No, you’re not the only one. I don’t drink coffee and think caffeine should be considered a PED.
That line of thinking should lead you down the path to realize that since literally each human will respond differently to every stimulus, that the entire PED argument is null and void. If it's still your body your moving, then it is simply what humans are capable of with our current level of development. From shoes, to training, nutrition, and way of life.
I'm actually shocked he got tested. I did one of these masters events last year and they only tested guys who placed overall (guys in the 40-44 range), they didn't test anyone over 45.
He placed 63rd overall. That's the deepest I've ever heard of them testing. He was 5th in the age grading, but they wouldn't have known that right away and USADA pulls you immediately at the finish line. Almost seems to me like someone must have reported him, and they made plans ahead of time to test him.
I would caution that in less than a decade, TRT will be considered legal. That's the way legislation is moving through the courts. It's a better life experience for many as we evolve into anti-aging therapies. Remember, aging is a DISEASE. It has a right to be battled and TRT may be one of the early modalities for health in men. Sure, he didn't need to compete, but if he felt healthier and fitter, good for him. Just bad timing.
He didn’t take trt though, he took legit steroids
If he was only popped from some legitimately prescribed trt at a low dosage that just brings him to normal, I agree the convo would be a bit different.
For these types of events though, you should need to be clean.
For the local parkrun or hometown marathon, I don’t care if some 50 year old on trt beats me. In a perfect world there would be a separate “drug testing excluded group” aka those running hot, so you would at least know or alternatives strict levels of test which can’t be exceeded synthetically
If he was only popped from some legitimately prescribed trt at a low dosage that just brings him to normal, I agree the convo would be a bit different.
That's the big problem. People think trt is bringing them back to normal. But it's not. Normal for a 72 year old is different than normal for a 40 year old. If you're trying to get back to your old normal, you're actually going above what's normal for your current age.
I don't even take supplements except D3/K2 in winter, but then again, I haven't competed in over a decade.
I assume that at least half the masters guys are ok some form of TRT, which is doping in my eyes, as much from trying to cheat a poor lifestyle as competitive ethics.
I haven't been super aware of PED usage until, idk, like 5 or 6 years ago when I started to learn a bit more. Now I'm starting to see so many older men get vascular and jacked out of nowhere. Two older guys in my family, both 60+, were always reasonably fit. Ran here and there. One did a few marathons, not a serious runner though. Lifted some weights. They had normal old guy bodies, slightly fitter than average I'd say. These definitely weren't athletes. They don't know how to program training and periodization and things like that.
I saw both of these guys recently. Veins popping out. Muscles bulging. Bizarre. I asked both, like, "Man, you must be pumping iron, what're you doing?" and they gave wishy-washy answers, "I'm just doing the same lifting as my son except I tone it down a bit." You don't get like that without PED/TRT usage unless you really, really take it seriously. Neither of these guys ever took it that serious. They're just normal guys who run a bit and would do pushups and dumbbell work a few times a week. I assume they go to a "Dr. Feelgood" kind of guy.
I feel like in a decade or two there's going to be a large amount of geriatric men suffering from complications from over-medicating with TRT from these shady doctors.
If he was only popped from some legitimately prescribed trt at a low dosage that just brings him to normal, I agree the convo would be a bit different.
That's the big problem. People think trt is bringing them back to normal. But it's not. Normal for a 72 year old is different than normal for a 40 year old. If you're trying to get back to your old normal, you're actually going above what's normal for your current age.
True, but I still think there is a huge difference between low dose trt at the age of 70, and just fully juicing to the gills like this guy was. We can discuss what is a low dose or what is an appropriate level for each age, but overall within reason I don’t think the exact number matters that much. We both know what isn’t low.
If a 70 year old wants to take the health trade offs to bring his test back up to 500 or some other reasonable number, I don’t really care. He will likely get a quality of life improvement and will be able to run and participate in physical activity more often (again assuming the side effects don’t catch up) which I understand.
As noted though, it would be best if these runners could declare themselves for the clean 70 years old to compare (and at true national comps it shouldn’t be allowed or should be allowed only if some set limit is not exceeded, which could vary by age), but for 99% of us, we are all just out there larping as professional runners. There are enough people who beat us in the genetic lottery as is too worry that someone beat us with enhanced genetics.
I feel like in a decade or two there's going to be a large amount of geriatric men suffering from complications from over-medicating with TRT from these shady doctors.
I agree.
A lot of men that were age-defying studs at age 60 thanks to TRT and PEDs are going to suddenly die of previously rare cancers at 65-70. There will be lots of, "He just ran a sub-three hour marathon in April in Boston! Now he's dead in October. He looked so healthy. I don't understand?!".
Doesn’t use PEDs, cheater shoes, ride a state of the art bike, have a $60k home gym & fly to races. He is also not in denial of the damaging effects these advantages inflict on the environment.
Mechanical doping is more serious than biological doping.
Blow up the photo of him in the initial post and look at his right arm. That will tell you why the race organizers (ATC?) asked for the testing to be done.
Finally, after 6 consecutive AG wins does someone realize that this guy is a DOPER!
I feel for those guys that came in second, third and fourth in all his races but especially at the USATF national championships and of course at the Worlds.
You can point fingers, I guess. But I find it better just to focus on your own process, your friends, and enjoyment of the sport. I run and race because I like it and have no control what others may do. The testing isn't perfect but support the testing that do they have and encourage more. Live on, race on, and F the cheaters!
