I can't believe it has been just over 4 weeks since my post. I hope you did not fear the worst....
But in case you were actually wondering.....I am alive, kicking and better than ever!
I will admit, I am not sure why I have not blogged during this time but not to worry I am back!! And you wonder what topic has brought me out of hibernation.....this crappy Super Bowl, the crappy halftime show, the bad commercials....... NO!
Hold on.....time to step up on soapbox! OK, that's better. Let the rant begin......
This post was inspired by a recent conversation I had with several of my athletes and my overall cynicism with the world of endurance sports. The question the past couple days has been, how do I blog this but not write a dissertation 1000 pages long! Trust me, I could go on and on about this topic.
Basically, the discussion about Galen Rupp and his recent attack on the American record book of indoor distance records is what got my thought process going for this post. Simply, my athletes asked my honest opinion about his 2 mile record and in a mere 15 minutes after his 5 x mile workout hitting his last one in 4:01. Without hesitation, I said he was dirty! Do I have proof he is dirty? No...but given the sad state of endurance sports and doping scandals, I just can't bring myself to believe that he is anything but dirty. Do I want to believe he is clean? Yes,I truly do as I know we could use someone to believe in. Does it help him that we know he has a TUE (Therapeutic Use Exemption)? No! In case you are wonder a TUE means basically for medical reasons he has permission to use a banned substance. I know, red flags already!!! Can TUE's be abused beyond their medical value??? Hell yeah....it is reported that Lance Armstrong had one backdated to get out of a possible positive drug test. Does it hurt him that many Facebook and Twitter post from professional runners question his feat? Yes! Does it help him that the Salazar group is so secretive in everything they do aside from the races and basically the middle finger in your face ridiculous workouts after record setting races? No!
Now don't get me wrong, I am not out here to bash Galen Rupp, it is just the latest record setting performance that has caught people's eyes both positively and negatively. Trust me, I watch the Tour de France every year and every year, I have to wonder if the champion is clean. At times, for the sake of my athletes, I wish I could just humor them and say, yes without a doubt that record setting performance or the Tour de France win was doping free.
As a competitive endurance athlete, having competed in triathlons, running, bicycling and back to triathlons, I am also surprised at the naivety of many people about their sports. Let me clue all endurance athletes in right now.......there all doping scandals in all endurance sports. Yes, ALL ENDURANCE SPORTS! Just google, drug suspensions or doping scandals in _____________ (insert your endurance sport) and I will guarantee your sport will pop up. So the next time a doping scandal happens in another sport, stop claiming your sport is clean just because you compete in the sport. Sometimes these people annoy me more than the doping scandal itself. Hell, I am a triathlete and I am not naive enough to believe there is not doping in the sport. It is just common sense. And unfortunately, doping is not reserved for the professionals. Within the past few years, a 50+ year old triathlete and 62 year old cyclist received two years suspensions for doping. WTF!!!!!
As a cross-country and track & field coach of collegiate athletes, I want to believe their are truly clean athletes to be role models and heroes for my athletes to emulate. I want to talk with them about their heroes and discuss how if they work hard work, maybe too they can do that. I want to talk with them about record setting performances and not have to wonder if was clean. I hate having to tell them I think an athlete is dirty at the same time I will not lie to them.
It comes down to, where have all the heroes gone? Who can we truly believe in? This goes for me also. Who is out there to inspire me to believe that hard work and no short cuts really does pay off?
I guess for now I will continue to draw inspiration from a group of athletes that inspire me everyday when they achieve their PR's and goals...... my athletes! For now, they are my examples that hard work and perseverance will help the accomplish their goals.
Maybe, heroes don't have to be professional athletes.
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