Blood doping, everyone should do it, naturally

The most recent blood doping scandal centers around Tour de France champion, Alberto Contador. Did he really dine on a piece of "tainted" beef", unbeknown to him? If so, maybe the Tour riders should opt for the safer vegetarian diet. Additionally, the entire Floyd Landis story has also fueled the speculation surrounding his former teammate, Lance Armstrong, as well. The Tour seems to be wrought with alleged users, but more importantly, it is a behavior that has become pervasive among professional athletes and has "infiltrated" almost to every level. In light of these recent developments, I thought it was time to come "clean" regarding my own personal experience with "doping".

As many of you are aware, residents of Mexico can get prescription medications quite easily, simply by going into the "farmacia" and requesting them. Now, this may not apply to all medications, but for many, certainly, this is quite common. Well, I am now ready to assume full responsibility for my actions because while I was studying in Guadalajara, this was when my doping experience began.

The pressures of professional school were challenging enough; however, shortly after settling into a routine of studying for those long hours, I realized that getting regular exercise actually made me a better student. So, rather than sitting for long, uninterrupted hours at my desk, I arranged my study schedule to accommodate for some kind of daily workout. My friends and I played softball, a little golf, football, but what really refreshed me most was running. In spite of the poor air quality and narrow streets, I returned to what set off my endorphins most, taking it to the streets for a study break. I generally ran late in the afternoon or evening, and the course I enjoyed most was a limited access roadway that took me into the country and over a series of hills. Whenever I finished one of these "training" runs, it gave me that much needed boost. What I failed to appreciate was that it also was giving me a physiologic transfusion, because the elevation of Guadalajara is just over a mile high, high altitude training, blood doping, naturally.

As part of the pre-nuptial activities at my sister's wedding, several of us went out for an early morning run. That's when the "doping" paid off because I cruised over our hometown loop with the "big kahuna" with ease. The benefits of my high altitude training were plainly apparent to all, especially me, and to date, my blood tests are still negative.

With all the publicity and potential for ruining a career through blood doping, it amazes me that these "professionals" don't just come clean, and certainly, if they are caught, simply take ownership of their poor judgment. I recognize that it has taken me nearly 25 years to acknowledge my involvement with "doping", but now that my conscience has been cleared, I may just go out for a run and get a little natural dose of those endorphins!