Kajsa Tylen: The Billie Dovey 81 miles a day progress thread

[srw]

I still have huge problems with this. Given her objectives, doesn't it kind of say she's failed?

To quote the woman herself...
"My mission is to get adults active and to feel good about themselves, in order to set a good example for the next generation."

http://www.ayearinthesaddle.com/mission

No, she hasn't failed.

 

[Pale Rider]

My reading of it is Kajsa's target is 50,000km in a year.

Which, almost as an afterthought, would have given her the record.

Or it would have done were it not for those pesky Americans.

The only way in which Kajsa's ride could be described as a failure is if she doesn't reach 50,000km.

 

[Aravis]

To quote the woman herself...
"My mission is to get adults active and to feel good about themselves, in order to set a good example for the next generation."

http://www.ayearinthesaddle.com/mission

No, she hasn't failed.

As I said in the bit you didn't quote, I don't think she's failed in the slightest. But central to her mission is being noticed, which to my mind is the very opposite of being an unsung hero. She's said that she hopes what she's doing will open many doors, and good luck to her with that.

Nevertheless, swooping into the NEC mid-ride to collect an award must've been pretty cool, and given her a big lift, even at the expense of a couple of hours' riding.

 

[tallliman]

My reading of it is Kajsa's target is 50,000km in a year.

Which, almost as an afterthought, would have given her the record.

Or it would have done were it not for those pesky Americans.

The only way in which Kajsa's ride could be described as a failure is if she doesn't reach 50,000km.

Note that Kajsa will (hopefully) take the record for most miles on a single, conventional bike. She has had this confirmed as separate to a rider who has used many bike types.

 

[Mugshot]

Day 258;


View: https://youtu.be/zgr40BEhuBY

 

[Mugshot]

Day 262;


View: https://youtu.be/QbrJXo9N014

 

[Mugshot]

Day 263;


View: https://youtu.be/w2VN8wxYo98

 

[Mugshot]

Day 264;


View: https://youtu.be/W5J9r5c7iDI

 

[Mugshot]

Day 267;


View: https://youtu.be/Ut70CLCWZUA

 

[Mugshot]

 

[Dogtrousers]

I still have huge problems with this. Given her objectives, doesn't it kind of say she's failed?

Kajsa, if you ever read this, I am not being negative. I don't think you've failed in the slightest. But forgive me for not putting a comment like this in Strava.

Well, it's only a matter of taste whether she's failed on that particular count. On all other counts she's already succeeded and continues to succeed.

What I would imagine will probably happen is that KT will submit a record, and provided it is approved become the record holder. Then AC will submit a record and smash KT's. Meaning that KT will hold the record briefly, and during that time it's a bit of a "lame duck" record as it is doomed to be broken. (I'm ignoring the UMCA/Guinness distinction here to make things easier).

Now you could say that AC becomes the record holder automatically on passing BD's record and that any claim by KT at the end of 2016 should be disallowed because AC is the "record holder presumptive" or something like that. In the interim there is no fixed record, it is whatever AC's running total happens to be at any point in time.

I say a matter of taste rather than a matter of opinion, because as far as I know there are no rules, nor anyone with jurisdiction to make any rules. It's just a matter of how you personally want to view things. If you feel charitably inclined towards KT you can say she holds the record in the interim. if you don't, you say she doesn't. It's more like whether you like sugar in your tea rather than a logical interpretation of any rules.

There are a zillion other way things could pan out and we could possibly end up with the silly situation that KT holds one record and AC simultaneously holds another, much bigger one. Like boxing.

Personally I think we could live without sanctioning bodies altogether. I think they belong to the era of stamped addressed envelopes, men who read the gas meter and phone boxes. Just stick the data in the public domain (say, Strava). There are sufficient competent people out there to check for fraud, and they will do so if the record is sufficiently important. As an outside observer you are free to interpret the data how you wish.

 

[Aravis]

I'm thinking that I was trying to be far too cryptic; when I was talking about failure, I was referring to everything other than the record attempt itself.

The bizarreness of casting her as an unsung hero seems obvious to me. In terms of being noticed, inspiring people, being utterly charming, her year has been a fantastic success. I notice that TWC saw the need to give two unsung hero awards, the second being to the late Charlotte Easton who looks to be a perfect fit for the title. I think Kajsa really belongs in a "special achievement" category.

Once again, what I was saying had nothing to do with miles covered or rival codes, interesting though these things continue to be. Not my best intervention.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Ah, I see.

Way too cryptic for me whooshed waaay over my head.

The idea of choosing unsung hero by popular vote does, in retrospect, seem odd.

 

[velovoice]

Well, I did say, when I heard the categories and who was being nominated, that Kajsa was in entirely the wrong one - that she should have been put forward for Best Initiative (or whatever the category title was). And that's how I voted, by entering "Kajsa Tylen's Sweat Pledge" in that category.

 

[srw]

For Kajsa's own thoughts on the record...
http://kajsaworld.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/umca-and-guinness-records.html

For me this attempt is so much more than the miles; it's an adventure that I may never experience again, and I will have stories of it to tell for years to come. Not only that but I've made some lifelong friends in the process!