Tactics during a race

My usual strategy is to start slow and then ease off from there...

You seriously make condescending remarks to other athletes on the course?  **** move, IMO.

Animal noises!

Hey! That's MY strategy, too!

No, I ask them to slow it down a bit so I don't fall back or sweat too much...

well, even when I was younger and at my best I was never front of pack...usually guys low 5-minute per mile around here.  However, when I was racing alot I had rivals and was very competitive with them.  That said, I can't say I ever used any tactics other than running the best race I possibly could based on my ability.  For about 25-years this has been a great hobby for me and I have met some really cool people running and doing tris, including my wife of 14-years.  But that's it.  Once in a while I get lucky and win some hardware...but that or beating someone has never been my motivation to get out there and train and race hard.  And I sure don't want to beat someone because of something I may say or do to take them out of their race.  If I was doing this for a living...maybe a different story.  But I don't think many of us have that talent to race at that level.

So it is ok for you to draft  'an obviously better runner', but not ok for someone else to draft off you???  Classy....

I've never been the type to talk smack or try to use psychology to attempt to sike out a fellow athlete. I question the effectiveness. Besides, as a competitor, I want their best. 

Don't get me wrong, I will push it harder at times to create some space between myself and another runner or biker. I'm extremely competitive and hate to lose. However, I forgo the verbal tactics. I let my performance do the talking.

That being said, I'm new to triathlons and not particularly good so I'm sure I have a different perspective. 

Back in the day I was a pretty good runner though (4:23 mile, 9:31 2-mile, and sub 16 minute 5K). I did run against some guys that attempted to sike out the other runners. They never seemed to be standing on the top podium at the end of the race.  But at this point in life, I'm too old (39 years old) and too poor of a swimmer to be worried about using "mind games" to get an edge during a tri. I'm better off devoting the energy to learning proper form on my swim.

If I were racing, my own personal tactics would have to involve the sentiment expressed in your signature.

x2

Not sure if you were meant to use pink font on this or not when you typed it??? I do not recall where dood said it is not ok for people to draft him. If I recall, in the other thread he was a proponent of drafting in a race

A tactic I will use is to go hard up AND OVER a hill. People tend to run hard to the top of a hill and then go phew I made it and then relax. If you keep pressing over the top of the hill you can open up some daylight.

My tactics are to finish my swim with not drowning and then pedal and run as fast as I can.  If I see/pass a struggling athlete, I try to encourage them to keep going so they can finish as well.  I have even stopped and helped a runner pick herself up and continue the run to the finish line.

My tactic is to complete the swim, bike and run and enjoy my accomplishment of finishing the race.  I will push myself when needed as I want to do the best I can.

I read the OP's statements as having a negative tone with them.  Maybe I misinterpreted his intent.  I try to run the tangents and I skip crowded aid stations to not lose time and maybe gain a little, but the only thing I ever say to anyone is either "Thank you"  to a volunteer or something encouraging to another athlete.  If the OP likes making his Tri experience about tactics, great.  Whatever.  The Tri community is overwhelmingly positive and supports athletes of all abilities.  Well, most of the time...

I always abide by the Pam Beasley method of racing:

Jim: So what's your strategy for this race?
Pam: Well I'm gonna start fast.
Jim: Mm-hmm.
Pam: Then I'm gonna run fast in the middle.
Jim: What?
Pam: Then I'm gonna end fast.
Jim: Why won't more people do that? 
Pam: Cause they're just stupid.

I will never be a FOP runner.  I hope some day to be a MOP runner.  However, I am competitive with myself and those around me. 

I mentioned a woman on the drafting thread that makes all sorts of horrible noises.  I'm not a fan of her personally either but she is generally somewhere around me during our runs.  I have learned with her that she tries to go out and stay with me on sustained hard efforts (like last night's 5k time trial).  I let her do it knowing it's too hard for her.  She also doesn't run hills well so I conserve at some level until a hill.  Last night we went into this hill with her about 5 steps in front of me.  I pushed up the hill, evened out with her just below the crest then kept it going heading back down.  She tried one last time to keep up with me but we had one more small hill to crest and I pushed again and dropped her for good.   I know she does.  I did the same thing to her in our half marathon last year.  She started 2 corrals in front of me (way over estimating her pace) and I was determined to pass her.  I spotted her at mile 11.5 as we approached the last uphill of the race.  I ran the hill hard but held my pass until the very crest.  Went by her with a bit of a kick and pulled away in the last mile.  I think having someone pass you when you're at your max (like the crest of a hill) does something and many give up. 

I don't think they view racing tactically as bad, just some of the tactics mentioned.