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Doping in Distance Running (Read 979 times)

Seanv2


    Just got a chance to read the Runners World story Jeff linked to and it makes this story even worse - lying to his team mate, and RW, the guy may not be a world class runner, but he is a world class jerk.

    Have you qualified for Boston? I want to interview you!

    Message me!

     

    www.miloandthecalf.com

     


    Feeling the growl again

       Do pro athletes really post on letsrun? That in itself is kind of cool, but it seems like there is an inordinate ratio of trolls to helpful contributors nowadays. 

       

      A few do...typically the more immature ones.  In fact originally quite a few did, but when things started downhill ~ 2 years after the site's inception, most stopped.

      "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

       

      I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

       

        That -- and EPO isn't used to recover from injuries.

         

        Here's another good and more objective article.

         

        Good article by Scott Douglas--he always does top notch work.

         

        Gotta love the comment by SoCal Pete. 

        Runners run

          A few do...typically the more immature ones.  In fact originally quite a few did, but when things started downhill ~ 2 years after the site's inception, most stopped.

           

          It's actually pretty amazing Canova still posts on there on rare occasions. 

           

          It really does surprise me they haven't gone to registered names and more intense moderation. It would take a while to begin to change the overall culture even if they did, but given time I'm pretty sure that letsrun would move from good thread in 500 to a decent forum again. 

          They say golf is like life, but don't believe them. Golf is more complicated than that. "If I am still standing at the end of the race, hit me with a Board and knock me down, because that means I didn't run hard enough" If a lot of people gripped a knife and fork the way they do a golf club, they'd starve to death. "Don't fear moving slowly forward...fear standing still."


          Feeling the growl again

            It's actually pretty amazing Canova still posts on there on rare occasions. 

             

            It really does surprise me they haven't gone to registered names and more intense moderation. It would take a while to begin to change the overall culture even if they did, but given time I'm pretty sure that letsrun would move from good thread in 500 to a decent forum again. 

             

            That would require a modicum of maturity on the part of the site owners.  I won't hold my breath.  Wink

            "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

             

            I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

             

              That would require a modicum of maturity on the part of the site owners.  I won't hold my breath.  Wink

               

              Sadly, this is true. Though you'd think it could be good for them business wise (site-traffic).

               

              Good runners both...not so good runners of a website. At least the front page links to lots of news. 

              They say golf is like life, but don't believe them. Golf is more complicated than that. "If I am still standing at the end of the race, hit me with a Board and knock me down, because that means I didn't run hard enough" If a lot of people gripped a knife and fork the way they do a golf club, they'd starve to death. "Don't fear moving slowly forward...fear standing still."

                Fascinating. Depressing. So many questions:

                 

                1. As others have asked: WHY??? Why dope, I mean. I can sort of understand how someone who really likes running (and perhaps does not play well with others and is thus not really suited to a more usual sort of job) would choose to live a weird, peripatetic racing life earning a few hundred at a time. It seems like he was pretty successful at that, winning often and apparently earning enough to scrape by. He must have been hoping to break through to the next level...?

                 

                Side note: In addition to all the moral objections, I would be scared as hell of the health consequences of doping. Who knows what that crap does to you long term??? Whether under the care of a shady doping doctor or self-injected from a Mexican pharmacy...I just can't imagine.

                 

                2. What was his teammate doing looking in Hesch's jacket pockets?

                 

                3. Related to 2: Who the hell carries around VIALS OF A BANNED SUBSTANCE THAT ARE CLEARLY LABELLED AS SUCH?

                 

                4. Those tweets cited at the end of the RW article are so creepy! “The reception for those who have confessed compared to those who have tested positive shows how forgiving people are with a little honesty.” Can't you just imagine what he's talking about? Putting on a sort of humble, poor-me honest-guy act so that people will feel sorry for him and be all on his side, like the fact that you admitted it makes you somehow a saint?? And some people will even be indignant on Hesch's behalf because of all those meanies saying mean things about him! It reminds me a lot of when politicians who get caught doing stupid things say "i take full responsibility for my actions" and that is supposed to somehow make anything better. It also reminds me a lot of a recent mcSweeney's piece called "Pleased to meet the Facebook version of you." (Hmmm...probably this paragraph doesn't hang together or make any sense at all...my son has stopped believing in sleep so coherence is minimal over here...)

                 

                5. Does anyone else think dude is angling for a heartwarming telenovela about his shady exploits? Thus managing to earn $ from same?

                 

                6. The only person who could even remotely get away with doing pushups before the finish line is Usain Bolt. Usayin' ur a Bolt, Mr. Hesch? I think not...


