Doping

Yeah he gets it, love that he stars with 'i don't have social media'. It's not about being the best, but your best. And whatever your best is, you can take fulfilment beyond imagination from deriving that.

Idiots are always going to cheat though. Winning brings the bank and the glory, even if it's hollow.

Having read his statement, it's great to see some honesty for once. And I can empathise with him, where he was and the wrong decisions he took.

https://cyclingmagazine.ca/sections/news/ironman-collin-chartier-says-he-believes-the-top-guys-are-doping/

I can't find it now, but about 10-12 years ago they did an anonymous survey of people doing European Ironman events, and iirc 25-30% admitted they were doping. This isn't just the pros - it's the weekend slvlss hobbyists who stand to get nothing more than a participation medal.

Testing was almost non-existent, so they could easily get away with it, but really - for a participation medal and some idle boasting in the office to people who have no real idea what an Ironman actually is?

it's the weekend slvlss hobbyists who stand to get nothing

They also stand to lose nothing if caught, and I suppose if you have the cheater mindset then the further you are behind the pointy end the easier it is to convince yourself that they must be doping so you should too to see how you compare on a "level" playing field.

people who have no real idea what an Ironman actually is?

Oh, they know. They're just done with slevless types yammering on about it.

I remember upthread, the discussion on Armstrong 's foray into IM (where he probably wouldn't shut up about it to his mates), and the fact that he was not being tested - despite it being policy to test the top x many competitors.

If there's enough of a financial incentive, the organisers will always find a a way to not damage the rain makers' ability to bring in the fans.

I'm not surprised. It's very sad.

Some random thoughts, I wonder;
The relationship between those who do/ don’t dope and % number of people they think dope?
What the distribution of doping is to performance?
Why do people take part knowing others are doping, what’s the threshold here?

Why do people take part knowing others are doping, what’s the threshold here?

It doesn't and really shouldn't matter in triathlon, it is you Vs the clock. Cat 4 crits on the other hand..

Until you get to the sharp end and then it's you vs. others, in the races and in the hunt for sponsorship money/pay.

What I don't understand is people doping to win domestic stuff where there's little to no money involved. Like that prick taking EPO and Modafinal(?) to "win" the National 12hr Champs.

The relationship between those who do/ don’t dope and % number of people they think dope?

The obvious idea is that the more you think other people are doping, the less you're inhibited from doping yourself if you're already a scumbag

If only it was as easy as them just being a scumbag

If you choose to dope you are a scumbag though.

If you're a kid and your coach is spinkling shit on your Weeties, well, that's a different issue and the coach is the scumbag.

If you need to win to get paid and you can't win without cheating, get a different job.

Meh think there’s more grey personally.
I wont race on swift for weight doping 🤣

The only grey area are the "monitored" substances on WADAs list and 'provable' supplement contamination.

If you knowingly stick banned performance enhancing substances in your body, you are breaking the sport's rules and cheating and should fuckity off bye.

Oh I agree but look at the state boxing has got itself in to.
If doping or any cheating becomes prolific at some point the organisation/ sport becomes the issue.
I mean if that stat above is correct and a 30% spread across the field is doping there will be a lot of people not getting any gain from it lol.l which again poses some interesting questions.

Also the excuse that you dope because you can't win and therefore assume everyone else is doping and want to level the playing field is absolute arrogant bullshit. there are an infinite number of reasons why someone might be faster on less training.

Any ex dopers on here? Just curious

Once you come to terms with being fat and shit, life is much easier. :)

"The older I get, the faster I was."

When my mother was pregnant with me she was arrested for carrying 7lbs of dope...

(insert hippyisfat baby joke here)

Would rep

Any ex dopers on here?

When I was at poly in Newcastle, many years ago, one of my mates was into bodybuilding, he didn’t dope but reckoned about 90% of those in the gym did. One lad who was only about 21, trained at the gym regularly and died of a heart attack, enlarged heart because of anabolic steroid use.

What always interested me was my friend’s addiction to pumping iron, he would go every day without fail and if he missed a session it was like he was suffering cold turkey.

My mate was a strongman, used to be in Britain's Strongest Man events. He was always introduced at events as 'The Natural' as code that he was the only one not doping. He never had a chance against the juiced guys and they thought he was an oddball wanting to do it without drugs.

He's now quite high up in the world of arm-wrestling, which is not much different. The guys who've come over here from countries like Ukraine and Georgia are trying to adapt to a country where they don't have the state subsidising a £30k pa doping regime for them.

A cycling mate of mine died a few years ago at 44 which is how old i am now due to to a heart attack caused by years of doping. At a bodybuilding gym i used to go to when i turned my back on cycling for a few years everyone was on gear and the really big guys loads of it and the now quite a few of the long term heavy users that would be about 50 are all dying from heart or organ issues and loads of the others look really old and fucked. So for some the cost of being massive is about 40% off your life expectancy.

the cost of being massive is about 40% off your life expectancy.

But mostly never finding jeans that fit and chronic thigh chaffing ;)

Those states subsidise drug programs for arm wrestling? Wild.