...

To get a recreational TUE, in the last 25 years, you cannot have been on almost any age group podium in any sport, you cannot have qualified for worlds (even AG). So if you ever got on your 55-59 AG podium at your local sprint race when there were only 4 people in your age group (or if you did the same thing 23 years ago when you were in 30-34) then you cannot get a RCTUE. The rules:

Recreational Competitor: For the purposes of the USADA TUE Policy, a Non-National Athlete who is not
classifi ed as a professional Athlete and who within the last 25 years (1) has not been in the USADA Registered
Testing Pool or the Registered Testing Pool of an International Federation; (2) has not represented the United
States in an International Event; (3) has not won a national or regional level Competition in any sport; (4) has not
fi nished fi rst, second or third in an age group category of any Event sanctioned by an NGB in which fi fty (50) or
more competitors have been entered in that category in the sport in which they are presently competing; and (5)
has not won more than fi ve hundred dollars (500.00 USD) in prize money in an Event in the sport in which they are
presently competing.

Recreational Competitor TUE (or “RCTUE”): A Therapeutic Use Exemption for use by a Recreational
Competitor for substances and/or methods prohibited at all times or in Competitions where USADA anti-doping
rules apply as defi ned by the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, the USADA TUE
Policy and as limited by the terms set forth in the certifi cate provided to an individual who has been granted an
RCTUE.

...

I'd say there should be testing for the ADD and ADHD stimulants as well, because it is prescription amphetamines, and that shit ain't normal either, just ask Tom Simpson. ...

Dude, don't put words in my mouth.

What's the purpose though? As a deterrent? Don't we do this in criminal law where people tell me that the death penalty is not a deterrent, or long prison sentences aren't a deterrent? I think they're very similar in that regard, the only way it is a deterrent is if they're actually enforced.

I know you're not equating facing an actual consequence in the real world for your choices or behavior with the death penalty. Also, in crime, IIRC the punishment has little deterrence, it's the perception of the chance of being caught that is the driving factor.

At any rate, the purpose of testing for cheaters is not to get rid of cheaters per se or keep cheaters out of sport. Those two things are impossible. The purpose of doing anything, if you're an institution, should be to both bolster the institution and perform your mission, otherwise someone else will. So many NGBs have done the politically or economically expedient thing and look at us now.

IOW, the purpose of catching cheaters is to keep people out of the sport who think cheating doesn't matter or think that we shouldn't waste resources catching Cat 5 cheaters. Those are the people who are dangerous.

E

Running races are a bit different because most of the people participating do not take it that seriously and running competitively is likely not a large part of their identity. I don't think anyone really cares about TRT in the guy finishing a 5k in 29 minutes, but if random testing caught him, he would probably very much regret it. But even mediocre recreational competitive runners care about their placement and take pride in their times. Last time I ran a large running race which I do not do very often was back in 2014 when I ran a somewhat pathetic 1:28 in both the NYC and Brooklyn half marathons (at 44 I've improved my running a fair bit since then). I finished like 629th - but that is also the top 2.4%. Even though I was not sniffing any podiums, I would want to know my placement was legit and there weren't 40 dudes on T in front of me.

Cycling is a different animal. Even in a Cat 5 race, all those guys and gals are taking it seriously, need to get a license, have been training, spent lots of money, etc. It's not nearly as casual as a running race. Every single one of them really needs to take doping rules seriously.

Except I thoroughly disagree with you and the premise. There is limited utility in testing Cat 4-5 at a rate greater than Cat 1 or the Pros. In fact that is a misuse of resources if you want a "clean" sport. In the real world, and the BS idea that someone floats that if a guy cheats in cycling he'll cheat elsewhere isn't really true. If that was the case you wouldn't have all these people that lead double lives. I would suspect the guy who gets popped for testosterone and is in their 40s generally is relatively decent as a person and all they wanted was to not feel like crap after every bike session. Slowtwitch/Social Media isn't the real world.

I get the whole idea of clean sport et al. But honestly what is the utility of popping lifestyle athletes?

I wish USAC provided a cost breakdown of this program in terms of testing numbers and the total cost associated. I believe a urine test is going to be a couple few hundred and the personnel required to administer the test would need to be paid and reimbursed for mileage meals, hotel, all that. I assume the promoter is not on the hook for any of this.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this whole program just seems to be sort of a financial Black box run by a federation that hasn't bothered to disclose an annual financial statement for the last couple of years.

I think the narrative that anyone who questions this is somehow pro doping kind of misses the point.

I wish USAC provided a cost breakdown of this program in terms of testing numbers and the total cost associated.

second, it's almost certain that your testosterone is low, if you're older. but it's low in scale to your age. i'm turning 65. my T is low. but everybody's T is low at my age.

I don't understand how that works for a person in their 50's, 60's, 70's. Like, if a doc suggests it, is that legit at that point something you really need for maintaining your quality of life? Or is it some kind of marketing mumbo jumbo to push meds?
.

I know you know the answer to this...

Try it this way, from the perspective of "the word is not the thing". T, quality of life, doctor, etc. Clear your mind. In order to understand a system, you have to step back and observe the operations and suss out the design. For example, from this perspective a cow is a machine humans invented to turn grass into steak.

So, an "aging clinic" is a machine humans invented to turn testosterone into $$, by running a parallel subroutine that turns fear and/or greed into testosterone, therefore an aging clinic (or breast implant clinic, or oversized pickup truck factory) is a machine humans invented to turn fear/greed into $$.

Imagine the entropy of a system where the input is fear/greed... what's the output? It's so daunting to think about that most people just stick their heads in the sand and say I don't care, let them race, etc.

I'd rather the input be "sport" or "competition" or "racing".

E

Agreed then. Thats where I was headed in thinking but that made it more absolute now.