I'm thinking I may try to avoid all Subaru races in the future. One, they are way too expensive, and another being the blatant disregard for drafting...
My race July 4, went as well as could be expected, and better in many ways. I always come away from a race like that saying to myself: "Imagine if I could be more focused on my triathlon racing!" But the reality with me is that I have difficulty maintaining the effort and energy required for me to reach my full potential. It seems whenever I put my all into racing, I get injured then I get dejected and "quit everything!"
My same leg problems keep plague me and I just can't put in the running miles... and I had been pretty inconsistent on the bike in the last month ...
All that aside, I swam well. Got a good draft and was able to cruise all the way, never breathing hard, very relaxed, and came out of the water in 27min and change. I was, at this point, in 4th place with the women.
On the bike I put in even splits (four loop course) but I was expecting more from my bike. I think that if I had stayed on my training, and put in some good quality tempo rides in the weeks prior to the race I would have done better... but I guess you can play the "what if" game all you like, the point is that I didn't, I had given up on my bike because I had to quit the running.
While out on the bike course I had the chance to catch some great drafting. So did the cameras. Two "pro" women rode past me, playing a blatant game of cat 'n mouse, circling each other, taking turns pulling on the front. The draft zone is 7 x 3 meters, these women were no more than 2 meters apart. That made me mad. Not only were they totally cheating, but the motorbike video camera-ing them was taping it all! I have done a lot of races, over 10 seasons of racing at least 3-4 a season, I know what drafting looks like, they weren't even trying to hide it. I've raced as an elite or pro, and I've done draft-legal racing, but as I recall, this was a non-drafting event.
You lose respect for those athletes. It ticks me off that all the people who hold these "pros" in high regard, who are amazed at the bike splits that seem amazingly fast, who spend a lot of time training and working hard themselves, don't realize what is happening at the front of the race.
I am not saying this is a rule, of course it is only a small percent of people who will draft. The thing is there is of course also the legal way to draft, because even if you do drop back the 7meter rectangle of the official draft zone, you can still benefit, and circle with someone, taking turns pulling, in a legal-fashion. But at least you'd not be considered a cheater.
Anyways, as I watched them ahead of me (because the rules state that if you are passed you must fall behind the sanctioned 7 meters before you can attempt to overtake once again) I was getting angry. And so if the motor bike beside them wasn't going to discourage the drafting, I was going to take matters in my own hands. Now I know this is no way to make friends, but I just couldn't stand by and watch this anymore.
So I made an attack and as I passed them I said "Nice drafting, you guys are working very well together! Good job!" And I picked up my pace.
Well I guess that put a stop to that because it took, one of the women 42min (one whole loop) to catch me again, as for the other one, well she fell off the back and was never seen again, I think she actually DNFed.
So I was the witch. But I feel it needed to be said.
I came off the bike in 2:40, it was a bit long the course but I did want to be closer to 2:35. Again, if I had only kept up with my tempo rides! If only... if only...
Now the run. Since I haven't been able to put in any work on the run since February, I was actually expecting to have to pull out, because I had only just a week ago been able to run without pain from my IT band. If Only...
On the first loop, even though I ran it in 45min, I was thinking of quitting, not because I felt pain in my leg, but because I wasn't used to the hurt that comes with putting in an effort in running, I hadn't experienced that "running effort pain" in months! But I kept on, it was a smart run for me, because I started out easy, and was able to hold on. I ended up running 1:32, although the course is short, but I'll take it.
4:43 final time, 6th overall. I really wish I could have found 3min somewhere, probably on the bike, but that's another case of "If only-itis" ...
NB. There was one woman who I think is truly amazing, Rae Shaw. I like the way she rolls. In a sport where there is such hype to race Elite, she came 3rd overall and gave up $750 plus $350 gift kit, and decided to race it as an Age grouper. The women field in general is not like the men. There just isn't the depth and numbers. It is more competitive to race top of the age group field with the men. Not so with the women. Which also means if I had chosen to race in the Elite field I would have gotten the 5th place cash prize ($150 plus $200 gift kit). But I didn't, I came 6th. And I would have felt stupid to accept a prize that wasn't legitimately mine to accept. Especially if I had to draft to win it. This happened to me in Sooke, I didn't get the third place prize, the women who came 4th did. This is also another reason why I may fore go the Subaru series, it just doesn't sit well with me.
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