Absolute times vs. differential times
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 7:56 pm
This was prompted partly by the discussion on viewtopic.php?p=33514
Question for Jack Smith: At races like the 2005 Worlds, did the software actually record the “absolute” times, or did it ONLY record the differences? Here’s why I ask.
Regardless of what placing system a race organizer uses, I still like the idea of being ABLE to know your actual times (instead of just the difference by which you won or lost). And I’ve gotten great enjoyment out of comparing my times in head-to-head racing with those of other racers in the same bracket (and even in other brackets).
Why? Because when you go to a race (or at least when I go to a race), you remember all kinds of information about how you did—at least for a while. You remember which runs were good, which were lousy, which ones were fantastic. You likely remember who you raced, of course, but you also likely remember who else was looking fast, and you likely have some idea of HOW fast they looked, and maybe even some ideas WHY they looked so fast. Maybe, like me, you sometimes underestimate your ability to run with the big guys. Having those “absolute” times available after the race—like when Dan Gesmer sends out the PDFs to the participants—can be one more piece of the puzzle, for those like me who are into that sort of thing.
Even though you may not have raced against Maurus Strobel or Jason Mitchell at that particular race, it can be very entertaining to try to imagine what more you might have to do to get closer to his time in the future. Would an equipment upgrade help? (If so, how much?) Or is it a matter of technique? (Combined with good race footage, you can learn A LOT about how to improve your times.) Or did you make a mental error or simply hold back too much or charge too hard and hit cones? If you really enjoy your racing, all of these things can matter. And I think that having more measurable information is better than having less.
So for partly selfish reasons, I'm asking whether you recorded the "absolute" times at Morro Bay, and if not, I'm asking you (and other race organizers) to try to find a way to record them at future races and distribute them afterwards, even if you don't actually use them on race day.
Question for Jack Smith: At races like the 2005 Worlds, did the software actually record the “absolute” times, or did it ONLY record the differences? Here’s why I ask.
Regardless of what placing system a race organizer uses, I still like the idea of being ABLE to know your actual times (instead of just the difference by which you won or lost). And I’ve gotten great enjoyment out of comparing my times in head-to-head racing with those of other racers in the same bracket (and even in other brackets).
Why? Because when you go to a race (or at least when I go to a race), you remember all kinds of information about how you did—at least for a while. You remember which runs were good, which were lousy, which ones were fantastic. You likely remember who you raced, of course, but you also likely remember who else was looking fast, and you likely have some idea of HOW fast they looked, and maybe even some ideas WHY they looked so fast. Maybe, like me, you sometimes underestimate your ability to run with the big guys. Having those “absolute” times available after the race—like when Dan Gesmer sends out the PDFs to the participants—can be one more piece of the puzzle, for those like me who are into that sort of thing.
Even though you may not have raced against Maurus Strobel or Jason Mitchell at that particular race, it can be very entertaining to try to imagine what more you might have to do to get closer to his time in the future. Would an equipment upgrade help? (If so, how much?) Or is it a matter of technique? (Combined with good race footage, you can learn A LOT about how to improve your times.) Or did you make a mental error or simply hold back too much or charge too hard and hit cones? If you really enjoy your racing, all of these things can matter. And I think that having more measurable information is better than having less.
So for partly selfish reasons, I'm asking whether you recorded the "absolute" times at Morro Bay, and if not, I'm asking you (and other race organizers) to try to find a way to record them at future races and distribute them afterwards, even if you don't actually use them on race day.