You are probably a bigger man than I am Coyote.
I don't mind getting beat. (I have some experience in that area.) I just don't like to get beat by people who break the rules (Qualls was not too far ahead of me at XC nationals in January and I feel somehow just a little less unhappy with my performance knowing he tested positive several weeks later).
If the person I referenced does not show up at Nationals in July it would IMO be a telling event. I hope for the sport he is clean and I am wrong.
I understand where your suspicions are coming from, but it's a little harsh to all but name the guy with no evidence other than the change in his physique, which he himself has drawn attention to, and offered an explanation.
I don't see anything in his performances that are super-suspicious given how good he was as an open age runner, and as I said he was way ahead of me over 3000m as an open runner, where in this age group it's a fair bit closer (and he would certainly have a more dedicated training regimen, as I'm, still very much working full time). I'm not on anything more dramatic than beer and ibuprofen, by the way.
You can point fingers, I guess. But I find it better just to focus on your own process, your friends, and enjoyment of the sport. I run and race because I like it and have no control what others may do. The testing isn't perfect but support the testing that do they have and encourage more. Live on, race on, and F the cheaters!
You are probably a bigger man than I am Coyote.
I don't mind getting beat. (I have some experience in that area.) I just don't like to get beat by people who break the rules (Qualls was not too far ahead of me at XC nationals in January and I feel somehow just a little less unhappy with my performance knowing he tested positive several weeks later).
If the person I referenced does not show up at Nationals in July it would IMO be a telling event. I hope for the sport he is clean and I am wrong.
I understand where your suspicions are coming from, but it's a little harsh to all but name the guy with no evidence other than the change in his physique, which he himself has drawn attention to, and offered an explanation.
I don't see anything in his performances that are super-suspicious given how good he was as an open age runner, and as I said he was way ahead of me over 3000m as an open runner, where in this age group it's a fair bit closer (and he would certainly have a more dedicated training regimen, as I'm, still very much working full time). I'm not on anything more dramatic than beer and ibuprofen, by the way.
Just a reality check. AFAIK there is no drug testing at world masters . Steroids along with trt are legal in many of the countries that compete (example: uk). Huge threads complaining about this in usatf Facebook group because are we are tested and other countries competing are not. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
The bulging veins in his arms… that doesn’t happen naturally when you’re 70 years old.
Just my opinion, just by themselves the bulging veins do not necessarily indicate PED use. I have 'rope' veins and am close to 70. It is more the muscle bulk that doesn't look right.
I am sure there a genetic outliers, but there is a another 60+ age grouper from the West Coast that has an eerily similar body structure to Qualls that has been making the podium the both the indoor track and Masters outdoor events leading up to this year's National Outdoor Masters Championships this July 18-21).
Currently, he is entered in two mid distance events. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he 'suddenly' has an injury and decides not to compete. (yep, looking at you Mr. 2:27 and 5:10 seed time). If he does compete and podiums like indoors, he may be a great candidate to test as well.
Note, I am not using my registered name because frankly, he is smart enough to figure out who I am and could kick my slightly slower behind half way around the track.
I am using my registered name. Qualls has kept me off the podium twice in the 70-74s, and pushed two of my team mates downward on the podium a couple of times. It's sad to see someone in my age group so obsessed with winning and/or recognition that he flagrantly cheats like that.
The 2:27/5:10 person you libeled has been my team mate for 15 years, and I am reasonably certain has never even considered using drugs (not to mention he probably couldn't afford them). He has adopted a training approach that most of us masters distance runners don't try. A very large part of his training is weight work and running stairs. He was a very good 10k runner when he was younger, but has really focused on 800/1500 the last few years, and his strength training seems to work for him. When you see him at Nationals you might introduce yourself and ask him about his training, rather than being an anonymous message board douche defaming someone because of the way he looks.
secretly i was hoping this was about chris mcdonald ;) --of course i'm kidding, for those who get the reference.
while i agree with all that coyote writes, what's really frustrating about this is that it unfortunately gives too many knuckleheads a reason to cast aspersions on all masters runners. but i'm with coyote: my assumption is that all my competitors are clean, and i focus on my own process; otherwise it's madness...
that's my story and i'm sticking to it,
cush
Huh?? You are surely not that naive. Not even most all your competitors are clean. And you know it.
Just based on my own modest success - placed in several USATF Championships including one race that include a multiple indoor World Champion; the fastest over the distance in the US that year; the fastest in the US the previous year; a World Senior Games record-holder: and the current US 1500m outdoor winner - I go along with socalchush that most are clean.
I was a very average club runner, and there isn't anyway I could get in top 5 in national rankings, or creep on to world-rankings - even the age-diluted ones - if so many people, who were better than me to start with, were doping.
I think every doctor should prescribe HGH to older people to help combat aging. Not saying you should be taking bodybuilder doses, but it could help prevent lose of muscle, etc..
This is a great article. Thanks for posting the link. Probably the best I've ever read about recreational PED use and the known and unknown consequences.
Another poster said they wouldn't care if some 50-year old on PEDs beat them in their hometown marathon. Listen, I just won my age group in my hometown marathon, and it took 8 months of work and figuring out how to deal with the kinds of injuries that crop up when you're running in your 50s, and if a doper in my age group had finished ahead of me I would have been extraordinarily angry. If you need T to feel alive, you do you, but stay the hell out of my race.
