The idea for this post originally came from something I heard.  I have some dry skin on my legs and I was told to take fish oil for the Omega-3 Fatty Acids. This caught my attention, because I was recently told to start taking the Fish Oil because it helps with cardio-vascular health. I go to Taekwondo and train the first day after taking this stuff (which taste like ass even though it is in capsule form) and I can feel a huge difference in my cardio-vascular output.  Of course it helps that I’m getting past this evil cold, and I’ve been running more often. Anyway, the next morning a letter written by Marion Jones is read by a newscaster on Sportscenter telling her friends and family that she and take performance enhancing drugs (just so you know, today she handed her 5 Olympic gold metals into to the US Olympic committee).

Lets define what we are talking about here:

Supplements - A search for a definition in Google found the following: “Non-prescription remedies not regulated in North America under the same guidelines as prescription medications by the FDA.” These include vitamins, herbs, glucosamine & chondroitin, fish oils, topical creams, and others.

Performance Enhancing Drugs - (Per wikipedia.org) “Performance-enhancing drugs are substances used by athletes to improve their performances in the sports in which they engage.” These include:

• steroids
• beta-2 antogonists
• hormones
• pain killers
• stimulants
• diuretics
• relaxants
• maskers
• The list of nfl prohibited substances can be found here. *Note that most pain killers aren’t on there.

Recent athletes that have been involved in scandels with performance enhancing drugs:

• Baseball notables - Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi, Barry Bonds (*interesting note, the pitcher that threw his recent home run record breaking pitch the year prior had been suspended for using PEDs. But no one really talked about that)
• Olympics - too many to note, but of course Marion Jones.
• Football - Shawn Merriman (was told that what he was ingesting wasn’t on the list, appealed the NFL then withdrew his appeal) and Rodney Harrison (said he used HGH to heal faster after a severe knee injury), although not illegal user  Marc Bulger was a given a shot of a pain makser that is the equivalent to taking 30 ibuprofen at the same time (essentially 6000 miligrams at the same time - which would kill you)

OK, so where am I going with this because it is the same old dribble that we’ve heard forever. I want to know why the nation abhors this so much. I just don’t get it. All forms of media are attacking all these athletes that are doing this.  Grand juries are being formed to investigate and prosecutors are marking athletes and using all their power to go after them…over some pills and shots? Seems like a huge waste of taxpayer money to me.

Lets really analyze why this is all illegal.  It has to do with 2 things I believe, safety and superstars. I realize that there are people that if this was legal, would take these substances in an unadvised way. Hell the black market of these things already does.  Side effects from taking these substances have been identified (cancer, reduction in size of physical attributes, unhealthy size of attributes, acne, aggression issues and so on). I also believe that if this was legalized, the superstars that we have today just wouldn’t look so super.  All individual sports leagues have superstars.  These people generally bring in more revenues for teams and leagues then others.  Anyone who doesn’t believe that should ask themselves why after the 2006 NFL draft (before he ever stepped foot on the grass in New Orleans) did the Reggie Bush jersey become the #1 selling Jersey and how much did the NFL make off royalties from Reebok.

My next question is why shouldn’t it be legal. I know, I know.  Its not natural for anyone who takes these to perform. My response is if you have been inoculated and/or used antibiotics would be performing at a different level now without those….generally the level of death. But besides the obvious stuff like that, I take blood pressure medication daily (thanks former employers) that without I can’t have the same athletic output. My sister takes insulin which without she couldn’t break down the sugars that we use for energy. Aren’t those examples of performance enhancing drugs? But you know what, I’ve got a better argument than that. Actually, I have two.

1) I want to see my athletes using these substances for the soul purpose of better athletic response.  I want them running faster, hitting harder (in contact sports), more powerful and enduring because I think it would go for the betterment of the individual sports entertainment.

