Warning: I'm gonna vent here for just a moment.
I just read this on a friends newsletter...
A survey that was conducted on some top-level athletes that asked the following question:
“If you could take a drug that was undetectable and *guaranteed* you a gold medal at the next Olympics, BUT you would die within 5 years, would you take it?”
Survey says? More than HALF would take the drug!…
I'm guessing those top-level athletes were not triathletes but what the eff?!!!
That really pisses me off! I look up to top-level athletes and even more so to Olympians. It really makes me sick to my stomach that someone would be that...I don't know..."selfish." Is it selfish or something else, maybe many things, that would compel someone to knowingly do something that would kill them in 5 years...blip, blip, beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep. Gone, nadda, kapooey.
I think about what I was doing 5 years ago and I had plans in my head for what I'd be doing 5 years from then, now, and being dead was not in that plan.
I can't imagine myself being dead 5 years from now. I see myself still living...and enjoying the lifestyle I have with a few things being even better. Like even more close friends, great memories of the experiences I've had in the past 5 years, love, travel, finishing a few more ironmans, my dogs' gray muzzle, a new car, a new bike, a bazillion more blob posts... you get the idea.
I just couldn't fathom being a gold medalist and in 5 years, ceasing to exist.
I don't believe in living day to day or one day at a time. I think about tomorrow, next week, next year, next decade. I wanna be here making a positive impact/contribution to the world. I plan to share experiences and keep on sharing of myself what I'm capable of. What goes around comes around and I believe you get what you give. Sure, there are some things I'm selfish about but those things are few and they are personal things that don't, as far as I know, have a negative impact on anyone or any thing.
I plan, yes PLAN, on living a few more decades and won't knowingly do something stupid that will stop me short of my finish line...at age 100 or so.
I sure hope I'm not alone on this.
Thanks for the outlet.
12 comments:
Awww, I really liked the part about looking forward to your dog's gray muzzle. I'm a sucker for dog snouts myself! :)
Ohhh... we have one with her "grey chin-ny" already... I hear you on that!
Wow on that survey... gold, but dead in 5 years?? Single-mindedness and self-absorbtion at its best.
I'm with you on that...it is almost unfathomable to me to chose the gold medal. (and falling over dead would indicate cheating right?)
The narrow mindedness of it is crazy to me.
when I read that article I was saddened and a bit disgusted at the utter lack of balance in these people's lives.
I agree with you, I think that's absolutely crazy. And I agree with you on the gray muzzles...I don't know how anyone can leave their family including dogs behind!
Answering a question with a question... is there anything you would trade for dying in five years? One more day with somebody long gone? A trip to the moon? The answer to the meaning of life?
I've heard about that study a few times. I think that if they rephrased the question to be, "If you could take a pill that would guarantee you a gold metal but your balls would fall off after 5 minutes..." the response would still be 50/50: all the men would say no and all the women wouldn't care. Then look take out a picture of Lance Armstrong and rest your case.
But still, information like this makes me happy that I'll never be fast enough to have to face that kind of pressure.
That is stupid. Living in San Diego, there are a lot of hard-core age groupers. Sometimes I wonder what their on. Anyway, why would you do that to your body when we're supposed to be doing this FOR our body?
Hey Benson,
It's the sad truth that some people will cheat no matter what...Drafting in tri's is just as bad...
No award or medal is worth your long term health. Some people are just short sighted.
Nice blog. I'll have to come back here.
I really enjoyed this post, and like Andra Sue.. the part about your Dog's muzzle...
wow. the survey results blow me away too.
life is short & precious. winning a medal? not bait enough to trade for living life to the fullest.
I totally agree with you. I mean, I'm obviously not a top-level athlete or anywhere close...but I do this stuff so that I will live LONGER...something is wrong when anything material is worth is your life in 5 years.
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