Winding down

I actually managed to get a full night's sleep last night, with the result, of course, that I feel totally wiped out today. I know it's the body winding down before tomorrow's 117 miles, but it's still difficult not to be a little daunted by that prospect when you're feeling so tired. Following a decision by a client on Friday I needed to write a bit more code today to be ready for more testing on Monday, as well as some more bug-fixing, but it's been a little slow fitting that in between some necessary chores and time with the boys. It's been one of those days when you seem to be busy all day, but don't seem to have much to show for all the effort.

I was intending to go for a short ride with No.2 son this afternoon, but jet-lag got the better of him. He fell asleep after lunch and it was impossible for me to wake him up (oh, to be able to sleep that soundly!), and by the time I did I was feeling too tired myself to make the suggestion. But that's fine. I'm finding myself much more relaxed about this event than the Etape du Dales, which I'm sure is because I'm not really placing any great expectation upon myself. First and foremost, I simply want to enjoy a long day out on the bike on my very favourite roads.

There has been a lot of talk on the forums this week about Sportives not being races. I certainly don't regard them as such. The biggest factor is that we all start off at different times so it's actually not possible to race in the true sense of the word. You are racing against the clock, certainly, but that is a very different thing. Sportives can't be considered as time-trials either, because riding in groups and drafting is a big factor, and actually one of the major attractions. There is a lot of luck involved here too. I find that half the fun is to be had in the opportunities to hook up with ad hoc groups during the event, sharing, even if only fleetingly, a common bond of purpose. I always feel that I'm riding with and never against other riders in this context. I really think that's the key point. When I'm running a fell race I am definitely running against other people! I want to beat the other runners around me. When I'm riding a sportive I am riding with the other people. There is no sense of wanting to beat the people in a group that you are riding with, because the likelihood is that you all started at different times.

There is an ethic to the Sportive which I like to think is upheld by the vast majority. It's hard to imagine two people riding around together and then having a full-on sprint at the end to determine the winner. They are not races in the traditional sense of the word. For that reason I think it is perfectly sensible to prohibit the offering of prizes, but it seems a bit silly to stipulate that results should not be published in finishing order, because, if we're honest, that's how we all really want to see them presented. We're not children. I think that's an unnecessary artifice. I understand that it is vital for legal reasons that Sportives are never classified as races, and the bottom-line is that this really comes down to the riders being responsible and not treating them as such. I'd be happy to see the organisers disqualifying any rider who drops litter or rides recklessly. There is never any excuse for that. At the end of the day, we are all just enthusiastic hobbyists having a day out and a bit of fun. I would hate to have that jeopardised by a selfish few. Not sure how I suddenly found myself on the old soapbox there. It just kind of happened. Right, better get myself organised for tomorrow ...