Efficiency or Efficacy: a choice

The first week of "intense" training is done, and I came out of it unscathed. By the numbers:

• Swimming: 2.4 miles
• Biking: 115 miles
• Running: 23 miles

Once upon a time, running 23 miles in one week was bound to lay me up for two more. But now I'm uninjured, training smart, eating plenty, getting sleep and not doing anything stupid. This weekend is my first metric century (pdf) -- 100km or 62 miles of relatively flat terrain. That's about three hours on a bike. If you choose to go out with me in spirit, remember to wear sunscreen and comfortable bike shorts, or you'll be in a world of hurt. 

On another note, I found an intriguing blog discussing the merits (or demerits, as the writer points out) of drafting in a triathlon. He argues that falling into the slipstream of other cyclists destroys the integrity of this individual race against the clock. He says there's one solution: a time-trial swim start to separate everybody. 

I contend that starting five seconds apart (rather than in waves) won't help. It only serves to draw the race out much longer, and when catching and/or passing somebody on the bike, riders are likely to use the draft as an added burst of passing speed. 

I also argue that starting individually takes away the fun of competition, the thrill of knowing your opponents, of being in the moment with the other competitors -- all trying to reach the finish line first. Anybody can race against the clock, but the psychological component of working with your opponents is a skill that I think enriches all triathletes, regardless of race type.

So I ask: If you had the opportunity to go faster and save energy by working with an opponent, versus forging ahead on your own and earning the glory of being the lone leader for a while, which would you choose? The comment section is open ;-)