Integrity in a Moment of Choice

I know almost everyone has written about drafting in Ironman races so adding my two cents to an issue that has been dissected to death will not add anything new to the argument.  However, after being in Clearwater last weekend and watching the drafting first hand, I do have something to say. 

We live in a society today where honesty is thought to be arbitrary and even a sign of weakness.  Look at shows like Survivor where the only thing that matters is how you can gain an edge on the competition no matter whether it involves lying, cheating or backstabbing.  Unfortunately, there is a large portion of our population that thinks that living your life that way is the only way, that in order to get ahead you have to use any means necessary and ironically, they believe that anyone who does not play the game that way is either stupid or weak. 

We do not have to look far to find many examples of a lack of integrity.  There are the politicians who want to be all things to all people, job applicants who fudge their credentials on resumes, Ministers who preach honesty on Sunday but lead a very different life during the rest of the week, professional athletes who dope to gain an edge.  We can look at any facet of society and come up with examples of a dramatic lack of integrity and these are just a few obvious examples.  I guess given the low state of honesty in people we should be looking up to as role models, it should not be shocking that the common man has a warped sense of right and wrong. 

I am sure that some of the people intentionally gaining an advantage by riding in a pack on Saturday went home to families where their kids looked up to them for their great achievement on race day.  I also know that these same people have built a system of personal morality were they will bask in the sunshine of undeserved praise and sleep soundly at night. 

If the norm has been perverted and cheating is just “part of the game” then drafting will probably never be eliminated by enforcement.  Race directors can do things such as staggered swim starts, tougher bike courses, more marshals, fewer athletes, but the bottom line is that as long as the mind set exists that anything I do to get ahead is okay drafting will continue. 

Not to over simplify the problem but for me the issue comes down to choices we make.  Everyday we are faced with choices, should I do this or that.  If we have a strong moral core with sound values, we will opt for integrity in a moment of choice.  If we accept the prevailing code of anything goes then we have to live with our actions and the consequences they will eventually produce.