A run through restraint

"The unexamined quest for knowledge is hemmed with peril" states Chet Raymo. The amount of truth that single line holds is unbelievable and as always I will somehow connect it with running.

Blood doping. A way of increasing the number of red blood cells (the ones that carry oxygen) that flow through one's bloodstream. Recently-as in the last 20 years-it has become a huge problem for the Olympics. So bad that the World Anti-Doping Agency was created. Yes that is a real thing, look it up. Basically, runners wanted to be able to run faster for longer distances, and if you didn't know, oxygen is critical to being able to run. Who would've guessed?!

Anyways, these runners asked themselves. "Hey why don't I just sleep at really high altitudes or altitude chambers for prolonged periods of time so my body is forced to make more oxygen even though I could potentially kill myself ha ha ha?" NO!!! This is horrible for the body for many reasons, mostly for the fact that some bodies cannot handle the sudden change in oxygen resulting in a damaged immune system.

However, blood doping through altitude isn't the only way to improve your times. Many athletes have been banned from the 2016 Olympics because of drug-based doping. The full list of banned drugs can be found here. It's a very very long list.

A high-altitude simulating chamber

So you might be asking yourself "Well what does this have to with the super dark quote from the first sentence???"  HERE IS HOW: These runners want to test themselves and push themselves past their true limits, and they are resorting to science and knowledge to do so. They are intentionally harming their bodies and it is proving to be ineffective because what is a victory won through cheating? It isn't anything. It holds no value. What ever happened to true training? Throwing on a pair of old running shoes and just...running. No drugs, no painkillers, no high altitude training, nothing. Just some good ol' running yanno? Instead of wasting all this time searching for a way to improve yourself through drugs, why not put in the effort to accomplish it naturally?