Sitting and kicking is lame if you draft off the leader going into a headwind for numerous miles before kicking the final 400 meters. I know there are tricks you can pull to keep guys from drafting you, but that doesn't change the fact that those guys suck.
I am usually the kickee (since I have zero speed), and have no hard feelings toward the various and sundry men, women, and children who have sat and kicked past me. When it comes down to it, I didn't run fast enough to beat them. I admire their talent and work.
As a side note, this applies in races where the primary goal is to win. If you are in a situation with a few guys who are all going after some kind of qualifying time or something, then it is only right to share the pace-setting chores.
I see nothing wrong with it if you're going for a win. After all, if the guy leading doesn't want you there he can either pick it up and try to drop you or slow down and slow down and ley you lead.
I don't believe it is unethical to sit and kick. In fact I believe that's how most people win races. I wish I could say I was good enough to be able to lead the whole race and win it, but I can't. I think it is something you want to work for, that ability to lead and win, but in the end you win however you can.
If you look in the mirror, do you look like this?
"... After Bekele led till the last 150-200 meteres, Geneti took the last breath and won in the time of 8:14.xx"
One more evidence that sit-n-kick works!
Wanger wrote:
I was in a situation in my last 10k, much like Mr. 15:32 here. Except, I was constantly slowing the pace, swinging out wide to keep the others from drafting off me, even looking back at everyone for some help up front into the wind. But, not one of them would come up front. I ended up leading the way, and getting outkicked by some prick in the last 50m who I dragged around for 9.9km. I wasn't impressed.
Wanger, You should of did the shoe untied routine. Only costs a few seconds, then you can get in behind other runner to break wind. Ever watch those bicycle races on the track?
I pulled the bob and weave in a half marathon when some guy tried to pull in right behind me as I passed him around 10 miles. I was afraid he might clip my heels he was so close. He started screaming at me as I pulled away from him. I didn't take the time to turn around and tell him he wasn't going to stay with me very long anyway. I beat him over a minute the last 5k.
I tend to agree with d3's sentiments. It happened to me last year (small local races (the only type in which I am competitive) where I couldn't open up on another guy, but I never felt that he was, to use a derogatory biking term, "wheel-sucking." In the final stretch, I stumbled a bit, he passed me, and I couldn't close on him.
I don't think there was anything wrong with it, although I might have if I thought he was just toying with me. I decided to try to open up on him rather than slow down and force him to take the lead, so that was my call. Afterwards, he said he thought I had him with a half to go, and so did I. I didn't. But I blamed myself. I was upset, but not at him. At me, and vowed that it wouldn't happen again.
Plastic trophy
The bottom line is that if someone wants to lead the
whole way and do the work for the rest of the field, that's
their problem. If he doesn't have a kick at the end of the
race he gets kicked. See ya, wouldn't want to be ya!
people who bitch and sitting and kicking are just pissed off they dont have the leg speed to be able to do it. If its some small shitty meet you are training though of course i have done it all the time. It's up to each individual runner how they want to run. so all you slow pussies who cant break 60 in the quarter stop bitching.
hey!
i'm a slow pussy who can't break 60 in the quarter, and i'd do everything i could to make sure i ran hard enough, early enough, to thwart kickers. lots of times, hell, most of the time, it wasn't enough.
but i didn't complain. i just learned to train harder and work on my pathetic speed.
Let them whinge!! It's an individual sport. The idea is to win, and do whatever it takes, tactally, to win (legally of course). They may complain, but you can just show them the medal. If you run any other way and you get beaten, you'll answerable to yourself and your tactics....and you'd kick yourself. You're not in a race to please others.
thank you for not being one of the whiners. i admire you for working on your speed, i am the opposite, i try to work on getting enough strentgh to be able to hang with fast races. good luck
road race ass leaches
Ultra Gal wrote:
If you look in the mirror, do you look like this?
http://www.aistretch.com/graphics/regina_jabobs.jpg
No, not really. When I look in a mirror this is what I see
Coach Caboose wrote:
No I don't think it's unethical to sit and kick.
Anyway,Here's one for the books.When I was racing a 5km on the track back in college,the guy behind me was sitting for lap after lap waiting to sprint by with 200m to go.With 2000m to go I ran to the second lane and ran behind him and he slowed down.Then I took the lead and in the next lap I came to a complete stop and bent over and grabbed my knew's.As you can imagine the kid ran right into me and I took off sprinting.He dropped out and I ran a 14:45, which was a good time for me as a freshmen.No, I am not proud of this move .......okay maybe a little ...... but was I unethical?ha,ha,ha...I just wanted to race and win.We do really stupid things when were young and full of piss & vineger.
I remember one time in hs we were at a duel meet with horrible winds, so everyone formed a train behind a freshman who just moved up from jv and drafted off his ass til 400m to go. It was awesome.
bump
geb in the 2000 olympic 10k only had the lead for two steps - the last two. he has the gold.
nuff said.
Folks, be honest now, the question is being asked because we all know that using someone else as a wind shield reduces the follower's work load, thus allowing them to save that little bit of energy for the final kick. As all parties know this (or should know it) I don't see this as unethical in all but the most unique circumstances. A situation that comes to mind where it might be unethical is if the follower absolutely refuses to take the lead in spite of even a radical slow down of the leader(s), and continues to use him/them as a wind shield (particularly in very long races). I wouldn't say it's so much unethical as it is unsportsman like. Also, if two teammates are going for PRs (not necessarily a win) "sharing the load" is not only sportsman like, it's also the wisest strategy for the pair.
It seems to me though that the question would not have been raised if the questioner didn't have at least a few pangs of guilt about doing it. Ultimately, I think you need to do what you feel is an "honest effort".
It's a race and you weren't breaking any rules. He could have sat and kicked. It's a little annoying to have it happen to you, but, he should get over it and realize you were competing.
