PEDs

I think it's naïve to think it doesn't happen, but I doubt it's prevalent.

Having been involved in several different sports at different levels as an adult, I'd be really wearing red-tinted glasses (or goggles as it were) if I were to say doping isn't happening in Masters swimming at some level. One sport I've competed in is Olympic-style weightlifting - it's all over the place there, at the obvious elite level down to garage weightlifters that just want to look better for Instagram. I also CrossFit - for a sport/activity that says it's all about health, there's a heck of a lot of vanity use there, not to mention people who have no concept of their actual athletic ability that think just some extra help will get them to the CF Games, and the ridiculous number of people who have to maintain appearances for their token supplement company sponsorship. Heck, I've known people highly suspected to be taking stuff to perform better in beer league softball. Me, I know I had my athletic glory days back in college. I see no reason to risk the side effects just for a little boost at a swim meet or whatever. Plus I am super gun-shy to risk any reaction with my UC or the drugs I take to manage that.

I think it's naïve to think it doesn't happen, but I doubt it's prevalent. Not prevalent but I believe more common than many think. Most, I believe, as was pointed out on slowtwich forum, take it as anti-aging and therefore justify it. We have medicalized aging (everyone has "low T" at certain age). My wife is a former age group national champion in time trial. They test 1st and 2nd in every age group at cycling nationals. She would like to take hormone replacement but doesn't because if she were tested, she would be suspended. It seems we have this debate frequently and it goes nowhere. In my opinion, at the very least, everyone that breaks a national or world record needs to pee in a cup.

There are a couple of people I've been suspicious of and I have heard rumors. I figure they may make you look younger, but they are health risks and the ultimate way to excell in Masters Swimming is to live a long time.

Funny, the article mentions that someone looked at all the people in Mesa and assumed many of them are juicing. But that never occurred to me. Am I just naïve? I can't say 100% it never happens, but it has never been my go-to excuse for why I don't win. And what if it's not prevalent? What if we institute testing and don't catch anyone? Will we stop testing? Or will half of us just say "we need to test even harder because we CAN JUST TELL that person X is cheating!" I think it's a can of worms that we don't really want to open. Also: there are plenty of 14-year-old girls out there faster than me. And let's just assume that I have fifty pounds of muscle on pretty much all of them. And lower body fat percentage. But they still can kick my ass. If someone beats you in a swimming race, they are probably a better swimmer than you. Accept it.

A bigger question for me is: why is the swimming discussion on slow twitch so lively compared to here? How do we get our community to be so engaged? I love talking about swimming on the forums. I don't want to go to slow twitch to do it. Just the name is depressing (for a sprinter)...

Funny, the article mentions that someone looked at all the people in Mesa and assumed many of them are juicing. But that never occurred to me. Am I just naïve? I can't say 100% it never happens, but it has never been my go-to excuse for why I don't win. And what if it's not prevalent? What if we institute testing and don't catch anyone? Will we stop testing? Or will half of us just say "we need to test even harder because we CAN JUST TELL that person X is cheating!" I think it's a can of worms that we don't really want to open. Also: there are plenty of 14-year-old girls out there faster than me. And let's just assume that I have fifty pounds of muscle on pretty much all of them. And lower body fat percentage. But they still can kick my ass. If someone beats you in a swimming race, they are probably a better swimmer than you. Accept it. You make solid points most of which I agree with. Is there a threshold that would make you want to start testing? As examples, perhaps one person drops 10 seconds in a 200 from any recorded masters time to win a national championship from the “B” heat or someone else breaks 19 world records in a single year. 99% of the USMS world would say “wow” to the previous hypothetical scenarios. 1% would say “wow, but I would like some more information as well.” Both, either, or neither could be legitimately earned but nobody really knows for sure. I know a witness of at least possession in a highest level masters athlete and I know some that were previous elite youth that refuse to compete because of the “wild west” attitude in USMS. I am not necessarily advocating for testing (I used to be able to pee at will for these guys but now I believe with my gargantuan prostate and level of shyness, I would need about 2 hours and a lot of sweet talking to my unit to produce a few drops—I may be in the minority, but I stopped trying at a baseball game where 100s of strangers are urinating in the same trough!) I do not believe we have the stomach or the will for testing but for some, the threat of at least some random testing might be somewhat of a deterrent and for others a modicum of peace as they wonder whether there is fair competition.

Not prevalent but I believe more common than many think. Most, I believe, as was pointed out on slowtwich forum, take it as anti-aging and therefore justify it. We have medicalized aging (everyone has "low T" at certain age). I think this observation is probably accurate, and it illustrates why testing would be such a not-worth-it nightmare at our level. Many people would assert medical exemptions, some for more-or-less normal aging but others relating to real disorders. Volunteer(s) would have to evaluate those exemptions, not to mention supervising sample collection. Who on earth wants either job, and do we really want anyone who does want either job actually to do it? Funny, the article mentions that someone looked at all the people in Mesa and assumed many of them are juicing. Because I agree with Kurt's observation, I find this statement especially funny. If I were on HRT, or maybe just a wee thyroid boost, I might not have gained 15 pounds around the middle in the last few years but I wouldn't look like a ripped figure competitor. I'd just look like the 35-year-old me. I definitely saw a lot of lean and muscular adults on deck in Mesa (some fast, some not) but nobody that I would have said based on looks alone, "can't be natural."

I've been to several Nationals and every time I go I think, wow, look at all these like minded swimmers who put their time in the water to be physically fit. Granted there are all shapes and sizes. But, never do I think someone is juicing. I know there are lots of people taking supplements (i.e. P2Life) and I guess if that's someone's idea of juicing, I'd be guilty. Naturally, if your into fitness/working out/swimming, inherently, your probably eating better and taking care of yourself more. Thus, hopefully, we all do look better than our couch potato counterparts. But, the hardcore full PEDs, I believe, are extremely few and far between. What I find is great competition and friendly competitors. I look forward to more great Nationals and I won't be worried one ounce that someone else might be juicing. I'll just be focused on how I'm doing against the clock and hopefully I can find my way into the Top 10. Some years I do, some I don't. This seems to be an injury year thus I did not make Mesa. But, I so wanted to be there.

I am so far down in the rankings (+/- top 40% in my best event), that I don't give any thought to women in my age group who are (or may be) taking PED's. The way I figure it is that it will come back to bite them in the :mooning:at some point in their lives. Personally, it doesn't affect me. What DOES bother me though is that a swimmer taking PED's (most likely) affects the rankings of their closest competition. If my buddy King Frog, for example, lost out on a new 200 meter breaststroke World Record due to a cheater, I would be :bitching: :censor: !!!