Read Seth Godin’s blog today, the focus is that running your own race, not relying on competition provides your best results.
In inside triathlon last month, there was a mention of what sub 8 hours would take in Kona. One of the scenarios is that two super competitors(like raelert and macca) would race together for a portion of the race, feeding off of each other, competing, and ultimately pushing until the 8 hour mark is broken. Do you think that running your own race is a smarter strategy, instead of racing the competition?
competition provided me with my best results as it pushes me harder than I would push myself. Although it has also produced some of my worst results due to going to hard and exploding!
My opinion would be that running your own race becomes more important as the race gets longer. And I’m referring to a typical AG athlete. I think you can gut out a battle in short course racing easier than in long course. There are too many factors at play with long course and if AG athletes get caught up in racing someone else’s race, they might find it easier to lose sight of nutrition, hydration, etc.
I agree, it’s really risky. In ITU Pan Am Cups, it’s very common to sprint the run right off the bike, because if you don’t you will be left behind and a pack running together helps more than just yourself running alone.
In the non-draft world, seeing groups run together is very abnormal, mostly because everyone gets off the bike at different times, but I bet a similar result would be achieved of everyone racing better because they push each other.
Javier Gomez believes racing his own race yields better results.
My take would that it has to be a mixture of both that would create better results. Race the competition, but within reason, don’t sprint to catch up, but rather strategically go somewhat faster than their mile pace to bridge. Swim wise I think if you don’t race your day is basically over. The split between the top group of swimmers(around 20 mins) and the secondary (22 mins) is huge to have to maker up over an olympic distance.
i think knowing your limits or your true capabilities is really what ‘running your own race’ means. but if you never chase for what is just on the other side of those ‘limits’ you will never really know where they are.
competition provided me with my best results as it pushes me harder than I would push myself. Although it has also produced some of my worst results due to going to hard and exploding!
My opinion would be that running your own race becomes more important as the race gets longer. And I’m referring to a typical AG athlete. I think you can gut out a battle in short course racing easier than in long course. There are too many factors at play with long course and if AG athletes get caught up in racing someone else’s race, they might find it easier to lose sight of nutrition, hydration, etc.
Agreed on both counts… my 5K PR for sure was a function of simply latching onto a faster teammate early on and trying to stick with him all the way to the finish; much easier mentally to only focus on following the rabbit than having to force yourself to push the pace from within. Long course, though, maybe after getting chicked I’ll try to enjoy a little pick-me-up from the pace booty until the next aid station, but that’s about the extent of it.
Finding people to race within your own race is the key. Beyond that you are typically robbing Peter to pay Paul – and Peter always has less than Paul needs.
It seems that if two athletes were trying to go sub 8 at Kona they would first have to be very even in terms of bike and run fitness, otherwise one would just blow the other up.