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Kona Observations
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Darren325
Oct 18, 17 19:14
Post #1 of 7 (2054 views)
It was my second time swimming biking and running on the big island. 10:18 Swam 57, biked 5:13 and horrid run! 10:01 remains my best time at Kona.

I just wanted to ask what others observing the AG race and riding it thought about drafting this year.

I raced in 2015 and felt it was much worse; there was more of a pack mentality of "well, everyone else is doing it so I'm going to join in too" than I experienced this year. (I swam 59minutes 2015 to give an idea of where I was in the pack.)

This year, I felt it was a much cleaner race. There was one guy around me who was blatantly drafted. He got a penalty that he served just after Hawi. By Kawaihae on the return, he had caught back up to me, and proceeded to draft again...and again..got a penalty. Good job by the marshals. I later saw him on Ali'i about 5km behind me looking shattered and walking. A few others near me received penalties but my sense was that everyone around me was making a more conscious effort to do their best to race cleanly. That meant sitting up when passed instead of jumping on the wheel to pass back as I so often observed in 2015.

Was this just me or do others feel it might have been better this year?
Last edited by: Darren325: Oct 19, 17 0:28
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Re: Kona Observations [Darren325] [ In reply to ]
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Hydrosloth
Oct 18, 17 20:29
Post #2 of 7 (1929 views)
It's gottta be lonely on ST as a sub 11 hour Kona guy. Most of us hacks here can't relate to stuff like that.
http://www.fitspeek.com the Fraser Valley's fitness, wellness, and endurance sports podcast
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Re: Kona Observations [Darren325] [ In reply to ]
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GLindy
Oct 18, 17 21:09
Post #3 of 7 (1881 views)
I too found it significantly cleaner racing on the bike than 2016 at least. But I raced better this year so I was up in front of where I was last year, so maybe that was a factor? I also saw the marshalls probably 8-10 times. I didn't see them give any penalties (but there were guys in the penalty tents every time I passed one).

The other big difference to me was the sustained headwind the last 40 or so miles and I think it maybe blew the race apart past Waikoloa a little more than usual.

And then the run was worse this year. I think it chewed up the AG athletes particularly badly.

But that's Kona for you. As others have said, Kona is unlike any other race, from conditions to competition to race dynamics. It's hard to really explain, but this race and this course expose any weakness and take advantage of any mistakes more than any other course out there. And no doubt a lot of luck goes into performing well here. And it doesn't take much bad luck, if any at all, to perform poorly.
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Re: Kona Observations [GLindy] [ In reply to ]
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Kula
Oct 18, 17 22:11
Post #4 of 7 (1764 views)
GLindy wrote:
And then the run was worse this year. I think it chewed up the AG athletes particularly badly.

And numbers seem to agree with that. I raced last year, and a friend of similar ability raced this year, and it looks like the run in particular was "harder". The swim possibly a little bit harder also (choppier water?).

Interestingly, although I think the winds were stronger, the bike times were actually faster.

Comparison via obstri.com. I'd link directly but the site doesn't seem to allow that.


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Re: Kona Observations [Darren325] [ In reply to ]
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bmas
Oct 19, 17 0:17
Post #5 of 7 (1597 views)
First timer but I have to say I didn't see much drafting at all. A couple of smaller peletons but nothing ridiculous like you see at some other races. Lots of marshals on the course.
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Re: Kona Observations [bmas] [ In reply to ]
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Fleck
Oct 19, 17 9:07
Post #6 of 7 (1327 views)
First timer but I have to say I didn't see much drafting at all. A couple of smaller peletons but nothing ridiculous like you see at some other races. Lots of marshals on the course.


I think giving the AG women a separate start has really helped, as well as more lead time for the Pro Women

Reduced the overall numbers starting together.

In the past I would often see the worst situations regrading men drafting around the stronger AG Women as well as larger groups of AG men who had caught some of the slower Pro Women.
Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
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Re: Kona Observations [Darren325] [ In reply to ]
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trifit
Oct 19, 17 9:33
Post #7 of 7 (1273 views)
Everyone reached their cheating quota using a wetsuit under a swim skin.

But seriously. This was my first trip to the island and I was pleasantly surprised. When the winds picked up I did see athletes group together but most seemed to try to race clean. Like others have said, there were a good amount of officials out there and a few athletes in the PT each time I went by.
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