2) In your mid 20s, certain hormones start to be produced less. These descending levels cause you to be more susceptible to injury, longer healing times, not to mention cause the normal ill effects of aging (saggy body parts, decreased functions, muscle loss, decreased skin resiliency, obesity).  There is actually a clinic in Las Vegas that you can go to, that will run blood tests to analyze your levels of these hormones.  They will compile a hormonal program and give you the prescriptions necessary to acquire them.  You must go to the clinic several times a year and although the visits are $3,000 each pop, the results are supposedly worth it.  Why shouldn’t we have this type of regulated use be more wide spread and commonplace. We are a culture that looks for millions of reasons to prolong life and extend youth.  And with more and more people every day electing cosmetic surgeries, such as liposuction, or are buying skin firming lotions and other crap that just doesn’t work when this alternative does exist just feels wrong to me.

Personally, I don’t know what the right path for supplements and performance enhancing drugs are, but to tell the truth, the current regulations we have in sports seem pretty hypocritical. You know, I take that last statement, back.  I do know which side I support and the regulations don’t seem hypocritical, they are hypocritical.

And here we are my friends. As so aptly named, we are getting on our last leg on the Path to Black Belt.

Cho Dan Bo Test #2
This was last night and I swear to god I thought I was going to die halfway into it. The physical requirement for the test is called the “power drill” (renamed from the dreaded Suicide Drill as some parents have taken offense to it). This test of endurance is comprised of 100 kicks, 10 push ups, 10 sit ups, 80 kicks, 10 push ups, 10 sit ups, followed by 60 kicks, 10 push ups then 10 more sit ups. Essentially 240 kicks, 30 push ups and 30 sit ups. There are no breaks and absolutely no stopping. After enduring that most grueling endeavor, it is on to the easy portion of it all, kicking combinations, footworks, self-defense and forms followed by breaking. As far as tests go, it wasn’t my worst, but certainly not my best. Then again, I doubt many people can perform after essentially wearing out your legs.

So, here I am having survived all of that (barely). Getting ready for my black belt test. Here’s were it gets fun people. Tomorrow at 6 am I start my training for running. 13 hours later I start my training for the test itself. There is so much to do its not even funny.

1. Get my cardio up good enough to run 3 miles followed by jumping rope for 5 minutes
2. Learn 1 new form while cementing the rest of our curriculum into my noggin
3. Create an original weapons form for competition and testing
4. Most important - Stay healthy.

The idea is to get up tomorrow and hit the gym. On the list of things to do are 35 push ups, 5 minutes of warm up walking, run training (36 minutes total of 1 minute running, 2 minutes walking, repeated 12 times) then 4 pull ups. I’m following a running plan from “The Beginning Runner’s Handbook” that is designed to get you in shape for a 10k in 13 weeks.

I’m putting a lot of faith into it because running is something I hate to do. The book itself foes a great job of talking about pretty much so everything that has to do with running. From shoe and clothing selection, injuries - common and not, and o whole bunch of interesting topics like hitting the wall and many others.

Tomorrow night I also start learning my new form along with creating a new one. I’ve needed to create a new weapons form for a long time as there is another tournament in November down in Miami. I’d probably compete in 2 divisions. Traditional open hand forms and Traditional Weapon Forms.

Random - there are a few of the other adults at the school I’d like to see try competing at a few of these tournaments. I think they would do well and would enjoy the competition because besides what they see at the school there is nothing else in the martial arts for them to experience. Going to one of these tournaments is a great way to not only get the rush and excitement from competing, but to learn how others do movements, ideas for starting forms and so much more. Anyway, that is a little of what is going on. Later kids.

P.S. - The title references the level/belt tests that you go through on the way to black belt. You start as a White Belt/12th Gup. Every time you get a new belt the Gup decreases.  I don’t know why, that’s just how it is.

[FLV]http://www.marcs.ws/myspace/simpsonsgame_medalofhomer.flv[/FLV]

P.S. - Been playing metroid on the Wii…third best game ever.

This can’t be good, my mom may try and steal my Wii!!!!!

Wii Fit

I’ve heard rumors….but damn, check out the link:

http://wiiweightlossplan.com/?q=node/178