It ain't the finish line but the journey that counts.
Goddamn, that is a stupid, ignorant thing to say. You say it as if wanting to win is a bad thing. Are you trying to imply that Merckx, Hinault, Fignon,et al only cared about the journey? [censored]. They only cared about winning.
On Mon, 19 Jun 2006 21:43:06 +0200, "matabala" <[email hidden]>
Quoted message said:
"Alex Rodriguez" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
It's called a race. The point of racing is trying to win. If you are not trying to win, why bother? If the journey is the important part, then you are not racing. You are sight seeing. Nothing wrong with that. ---------------- Alex
The NY Marathon is a race. I don't suppose the vast majority of the tens of thousands at the depart are there trying to win.
Would they even say they are racing? I don't think so.
JT
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"Fred, Team Fred" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Tinker Juarez would be more competitive in RAAM if he didn't sleep so much.
Maybe he could give a s*** about winning and is more interested in
doing
Quoted message said:
something darned difficult for reasons ultimately much more important than whether or not you finish first or last. What is it with this American obsession of winning? It ain't the finish line but the journey that counts.
I think Tinker's open letter to his fans makes it clear he is a racer at heart:
