Thinking of taking PED's ?

Given the most recent bust of Dutch MTB cyclist Rudi van Houts I have done my best to give a breakdown of the different "types" of PED's and what advantages they would give athletes that take them as well as express some of my own opinions.

To often people take PED's to savor the glory of winning however what they fail to realize is that there are higher prices to pay, especially later on in life. We from an outsiders point of view are obviously not privy to what goes on behind the scenes and from all indications of what riders say the sport is "clean". Nobody ever stands up and says "Ok yes I did it, you caught me good on you." Not since Willy Voets was caught and exposed the Festina scandle has anyone ever admitted to systematic doping programs within teams. We have all heard the rumors that it is not possible to compete if you are not doping, which in essence means everyone is doping and of course everyone denies this.

Riders have blamed their positive tests on things such as cough mixture, spiked energy drinks and most recently bad prime steak from Spain and Mexico. Some of the excuses have been laughable to the point of insult that riders could possibly believe that everyone in the immediate vicinity has idiot tattooed across their foreheads. Some of them have been really original such as American sprinter Dennis Mitchell who blamed his testosterone positive on a sleepless night, five beers and four bouts of sex. You almost want to let the guy off for having a good imagination and sense of humor. In the long run it does appear that even after the wild and amusing excuses everyone serves their ban.

So are they all doping? Well we just don't know, things are very tight lipped and riders appear to be cast out on their own if a positive is received. The only thing I have to offer further on the subject is that if the guy who came 3rd tested positive what were the other 2 on?

You will notice some of the classes are not on or form part the banned list but I have included them as there are risks nontheless due to lack of long term studies. I am no doctor so my list may be incomplete. These are very general side effects and hopefully enough to deter you.

Anobolic – Androgenic Steriods

Why are they taken?
Increase muscle mass and strength
Side Effects
Men may develop:
Prominent breasts
Baldness
Shrunken testicles
Infertility
Women may develop:
A deeper voice
An enlarged clitoris
Increased body hair
Baldness
Both men and women might experience:
Severe acne
Liver abnormalities and tumors
Increased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol)
Decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol)
Aggressive behaviors, rage or violence
Psychiatric disorders, such as depression
Drug dependence
Infections or diseases such as HIV or hepatitis if you're injecting the drugs
Inhibited growth and development, and risk of future health problems if you're a teenager

Diuretics

Why are they taken?
Diuretics decreases an athlete's body weight, helping them to compete in a lighter weight class.Diuretics may also help athletes pass drug tests by diluting their urine.
Side Effects
Dehydration
Muscle cramps
Exhaustion
Dizziness
Potassium deficiency
Heart arrhythmias
Drop in blood pressure
Death

Creatine

Why is it taken?
Creatine helps muscles make and circulate more adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which stores and transports energy in cells, and is used for quick, explosive bursts of activity. Creatine also delays muscle fatigue.
Side Effects
Stomach cramps
Muscle cramps
Nausea
Diarrhea
Weight gain
Kidney damage when taken in high doses
Liver damage when taken in high doses

Stimulants

Why are they taken?
Reduce fatigue
Suppress appetite
Increase alertness and aggressiveness
Side Effects
Nervousness and irritability make it hard to concentrate on the game.
Insomnia can prevent an athlete from getting needed sleep.
Athletes may become psychologically addicted or develop a tolerance so that they need greater amounts to achieve the desired effect, meaning they'll take doses that are much higher than the intended medical dose.
Other side effects include:
Heart palpitations
Heart rhythm abnormalities
Weight loss
Tremors
Mild hypertension
Hallucinations
Convulsions
Heart attack and other circulatory problems

Growth Hormones

Why are they taken?
Increase lean body mass and improve athletic performance.
Side Effects
Soft tissue edema
Joint pain
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Fatigue
Acromegaly
Premature death (in case of acromegaly)
Heart enlargement (due to prolonged use of HGH. Can't be reversed)
Low blood sugar with risk of going into a diabetic coma
Excessive hair growth all over the body
Excessive water retention
Liver damage
Thyroid damage

Gene Doping

Why is it done?
Increase muscle mass
Build endurance
Allow more oxygen delivery into the system
Reduce pain perception
Increase the number of red blood cells
Side Effects
Death if incorrect techniques are used in administration

Best Race In South Africa

If you own a bicycle and have a few of our one day classics under the belt and are looking for a new challenge then look no further than the Panorama Tour.

