The appeal of doping, when injured or chronically out of shape

[Cloxxki]

Being a 36yo (currently) recreational multi-athlete, I am going from one injury to the other. And that's JRA (just running along), being quite well versed in running technique, being generally lazy and thus generally self-preserving. I used to be unbreakable.
After more than a half year off, I just got back into running, loving it.
Then, ankle injury this time. Something vague.
And I'm sure there's injections shady trainers could give me to make it aaaallll better really soon. I'd back to running, take something else to help me endure the punishment of training, and be a happy camper. Except, I also take part in local races, making it no option for me ethically. So I sit here, waiting for my body to give the green light again.

Imagine if you're a very fanatic hobby athlete (I try to be one sometimes), or simply a barely litterate pro athlete needing to make a name, or a pension, to escape poverty. Was it Roy Sentjens that got caught for EPO and used as an excuse that he only took it to get back into the game after illness and whatnot?
I can totally understand that. The temptation is huge. In my case, the chance to get caught doping (never having been asked to provide a sample) is barely lower than for the second ranked pro. We all know how bad testing is. You get caught if you get reckless, or made enemies.
If even Zabriskie and Vaughters got sucked in, and Landis even volunteered to dope, we know the temptation is immense.

How, apart from a 99% chance to be caught from unrealitic improvements in testing, what can wandering athletes be offered to help them stay clean? They visit a doc, and they offer doping as a solution!
Should nations open low-threshold National Olympic clinics where athletes are helped professionally, but at the same time tested with every visit? expensive, and every nobody such as me would be flooding the place. Doped athlete though, will stay away, as the testing would be quite intense.

I sit here with this injury, and I understand how a pro is not ready to deal with such a long process of healing.
How to fight this challenge, for pro's and high-level masters? All the knowledge about doping, but not allowed to get some. Like a priest seeing all this explicitness in society, and then being told to keep his hands off women and especially children. Even a priest can't. An alternative is required!

 

[Dear Wiggo]

+1

injuries especially as you get older! and your window of opportunity grows smaller.

quick thoughts:

prevention > cure.
contingency plans and ongoing fulfilling work post-cycling.
retirement fund to encourage turn-over.

 

[ElChingon]

Window of opportunity? I have seen races with age groups to > 80 age range so which window are you missing?

I also hear there's a company selling patches with some kind of steroid to help people with severe road rash, it has been tested/used to help heal skin much faster than normal. I forgot the name of the company unfortunately so there's that angle as well.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Window of opportunity? I have seen races with age groups to > 80 age range so which window are you missing?

aging, injured pro cyclist window. harder to lose weight, etc. less recovry.

 

[Cloxxki]

Window of opportunity? I have seen races with age groups to > 80 age range so which window are you missing?

I also hear there's a company selling patches with some kind of steroid to help people with severe road rash, it has been tested/used to help heal skin much faster than normal. I forgot the name of the company unfortunately so there's that angle as well.

Age groups. You should see the monsters taking part there. Not exactly weak little old men. I'm quite youthful, but a total also-ran there. And which age group athlete ever gets tested? Window of opportunity yes, but the wrong way mostly.

 

[More Strides than Rides]

Not to say you you, but generally, you could just as easily find a physical therapist that has legitimate and more beneficial solutions. I think both legal and illegal injury solutions are equally accessible. In such a case, all the responsibility for choice lay on the individual

I would subscribe to online information way before I saw a general practitioner regarding something sports related. Come to think of it, I usually just did my own thing anyway, even with team doctors and trainers. But I have a great history with health

 

[wannab]

Being a 36yo recreational multi-athlete
...
I also take part in local races, making it no option for me ethically.
...
The temptation is huge. In my case, the chance to get caught doping is barely lower than for the second ranked pro. We all know how bad testing is.

I see how it can be a dilemma for pro's, there's so much at stake.

However in your case, good you value ethics, but I think your mindset is wrong and thus the temptation.

The way I view it, your a 36yo recreational athlete: don't let competition mode etc. guide you. Reality check, you won't make real money, fame, whatever out of it so why even be tempted? At your level you should enjoy it for what it is, PED's will have the adverse effect, but thats just me

 

[Galic Ho]

Lower leg around the ankle are more ligaments and sinew than pure muscle. Blood flow there takes more time. There is no miracle cure dude. It will take 6 months to fully heal if you are young and don't over do your training. For most people though, even young people, an ankle injury takes at least a year to fully recover.

There is no miracle cure dude. No drug I've ever heard of. Perhaps grafting some animals muscle to the area might help and some pigs blood, but that aside, I've never heard of ankle and knee injuries repairing quickly.

Many doctors and trained professionals used to rehabilitate an injury will offer something along the line that in all likelihood isn't WADA sanctioned. But it is necessary. Probably something minor. I'm talking muscular or skeletal. I doubt the testers give a damn as you wouldn't be training and secondly you'd have a TUE. Medical necessity. Like LA getting EPO or other cancer treatments. That was a given and nobody cared.

