An unfair advantage

[The Moose]

So, I think the question was something like, where do we draw the line on cheating?

Detrimental to the athlete's health is certainly a good place to start.  I know that MP3 players (actually headphones) are illegal in most races I've entered.  As are pace setters that are not entered in the race.  To that end, I guess a Garmin should be illegal as well, however an argument could be made that headphones can be dangerous to the athlete, and an unregistered pace bunny could interfere with other runners, where a Garmin does neither.

Gatorade and water are both illegal in a race, if not supplied at an aid station or carried by a participant.  If you don't like what the race officially provides than any advantage you might have by supplying your own wonder drink is negated by you having to carry it with you.  Sounds fair.

New shoes?  Come on.  Roller shoes?  Takes away from the running doesn't it?

As for ingested/injected items, my vote says anything that could be considered part of a normal diet should be allowed, as long as that item is not a known stimulant.  ie. food.  47 coffee in 3 hrs is not a normal diet, draw the line at 2 large double double.  You want to take a Claritin for your allergies, sure take 1, but if you take 2 (assuming the normal dose is 1) then you're out.  Normal people don't need extra blood, Human growth hormone, steroids, EPO etc as part of a normal diet.  All these things would be (as they are now) disallowed.

I guess I'd allow any piece of equipment that 1) does not change the basic actions and motions associated with the event (no scooters or skateboards when running).  2)  does not actively assist the participant (ie, a shoe that has a device to propel a runner forward would be an active assist.  A shoe that lowers the resistance of a rolling foot, therefore making foot turnover faster would be a passive assist.)  3) does not diminish the safety of anyone involved in the event in any way would be allowed (no jet packs or headphones).  4) does not interfere with other participants (sorry headphone wearers, training only for your iPod, and your personal pace bunny is out to, unless she's registered.)

In a nutshell, we don't want people to hurt themselves through equipment or medicinal of food abuse.  We don't want outside interference, and we want everybody actually doing the same basic thing.  So, put away the wings you've sewn to your favourite technical shirt, give your kid back their heelies and the iPod, tell your pusher you don't need their stinking blood transfusion, and go easy on the coffee.  Bring your Garmin, and your snazzy new shoes, and your compression shorts (although I find they're better for short distances), your technical t-shirt and hat, even strap on a few bottles of your favourite energy drink and some gels.  Heck, you can even take one of those allergy pills (a non-drowsy one I assume) so that you don't sneeze all over your neighbor.  Warm up a little, and do some stretches because once the gun goes off, it's just you out there.

Isn't it nice to know you did so well without cheating?

Mike

[Sandy]

I want to start out by saying "well said", I agree whole heartedly on all points.  Hell I really don't even care if someone does cheat or appears to cheat because I'm I'm racing for me and "rarely" am I vieing for a top three spot.  Usually the distance is long (80k) and it often goes to the last man standing!

For the sake of argument, who decides what a normal dosage is?  The limits set on most substances by the IOC and WADA are arbitrary and not based on science.  Further to that if it's a substance that is banned but the athlete has a medical reason for use they just have to check a box and it's ok.  Case in point is the cyclist who used a medicine for baldness.  He used it for 5 years by checking the box.  The first race he forgot to check the box-banned for two years.  Or the cyclist who used Salbutamol for asthma,  found too much in his system-banned for two years.  What is too much when it comes to opening your airways.  I know the directions say two sprays, but I don't find it works unless I use three.  As far as caffeine goes science proves it must be double a user normal does to provide an ergogenic benefit.  Therefore 47 coffee in 3 hours may not even work for some coffee'aholics.  I saw a piece on a guy who drank 12-12 cups pots of coffee during his work day.

Pacers have been getting  a lot of negative press lately.  Is it fair to have someone else run with the express purpose of leading the way, breaking the wind (which is a huge advantage to drafting runners) and setting such a fast pace that they themselves can only make it to 20 or 22 miles and then must either bail or limp home?  What if I can't afford a pacer or don't run for a team who will provide me with one?

I agree about headphones and safety, but many runners wouldn't.  I actually think MP3 listeners are at a disadvantage because they train by tuning out, arrive at the start line and it's just as likely that their IPOD won't work (seen it oh so many times), now panicked, the tuned out runner must now listen to the noises not only their bodies make while pounding out the distance but every other runner they come across.  It's kind of funny actually.

While we seem to be able to break it down and state simply what is fair, I do believe we would come across many others who would disagree.  I see runners every day that think using anything more then water is wrong because you should see what your body can do unaided, or run in cotton because they are purist.  What about weight?  Clydesdale's and Athena's think lighter, smaller people have an unfair advantage.

[The Moose]

I'll bite.

I'm pretty sure the normal dosage is laid out by the drug manufacturer.  Every pill bottle I've ever picked up gives a recommended dosage, lets go with that.
Hmmm. asthma medication????  That's a tough one.  I can see how either side could be argued, maybe if we had a doctors note with a maximum agreed dosage from the doctor???  I know this still opens the door a little to cheat, but hey, people are still going to try no matter what the rules right?
Mr. Rogaine should quit being so vain about his hair.
Caffeine is an easy one.  Yes it is a stimulant, but science has also shown that large amounts  of caffeine actually reduce blood flow around your heart.  As an athelete this would hamper performance in most events anyway.  You want 144 cups of coffee in a day, go ahead, but that can't be good for you.  Lets restrict that from purely a health standpoint.  (A little Big Brother?)
Pacers, how can they be unfair to anyone?  I only want them as entrants to the race so that they don't interfere.  You could certainly use someone else's pace bunny if you can keep up.  Why do you care who paid for them to be there?
Purist wearing cotton?  I haven't seen any naked people out there.  That's purist, wearing cotton is foolish and cheap, not pure.  Cotton is processed and dyed and worked.  Sure it started life as a natural resource, but then, so does plastic (oil friends, is natural).  Yes, being light is an advantage when running, maybe the Clydesdales and Athenas should take up boxing, or weightlifting whWeere they'd have an advantage.  They picked the sport, they have to live with the inherent truths that go with their size and the realities of physics.  Just like the rest of us.

We all know that no set of rules is going to be perfect for everyone, what is important is that we try to refine rules until we can include as many people as possible in both fairness and acceptance.  Ours is a fairly easy sport, some shoes, a little bit of cloth (for modesty) and left, right, left, repeat.

Mike