This truly is the best race for Amateurs in South Africa. The Panorama Tour is a unique race in that it is not for individuals but for teams of two riders. The race organizers have taken on the very popular team format of Mountain Bike Races like the Cape Epic and transformed it to the road. What also makes this race unique is that no Professional Teams are allowed. Professional riders may take part but must have an Amateur team mate and this makes for some interesting and very competitive racing.

The Panorama Tour gives the amateur rider a sense of what it is like to be a professional bike rider. The tour takes place over 4 days with three long stages and the fourth stage a 24Km Time Trial. Nowhere else in the country will the average rider be able to take part in a time trial and it really is a fantastic experience. My only gripe is that the organizers don't allow us to take out the TT bikes for the final stage. The ruling is you finish the tour on the same bike as what you start the tour, so keeping the playing fields level I guess is the fair thing to do.

The Panorama Tour is not a tour for the unfit and most days will return ascents in excess of 1200 Meters so good preparation is essential if you really want to enjoy this event. There are no flats in the Panorama Tour so you are either going up or going down. Descents are long and fast and definitely not for the squeamish whilst the ascents are long and hard and include the famous Long Tom Pass as well as Spitzkop. The mountain goats will enjoy this race but anyone with a good fitness level will be able to complete the daily courses. Competitors can also look forward to some really entertaining daily briefings at the end of each stage as well as hotspot prizes and lucky draw prizes. Entry fee for the Tour is R3050 per team which is a far cry off that which you would pay for MTB events of this nature. Race organizers have also been kind enough to keep the entry fee for 2011 the same as what it was for 2010.

The event takes place in the beautiful Mpumalanga Province of South Africa and each stage starts and ends in Casterbridge, White River so no logistical problems. Casterbridge Centre which hosts the start and finish also has some wonderful shops for the non competitors and family members to browse through whilst waiting for their loved ones, or they can simply take a drive to The Kruger National Park which is only a few kilometers down the road.

If I had to compare the Panorama Tour to any other event in South Africa it would have to be the Comrades Marathon. This event is the Comrades Marathon of cycling and every cyclist should do at least one Tour, but once you have done one I can guarantee you will be back for more. Tour dates have been finalized for 2011 and will take place from Friday 29th April - Monday May 2nd 2011 with registration on Thursday April 28th 2011. Entries are open so enter now and I will see you there!!

Myself and George finishing the 2010 Panorama Tour - I'm the skinny guy on the left :)

More information on the Panorama Tour can be obtained at

Tour Of South Africa

Cycling South Africa has done some weird and wonderful things over the past few years, akin to running around like a chicken without a head. Well it seems now as if they are finally getting their act together albeit still somewhat confusing.

For years the cycling public here have been calling for a Tour Of South Africa and finally on the 28th November 2010 it was announced we would get a tour sanctioned by the UCI. The only problem is that the Tour Of South Africa falls so close to the Giro Del Capo that South Africa's oldest race will now not take place in 2011 after 19 years. Reason given was that the Giro cannot find a sponsor anymore as sponsors feel they will not get premium coverage because the races would be held so close together.

Greg Till Chairperson of Cycling South Africa seemed to find this surprising and indicated that he thought not only one but three premium races could be held in South Africa all in the space of one month, this being the Tour Of South Africa, The Giro Del Capo and The Cape Epic. He then went on to say and I quote "The more races we host in South Africa, the better it is for cycling. I just think we have to be realistic. The economy isn't what it should be at the moment." I am still trying to fathom how he can say we could host three races in the period of a month and then make a comment like this. Cycling South Africa is all very confusing and I think will remain so for years to come.

The Tour Of South Africa will host 19 teams in February 2011 and South Africa's Top teams, MTN Cycling and Team Medscheme (Bonitas) will square up against an international contingent of Team Europecar, Raphor Condor - Sharp, Pegasus Sport and Verandas Willems Accent to name but a few. The lineup looks good for South Africa's first tour and I hope that in years to come we will see more of the top teams getting out here to savor the good weather and some hard racing. The prize money will be R500,000 about $68000 which will make it the richest road race in South Africa and I am sure a good attraction for more top teams to take some notice of this event in the future.

The Tour will consist of 7 stages starting in the Gauteng Province and Ending in the Western Cape.The shortest stage (Stage 7) is 107km's and the Longest Stage (Stage 5) is 210Km's and all the remaining stages are around the 150km mark. This is a welcome site to improve South African pro cyclists as traditionally our 1 day classics are only in the region of 100km's.