However if you're someone like lets say Chris Froome with a supposed blood disease, you lose training and then suddenly go from no training to 6 weeks later uber impressive...yeah well you probably took that extra help. I'm more concerned with the phenomenon of creating bogus illnesses or over pronouncing a minor ailment to justify why you're now suddenly better than you were a few months/weeks back. I call BS on most of it. Note nobody asks for proof. It's just a convenient excuse.

As for minor guys doping. Dude, I know of people making a grand a week in Sydney gyms selling Clenbuterol. You think that is the only thing they sell? Every one of those users in the gyms knows Contador's real reason for his Clenbuterol positive. It was no accident. We have 60-70+ year old men jacking up on teste and HGH, prescribed by a nice doctor. These men are more ripped than pro cyclists are. Vanity is the real reason people take drugs dude. They get off on their own reflection. If the doctor doesn't prescribe them something legal then there are plenty of veterinarians who will supply them the good stuff. Yes, people are injecting animal medication into themselves and that is because it works. They are addicts man. Addicts. You probably have no idea how bad it really is. Body image is the new addiction. The worship of self. It's going to get worse. Much worse.

 

[D-Queued]

Who are you competing against...? Yourself!

So, why cheat yourself?

If you can afford PEDs, then why not just pay for Physio and Massage Therapy?

You will heal faster, and it will be cheaper. With all of the recovery exercises you will be prescribed, you will also be stronger and you will have an ounce of prevention towards your next incident.

If you ankle injury involves ligaments, then ultrasound, TENS and physio are the way to go.

If you are really, really cheap, you can buy your own ultrasound/TENS device. And, that is a LOT cheaper than PEDs.

In terms of being competitive,you just have to ignore those that are obviously Not Normal.

Dave.

 

[happychappy]

dude dude dude

dude dude dude

 

[Cloxxki]

Me, I just have my sights set on some PB's. And as they're not impressive (just my club mates say no way I can do it) as with anything, they're not worth doping for.
Many people are not like me though. They get in the "whatever I do, they're doing more" mode. And, it's easy to justify things to yourself. I've had it, short flashes where my brain came up with a solution, and I though "yeah, that's it" only to realize that it's doping, plain simple.
There doesn't always need to be prize money to be important. It can be to show a club mate wrong. Catch a club record. It can even be to make a child proud. Once a goal is somewhat reachable and worth reaching, it becomes a possible motive for doping.
No, my general practitioner is useless with injuries. Won't even give me a specialist appointment. I also fix my body myself, went from a jogger to a sprinter that way. From chubby to ripped (sorta) from basic nutricion only.
Not everyone will have this capability though. And a guy with a syringe can pose a quick fix, or a temporary one. Heck, I bet HGH would do me soooo good. Right now, and in general. It's basically healthy, right? How is a recreational athlete going through some hard time to say no to that? That we're itty bitty nobody's doesn't mean we don't care about sports and ourr results. We may care about it more than a pro domestique.who just had a job to do, and can live well with a so-so performance. A solo recreational athlete can be very much in check with their body, know their ability, and set sharp targets. The domestique will soft pedal that ITT. The recreational athlete will take it very, very seriously. Even if he's 10mph slower. Even if it means mid-pack in a local race nobody of relevance enters. It's a race, it will have a result sheet. Honor is at stake.
Last weekend I ran horrendously. Had my sights on a fat PB. Lungs wouldn't work, as for the past few weeks. Ankle hurt like heck, but didn't seem reason to be so slow and weak. I can totally see people either quitting sports over such experience, or go ahead and find a quick fix.
A dumb-proof solution center for injuries and sport performance would surely help. Some legal pointers, recommended practitioners with their specialties, some pratical self-examination protocols, help-each-other forums, etc.

 

[Cloxxki]

dude dude dude

The word that renders all other words redundent. And then repeated twice more, that's a lot of depth in words. Struck me as well.

 

[Galic Ho]

dude dude dude

My brother use to say dude was another name for a camels ding ****. Yeah I get the point. Too many dudes in the one place ain't cool.

 

[Tinman]

Lower leg around the ankle are more ligaments and sinew than pure muscle. Blood flow there takes more time. There is no miracle cure dude. It will take 6 months to fully heal if you are young and don't over do your training. For most people though, even young people, an ankle injury takes at least a year to fully recover.

There is no miracle cure dude. No drug I've ever heard of. Perhaps grafting some animals muscle to the area might help and some pigs blood, but that aside, I've never heard of ankle and knee injuries repairing quickly.

Many doctors and trained professionals used to rehabilitate an injury will offer something along the line that in all likelihood isn't WADA sanctioned. But it is necessary. Probably something minor. I'm talking muscular or skeletal. I doubt the testers give a damn as you wouldn't be training and secondly you'd have a TUE. Medical necessity. Like LA getting EPO or other cancer treatments. That was a given and nobody cared.

However if you're someone like lets say Chris Froome with a supposed blood disease, you lose training and then suddenly go from no training to 6 weeks later uber impressive...yeah well you probably took that extra help. I'm more concerned with the phenomenon of creating bogus illnesses or over pronouncing a minor ailment to justify why you're now suddenly better than you were a few months/weeks back. I call BS on most of it. Note nobody asks for proof. It's just a convenient excuse.

