In two posts last month around the time of the Olympic Games I wrote about the difficulties that are presented when it is necessary to impose some set of rules and regulations to prevent ‘cheating’ – specifically with regard to so-called “performance enhancement”.
Sport
Naturally Enhanced Performance
Just a few days after I was pontificating on the difficulties of defining what it meant to be a “drug free” athlete the headlines at the Olympics have once again swung towards someone who has an “unfair advantage” through no fault of her own.
Where Does Performance Enhancement End?
One of the things that you can guarantee when it comes to “big” championships like the Olympics is that there will be a few headline hogging drug cheats exposed. At this particular edition of the Games the issue has been made even more high profile (if that is possible) by the recent revelations regarding the fidelity of the testing process in Russia.
Overcoming Adversity
I have previously written quite a lot about the effect of music on my emotions – specifically that “tingle factor” that appears at times and places that bring back memories – good or bad. Another thing that is guaranteed to stir my emotions is anything where people are “overachieving” – the underdog coming through to win – the great champion smashing his own record – the “mere mortal” achieving something outstanding.
Hypocrisy Must Be Avoided
A tendency to see everything in terms of right/wrong – or black/white – or any similar binary distinction is a blight on many people’s view of the world. In some very rare cases it is true that you can make such clear cut distinctions, but mostly you come up with either a “shades of grey” type of situation or a boundary that has been set pretty much arbitrarily somewhere between the two options.
The Marathon Marathon
I never intended to become a runner – however, having managed to complete a marathon, there were soon some goals and ambitions – most of which remain unfulfilled I have to admit – especially the fact that I never did make it to the Honolulo Marathon. I did, though, do the “Holy Grail” race – the Athens Marathon – from Marathon to Athens, finishing in the old Olympic Stadium.