US Nats Skate Sprints
Racing today was fantastic.
After racing today was not so fantastic. I went to doping control for USADA which is not such a bad thing. In fact, I think it's a great thing-- test people, catch the cheaters, kick them out. Normally I can pee any time. Ive been on so many long van rides with coaches that may or may not be willing to stop if you have to go to the bathroom so you just learn to pee when you have the opportunity. Not today. Today I found my body completely unwilling to excrete urine so I hung out at doping control for a good hour and a half after the race. It was pretty sweet to get to sit around in a small room and drink nonstop. Not. Actually I did have a textbook with me so I made a few flashcards and there was some stationary bikes in the room so I spun for a little bit too. As pleased as I was with myself for having good speed today I was equally disappointed in myself for being unable to pee for so long.
If you're curious about how the USADA doping control works I'll give you a summary.
If you've been selected to be testing (today they took 1st & 2nd place plus one "random") you are informed when you finish and are presented with a form to sign indicating that you are aware that you've been selected for testing. You also get a buddy who from that point until you arrive at the doping control station has to keep you in their sight at all times. Usually they're pretty nice, today my USADA buddy was Shayla who teaches accounting at Mich Tech. After awards I got all my stuff and Shayla and I, along with Randall & Flora & their buddies, got in a van and went to the doping control station where we signed in (we have to sign in within 60 minutes of being informed that we've been selected) and grab a bottle of gatorade or water to start drinking. There we stay until we can produce a sample. When we're ready to pee we go with another USADA person into the bathroom and, you know, pee into a cup. You have to not wear baggy clothes and if you have long sleeves you have to push them up so it would be tough to get not-your-pee into the cup. Some testing stations are stricter than others about those things though. yeah, this life is really glamorous. Then we take out cup of pee and go to another table and pour it into two different testing bottles. Then we list everything that's not food that we've consumed in the last three days and sign another paper. The whole process is very formalized so that everything starts sealed and only the athlete has any contact with any of the bottles or the sample until the athlete seals it back up again. And that's a little glimpse into USADA.
Tomorrow Kikkan & I are looking forward to rippin it up in the classic team sprint!
After racing today was not so fantastic. I went to doping control for USADA which is not such a bad thing. In fact, I think it's a great thing-- test people, catch the cheaters, kick them out. Normally I can pee any time. Ive been on so many long van rides with coaches that may or may not be willing to stop if you have to go to the bathroom so you just learn to pee when you have the opportunity. Not today. Today I found my body completely unwilling to excrete urine so I hung out at doping control for a good hour and a half after the race. It was pretty sweet to get to sit around in a small room and drink nonstop. Not. Actually I did have a textbook with me so I made a few flashcards and there was some stationary bikes in the room so I spun for a little bit too. As pleased as I was with myself for having good speed today I was equally disappointed in myself for being unable to pee for so long.
If you're curious about how the USADA doping control works I'll give you a summary.
If you've been selected to be testing (today they took 1st & 2nd place plus one "random") you are informed when you finish and are presented with a form to sign indicating that you are aware that you've been selected for testing. You also get a buddy who from that point until you arrive at the doping control station has to keep you in their sight at all times. Usually they're pretty nice, today my USADA buddy was Shayla who teaches accounting at Mich Tech. After awards I got all my stuff and Shayla and I, along with Randall & Flora & their buddies, got in a van and went to the doping control station where we signed in (we have to sign in within 60 minutes of being informed that we've been selected) and grab a bottle of gatorade or water to start drinking. There we stay until we can produce a sample. When we're ready to pee we go with another USADA person into the bathroom and, you know, pee into a cup. You have to not wear baggy clothes and if you have long sleeves you have to push them up so it would be tough to get not-your-pee into the cup. Some testing stations are stricter than others about those things though. yeah, this life is really glamorous. Then we take out cup of pee and go to another table and pour it into two different testing bottles. Then we list everything that's not food that we've consumed in the last three days and sign another paper. The whole process is very formalized so that everything starts sealed and only the athlete has any contact with any of the bottles or the sample until the athlete seals it back up again. And that's a little glimpse into USADA.
Tomorrow Kikkan & I are looking forward to rippin it up in the classic team sprint!
posted by LAV at 16:37
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