As for minor guys doping. Dude, I know of people making a grand a week in Sydney gyms selling Clenbuterol. You think that is the only thing they sell? Every one of those users in the gyms knows Contador's real reason for his Clenbuterol positive. It was no accident. We have 60-70+ year old men jacking up on teste and HGH, prescribed by a nice doctor. These men are more ripped than pro cyclists are. Vanity is the real reason people take drugs dude. They get off on their own reflection. If the doctor doesn't prescribe them something legal then there are plenty of veterinarians who will supply them the good stuff. Yes, people are injecting animal medication into themselves and that is because it works. They are addicts man. Addicts. You probably have no idea how bad it really is. Body image is the new addiction. The worship of self. It's going to get worse. Much worse.

Sadly have to agree entirely.

re returning to running injuries: all about prevention, which means the right shoes, sticking to a slowly increasing training schedule and interpreting little niggles and knowing when to reduce/lay off. In the past I knew all of this but was sloppy, now I do it all and I ran my first marathon a fortnight ago at age 50. Injured for a good 20 years. Could do a fast 5 or 10, a reasonable half but always broke when stepping up. It takes many years to build foot/ankle/knee infrastructure, esp. ligaments. Cross training for me also does magic. Means I only do 3-4 running sessions a week but keep the cardio happening through swimming/running and seems to speed the running recovery.

 

[Tinman]

A dumb-proof solution center for injuries and sport performance would surely help. Some legal pointers, recommended practitioners with their specialties, some pratical self-examination protocols, help-each-other forums, etc.

There's always Livestrong.com

 

[Galic Ho]

Sadly have to agree entirely.

re returning to running injuries: all about prevention, which means the right shoes, sticking to a slowly increasing training schedule and interpreting little niggles and knowing when to reduce/lay off. In the past I knew all of this but was sloppy, now I do it all and I ran my first marathon a fortnight ago at age 50. Injured for a good 20 years. Could do a fast 5 or 10, a reasonable half but always broke when stepping up. It takes many years to build foot/ankle/knee infrastructure, esp. ligaments. Cross training for me also does magic. Means I only do 3-4 running sessions a week but keep the cardio happening through swimming/running and seems to speed the running recovery.

Some people are born natural runners. They have the technique and physical capability given to them. Do they get injured? Not in this respect. The people I've noticed who get injured, have technique issues relating to form and also fitness. Cross training helps with everything. With the right strength training and consistent approach a weakness to ankles, shins and feet can be overcome. But it takes time and one needs to be perceptive. Look for the signs, know the little niggles and bumps etc that mean you might have an issue. Simple issue of cutting back on training load that is running per se and also intensity. And nobody should train by running on a treadmill or hard surfaces. Grass and dirt are best practice.

Actually I'd think Lance Armstrong could tell a great deal about this. He gained shin splints in his vacation after 2005 running marathons. One only needed to watch video of his running technique...it was garbage. That has changed. He could comment on both the doping to improve and the injuries...it would reveal quite a bit IMO. But he doesn't tell the truth does he?

 

[Cloxxki]

There's always Livestrong.com

Dear mother of goodness....

 

[L'arriviste]

There's always Livestrong.com

Dear mother of goodness....

This is really funny, but it jokes about an incredibly annoying truth: search results on anything to do with cycling fitness and equipment are spammed to hell with Livewrong articles these days.

 

[Cloxxki]

This is really funny, but it jokes about an incredibly annoying truth: search results on anything to do with cycling fitness and equipment are spammed to hell with Livewrong articles these days.

And as there are truly good people volunteering at livewrong.org , there are proably good articles on the website. But does one want to be fed with the spoon that dug your livelihood's grave?

 

[wannab]

There doesn't always need to be prize money to be important. It can be to show a club mate wrong. Catch a club record. It can even be to make a child proud. Once a goal is somewhat reachable and worth reaching, it becomes a possible motive for doping.

I understand where your coming from with this (generally) but it only re-enforces my previous thoughts about it.

This situation (-like) is one of many, I too was a fanatic once and doping crossed my mind but was never an option, and for the right reasons.
By this I mean: You could sum up all the reason why to take doping.
I rather take a step back, put it all into perspective, and try to give a profound reason why to take doping in the first place

1) Remember why you bike, do sport, .. just because of the fun of it
2) No money, no fame, nothing to gain but potential health problems and other crap. (ps: I forgot, a clubrecord etc? Oh boy please!)
3) Yes but it can be other goals you say; Well, which goal on earth would want you to take dope, only your own pursuit of (over)achieving, compensating for something else (childhood bullies, ... whatever)?
No child will be less proud of you because you didn't win
No human being will look down on you because you didn't win that cat 3 race
... at least, no-one you really care about, so what are you trying to proof yourself? who are you kidding? only yourself!


As you can see, I get very passionate about this stuff but that's because I really don't understand why recreational athletes would take doping. They are only fooling themselves, and their fellow companions who buy into that sh!t. I can understand pro's doing it but I have no respect for the packfilling-doper-wannabes