I am looking forward to The Tour Of South Africa and coverage schedules will be as follows.

Domestic:
4 hours live on 3 days: 12 hours
26 minutes highlight package of the 3 days of live coverage: 1.5 hours
52 minutes of highlight packages per day for 4 days: 4 hours
Total Coverage: 17.5 hours

International:
A 1 hour highlight package will be shown in the following countries:
USA, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, Germany, Australia and the UAE.
Total Coverage: minimum of 12 hours
Grand Total: 29.5 hours

Traditionally South Africa has a habit of being able to pull off hosting big events and I have no doubts that we will make a success of the inaugural Tour Of South Africa.

Cycling Safety

I must admit I really like to get out on the bike in the early morning and enjoy the fresh air and chit chat with my buddies. Now I ride with some really intelligent guys who are all professionally qualified in their own right. Until it comes to red robots. It seems when they see a red robot all intelligence disappears into thin air and the race to see who is the most stupid is on.

I have always maintained that we are soft and squishy and that cars and trucks are tough and hard. I have yet to see a human being hit by a car win the battle. Here in South Africa there is traditionally agro between motorists and cyclists alike which results in huge discussions on Forums and ultimately no solutions. Bottom line is that common sense should always prevail. Laws are in place to mostly protect the stupid as well the intelligent who have moments of stupidity.

I have heard the argument used that if it is early in the morning then going through a red robot is acceptable, well it's not, it is breaking the law and breaking the law is never acceptable or excusable. I have never been able to understand the mentality of people who can obey the law when driving a car and forget all the basic concepts of self preservation when riding a bicycle.

A few weeks ago at around 8am when traffic had picked up my group continued with their ritual of disobeying the law and dodging traffic to get through the red robot. I was at the back of the bunch and stopped as per normal and looked at the mayhem unfold. I can see the motorists in the vicinity blood starting to boil. They guy in the car next to me rolled down his window and said "Clearly you are the only one who has a brain in his head". Well not really, I don't believe this is true, I hang out with these guys not only because they are nice guys but because they are more intelligent than I and have something to offer in terms of me being able to evolve. I just don't seem to be able to get it into their skulls that jumping red robots irritates the crap out of everyone and is looking for a one way ticket to a coffin.

I have often said to members of our group and expressed my views strongly that I don't want to be the one to have to explain to wives and kids that Daddy is dead because he could not stop for two minutes, I don't want to loose friends because of downright stupidity. Last time I checked there were no prizes for winning a training ride!!

Invariably what happens is I stop at the robot they ride through and slow down to wait for me in any case. What a pointless risk of your life to basically stop on the other side of the road. There is no other way to describe this other than stupid.

Come on guys and gals let's just all obey the law, stop when the robot is red, it gives you time to catch your breath and appreciate the nicety of being alive.

Iron Man 70.3

Iron Man is fast approaching and the training is going well. This will be my first attempt at a triathlon which may seem a bit crazy but I have always had the attitude of go big or go home. I do still feel like I am only going halfway but the training has made me feel that perhaps a Half Iron Man before a full attempt is the right methodology.

Ironically I am halfway through my training program and starting to feel stronger. Brick runs are still a real bitch and I have not gotten to do a 90k ride and a 21k run yet consecutively. This weekend, Saturday I got in the 90k ride on a route which I thought could have been made far safer had we just ridden on the highway.I managed a 10.5k run afterward before hitting the wall. I am still trying to figure out a way to stay hydrated on these runs. Running with a water bottle in my hand is not my style, so jumping someones wall to get to the garden tap is becoming the norm. Nobody has taken any pot shots at me yet and I have gotten to know the houses to avoid that have Wolf like dogs trained to maul garden tap seeking wannabe tri athletes.

Sunday - I still felt a bit bummed after the training on Saturday but got in a 21k run for the first time, this is encouraging and I didn't feel to bad afterward. Slowly throughout the course of the day the legs started to stiffen up and crutches were looking like a viable investment.

Today is a rest day thank goodness and I can give the legs some recovery time, although they actually feel pretty good, still a little tender but a lot better than I thought they would feel.

Click on the below link to get possibly the best book to be released for Triahtletes - Joe Friel's The Triathletes Training Bible.

Also check back here often for more links to some great products.

The Triathlete's Training Bible