It’s barely over and already people are whining about drafting. Look folks, drafting happens, it’s an accepted practice at all the big IM events. Some people will get dinged sure, but lets face it, those races are semi ITU races for many of the age groupers.
So what should you do if you see a big group? Catch it or let it catch you. Thats right, get with the group. Then sit the legal 3 bike lengths distance behind it. I have several power files showing drops of 10-40 watts with .5-2.0 mph increases in speed. You want to race smart, thats smart racing. Let some other schmuck do all the work. Sit back, have a coke, eat a gel and laugh your ass off at everyone else.
You want to go to Kona? Then don’t be a hero trying to break away from the pack. Ride 3 lengths behind, save your watts for the run and ride way faster then you would have by yourself. Then, get off the bike and run people down. Accept your Kona slot and be the happiest, smartest racer on the podium.
But I can hear the screaming now. This violates the spirit of triathlon blah blah and on and on. Spirit? Really? When you have 100 people per minute getting out of the water? Thats more then 1 per second. How the heck are you going to fit that onto a bike course legally? The spirit of the rule was violated when the race got that big. The RDs and WTC are the biggest hypocrites about it. NO drafting. 2400 entries. NO drafting. 2400 entries.
Race smart within the rules.
I admit that I draft in races, but I don’t break any rules. I’ll definitely sit 3 bike lengths behind someone in front of me to conserve my energy. If they really wanted to enforce drafting, they would have the stagger rule like they do for the pros, but they don’t, so I’ll be happy to sit 3 bike lengths behind the person in front of me. The problem is that there aren’t too many people faster than me on the bike and the swim. 😉
I’ve never been fast enough to keep up with someone to draft off of. Thus, my move to ultrarunning.
I only sign up for the races that I’m guaranteed to be able to draft in.
Drafting? Brian, remember when I went to FL. in the late 80’s? I rode with the roadies on a bike team there and they loved for me to ride off the front. Why? Because I believed in the rules and the rules stated no drafting. I would pull like hell only to have the roadies throw me away after they had used me for several miles to rest. I learned to pull but only hard enough to jump on the end of the paceline after my mile turn was complete. I have just began triathlons again after a 20 year layoff, but I will legally draft given the chance. Couldn’t agree with you more.
Drafting? Brian, remember when I went to FL. in the late 80’s? I rode with the roadies on a bike team there and they loved for me to ride at the front. Why? Because I believed in the rules and the rules stated no drafting. I would pull like hell only to have the roadies throw me away after they had used me for several miles to rest. I learned to pull but only hard enough to jump on the end of the paceline after my mile turn was complete. I have just began triathlons again after a 20 year layoff, but I will legally draft given the chance. Couldn’t agree with you more.