The Other Kind of Doping

[python]

I raced as a top-tier privateer cat 1 for 4 years all over the SE and beyond

won four state championship races, multiple top 10's in NRC races and top 15 at Crit nats

Smoked pot every single day

including sometimes I would race the pro-am and then dip into the woods course-side and smoke a blunt while watching the lower cats or masters or women

i used to ride solo centuries on training days and make 1-2 stops to smoke a bowl

never tested for PED, although I was a little paranoid of failing a test for recreational stuff-- that would have sucked

I never felt it impinged my performance... I went from Cat5 to Cat 3 in one season, Cat3 to Cat1 the next year, and raced as a Cat1 for the next 3 years

never made it onto a DIII team, but I always felt that had more to do with my racing age than any lack of performance on the bike

the only negative effect I found from racing and toking up was trouble maintaining my weight in the winter

I also never took PED or felt I had greater access to them due to my use of illegal recreational drugs

I did take two nodoze an hour before a TT at valley of the Sun one year... but that had more to do with being up in transit and bike assembly until the wee hrs of the AM.... more that than it had to do with desire to cheat

as a matter of fact it didn't even occur to me I had 'doped' until a couple weeks later

i like your post for it's honesty and the similarity to my racing level and experience (though i used cycling mainly as an off-season supplement to my x-ski racing).

personally i never smoked neither pot nor used any ped as far as i know.

a genuine question: some friends who did smoke pot told me it has had calming and painkilling effect on them...if so wouldn't it help with racing pain and thus be considered performance enhancing ?

 

[Mongol_Waaijer]

i like your post for it's honesty and the similarity to my racing level and experience (though i used cycling mainly as an off-season supplement to my x-ski racing).

personally i never smoked neither pot nor used any ped as far as i know.

a genuine question: some friends who did smoke pot told me it has had calming and painkilling effect on them...if so wouldn't it help with racing pain and thus be considered performance enhancing ?

i think alcohol, painkillers would do similar, without the lung damage that smoking would do.

plus i found smoking weed made me feel permanently lazy and un-alert. That would make training and racing difficult.

 

[blackcat]

about 8 years ago in belgium i had it on good authority (from a pro who would know) that the aussies in particular were tanning the lifestyle drugs in as big a way as the PEDs

everyone knows Aussies are clean. Speak to AusCycleFan

 

[Ferminal]

everyone knows Aussies are clean. Speak to AusCycleFan

Yeh, certainly no recreational drug culture here.

 

[9000ft]

OK, here's something to toss around. Say a common recreational drug like pot or cocaine or whatever effects your mental process in a way that makes you a better racer. Say you're a timid descender or not confident enough and get dropped not because you don't have the physical ability, but because you lack something mentally and some drug helps you get over those things and you are faster due to it.

Is that doping?

Add: I haven't taken intoxicants of any kind in years, but back in my dope smoking days, I can't imagine it was helpful to my lung capacity.

 

[Black-Balled]

I do not think pot effects performance in cycling. But did you ever wonder what you could have acheived straight?

Yeah, maybe if we didn't sneak off to fire one up, we would have gotten run over by a truck.

Party on.

 

[The Mayor of BBQ]

i like your post for it's honesty and the similarity to my racing level and experience (though i used cycling mainly as an off-season supplement to my x-ski racing).

personally i never smoked neither pot nor used any ped as far as i know.

a genuine question: some friends who did smoke pot told me it has had calming and painkilling effect on them...if so wouldn't it help with racing pain and thus be considered performance enhancing ?

I never smoked before a race, because obviously smoking anything just before a race is no good

But I can assert that smoking herb allowed me to train longer and harder than I could have without it... Not sprint workouts or LT intervals mind you... But a solo 6.5hr 120mi ride is something I would have done far fewer times if I wasn't stoned out of my gourd and just spinning along blissfully listening to my ipod

 

[flicker]

I rode myself straight in a technical crit buzzed on some good sinsy. A high quality buzz goes away in about 15 minutes at 90 degree temperature w/ 165 heartbeat. What a pity I enjoyed banking at25MPH at45 degrees wheel upon wheel feeling groovy.

 

[janus1969]

So, if you agree so far, where do you stand on dope in civillian life? Is it OK to get happy with a little chemical help in your book?

As a life-long asthma sufferer at a severe level (in other words, without my meds I would've died a long time ago), I have to say, I have no issues with taking PEDs or recreational drugs as long as you aren't competing and seeking an unfair advantage. The Outside magazine article, combined with modern research into longevity make me wonder if maybe I should consider it, given my life-long need for serious asthma meds (to give you perspective, I take Advair 250/50 twice daily and my doctor has seriously considered upping that to the 500/100 dosage).

OTOH, given my response to Prednisone, I'll NEVER take any anabolics...I won't even allow my family around me when I have to take 'em. If anyone tells you that Roid Rage isn't an issue...um...

As far as recreationals? I'm very libertarian about it. If you're not hurting anyone else, it's a victimless "crime" and the statutes should reflect this.

 

[Rip:30]

I never smoked before a race, because obviously smoking anything just before a race is no good

But I can assert that smoking herb allowed me to train longer and harder than I could have without it... Not sprint workouts or LT intervals mind you... But a solo 6.5hr 120mi ride is something I would have done far fewer times if I wasn't stoned out of my gourd and just spinning along blissfully listening to my ipod

I recommend vaporization of essentials out of the plant, rather then combustion. No tar, no carbon monoxide; none of the bad, all of the good.

They make a portable version for all your epic stoner bike/ski/hike/whatever missions.

http://www.my-iolite.com/

If you get a home unit make sure it has the adjustable ceramic heating element.

 

[Archibald]

OK, here's something to toss around. Say a common recreational drug like pot or cocaine or whatever effects your mental process in a way that makes you a better racer. Say you're a timid descender or not confident enough and get dropped not because you don't have the physical ability, but because you lack something mentally and some drug helps you get over those things and you are faster due to it.

Is that doping?

Add: I haven't taken intoxicants of any kind in years, but back in my dope smoking days, I can't imagine it was helpful to my lung capacity.

is there a specific definition for "performance enhancing"?
kinda looks like that performance was enhanced from your example, but whether that falls under the official definition is another matter...