                Feeling the growl again

                   

                  2. What was his teammate doing looking in Hesch's jacket pockets?

                   

                  3. Related to 2: Who the hell carries around VIALS OF A BANNED SUBSTANCE THAT ARE CLEARLY LABELLED AS SUCH?

                   

                   

                   

                  Well, this is just another example of how much of an idiot this guy is.  There is a reason that the Armstrong documents reference cyclists carrying thermoses around for their EPO.  All you have to do is read the instructions to know that the stuff needs to be refrigerated.  So not only did Hesch dope, but he doped poorly.  Remember the part where it says it took 2 years to start working for him?  Perhaps by carrying around in his jacket or at room temp, or strapping it to his leg to smuggle it out, the stuff wasn't even working by the time he injected it. 

                  EPO is a protein product, not a small molecule drug.  It has to be stored right.

                  "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                   

                  I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                   

                  xhristopher


                    Well, this is just another example of how much of an idiot this guy is.  There is a reason that the Armstrong documents reference cyclists carrying thermoses around for their EPO.  All you have to do is read the instructions to know that the stuff needs to be refrigerated.  So not only did Hesch dope, but he doped poorly.  Remember the part where it says it took 2 years to start working for him?  Perhaps by carrying around in his jacket or at room temp, or strapping it to his leg to smuggle it out, the stuff wasn't even working by the time he injected it. 

                    EPO is a protein product, not a small molecule drug.  It has to be stored right.

                     

                    There must be some kind of Darwin award for this.

                     

                    Dumb runner takes a mostly degraded drug (due to bad storage) and runs better times due to a placebo effect (still, I doubt it) and gets busted for being dumb anyway.


                    #artbydmcbride

                      Fascinating. Depressing. So many questions:

                       

                      1. As others have asked: WHY??? Why dope, I mean. I can sort of understand how someone who really likes running (and perhaps does not play well with others and is thus not really suited to a more usual sort of job) would choose to live a weird, peripatetic racing life earning a few hundred at a time. It seems like he was pretty successful at that, winning often and apparently earning enough to scrape by. He must have been hoping to break through to the next level...?

                       

                       

                      I think it really just came down to laziness.  You can get a quicker training response with EPO boosting your red blood cells, than you can get from weeks of intervals.  So you are at the same level if you had been busting your butt training, with only minimal work a few injections and go race!   Wal-lah!*

                       

                       

                       

                       

                       

                       

                       

                       

                       

                       

                       

                       

                       

                       

                       

                      * yes, I know it is voila'  I think its funny.

                       

                      Runners run

                        It's a short cut for sure, but I don't know if it's laziness, exactly. One of the ironies of doping--and what probably contributes quite a bit to the doper's own belief they they got their results through their own "hard work"--is that the dope lets the athlete do more, harder workouts than they could otherwise recover from naturally.

                        Runners run


                        Feeling the growl again

                          I think it really just came down to laziness.  You can get a quicker training response with EPO boosting your red blood cells, than you can get from weeks of intervals.  So you are at the same level if you had been busting your butt training, with only minimal work a few injections and go race!   Wal-lah!*

                           

                           

                           

                          You can hammer the training all you want, but it's not going to get you a hematocrit of 51...

                          "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                           

                          I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                           


                          Feeling the growl again

                            It's a short cut for sure, but I don't know if it's laziness, exactly. One of the ironies of doping--and what probably contributes quite a bit to the doper's own belief they they got their results through their own "hard work"--is that the dope lets the athlete do more, harder workouts than they could otherwise recover from naturally.

                             

                             

                            The huge effect it has on recovery is one of the most under-appreciated effects of EPO or blood doping.  Once upon a time I didn't see scientifically why that would be so, at sea level, but I've seen/heard/read too many real-life accounts not to believe it.

                            "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                             

                            I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                             


                            #artbydmcbride

                              It's a short cut for sure, but I don't know if it's laziness, exactly. One of the ironies of doping--and what probably contributes quite a bit to the doper's own belief they they got their results through their own "hard work"--is that the dope lets the athlete do more, harder workouts than they could otherwise recover from naturally.

                               For 'some' athletes...but Christian Hesch was well known for doing almost no workouts and just racing every weekend for his training.

                               

                              Runners run

                              bhearn


                                 For 'some' athletes...but Christian Hesch was well known for doing almost no workouts and just racing every weekend for his training.

                                 

                                So is Herb Phillips, but he kicks ass. At least, he doesn't do any speedwork except for weekly races. He does get in plenty of volume, I think. Seems to be an effective training strategy.

                                 

                                Now that he's 72 I think I can finally hold my own against him...

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