Subject: RE: Another Age Grouper Doping Case - Tri This Time lakelandsledder - 2012-10-23 7:54 AM I'll weigh in and please know this is merely my opinion. I lost 110 pounds a few years ago and my endocrine system crashed. My Test levels were down in the low 200s and I felt like crap. I was tired and getting injured often. I saw a specialist, he ran tests and after research put me on HRT (test gel). My levels in the last 2 years are in the mid 500 range (normal is 280 to about 800). I feel like a normal person now. I am a MOP athlete and may never podium. I would love to do an Ironman in a couple years but can envision being the "lucky" one to get snagged. Do I think I'm "doping"? No. Do some? Yes. That being said, I think there s a HUGE difference between someone like myself vs. someone who is getting their levels way above the normal range say 1500, doing HGH, and so on and making money off doing so. I'd LOVE to not have to do this and have even considered stopping (heavily leaning that way) but I also don't want to go back to feeling like crap all day either. I've looked into natural alternatives like D-Aspartic Acid. I've contemplated trying to get a TUE but it sounds like I would more than likely not be granted one anyway. I'm mentally caught between a rock and a hard place because I want and have every intention of doing an IM but would be crushed if I got snagged and even banned over something that is completely legit on the medical end. Ben Greenfield actually had Kevin Moats on his podcast that came out on Oct. 22nd. its always nice two hear both sides of the story. I am trying to paraphrase a few items from the podcast. 6 or 7 years ago Moats felt depressed and had no energy and went to an endocrinologist. They tested his testosterone levels and I believe it was around 75. The normal levels are supposed to be in the 400's to 500's. He got a topical cream to change that. So he didn't take it to be an uberathlete is my point. He actually got a lawyer and went into arbitration. There was a lot of fuss about how to get a TUE and the paperwork involved which has changed after his arbitration. He got a two year ban but WTC saw the point he was making in arbitration and decided to start his ban in January when he was tested as opposed to October when the arbitration was completed. There are always two sides to the story and I like to listen to the whole story and not to snippets that I can find online. This is what i remember from the interview and there is a whole lot more detail to this. |