This post is not meant to sound angry or cause a fight, but I think this is an important issue that can have a very negative impact on the future of the sport of triathlon. After reading a recent post by TRIMAMA about music and IPods on race courses I thought I should throw this out there.
How important are the rules to you? Have you been passed by a peloton in a non-drafting race? Do the people that break the rules feel the same sense of accomplishment as those that follow the rules? What will happen to the furture of multisport if there are greater numbers of people that feel the rules do not apply to them?
What happened to the Spirit of the Sport?
5 comments:
Did you know that there are quite a few tri's that allow ipods on the run? Also some run races do as well. TCM does not inforce that rule at all.
I think your point on drafting is really serious. The fact that major cheating occured at your race is unbeiliveable!
I imagine a number of people cheat in our races-skip swim buoys, drop bike loops, turn back early on out and back runs etc. in that way multisport is plagued like every other competition conceived by man. What is unfortunate, and maddening is the obvious cheating that impacts the outcomes (like your drafting incident). It would be great if the local clubs could provide race support to help oversee the bigger races-say 3 or 4 people from each club out on the course looking for violations. Better still, would be a way for clubs to "police" themselves.
BTW, "Jerry's Breakdown" is awesome!
If someone really wants to cheat, they will find a way. Be proud that you "do it right" and "go the distance" :-)
I guess everyone is different. I know that I could never feel good about cheating and winning. I mean what's the point? I would always look at the award and remember that I cheated. I guess some people don't. I'm not one of them.
Hey Marz! I am just learning to blog and found yours via trimama's... and of course I recognized your shirt - same one I wore in FL last weekend!
About the drafting - IM FL was the biggest arena for cheating that I have ever seen in any race of any distance.
Part way out, as a peloton was passing me I said to one girl, "gee - they sure are allowing a lot today". She replied, "yeah, jump on". No, thanks.
By about mile 95, I was finally bold enough (and happy to be passing someone who'd passed me about 30 miles earlier while tucked in to some group's draft) to say, "So are you still going to call yourself Ironman afer you cheated ALL DAY"??
These cheaters are diluting the purity and the hugeness of the Iron-accomplishment, and it is very frustrating for those of us who do not cheat.
Anyway, hope all's well with you and J - miss you guys!
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