Saturday, April 24, 2010

Performance enhancing drugs for me

I keep reading about performance enhancing drugs, and I thought "Why are they just for professionals?" After all, we get to ride the same bikes they do, and wear the same clothes they do. So when my knee started hurting to the point it was affecting my riding I did what I assume the pros do: I went to the apothecary seeking help.

Indeed they had exactly what I needed. Magic redish pills called Ibuprofen and a stinky concoction named "Tiger Balm."

Humming "Eye of the Tiger" for good luck I applied the balm and ate a couple of ibuprofen and, shazam, I was rolling again.

I guess it isn't really fair, as it does give me an advantage over the competition. Later that day I was able to blast away from a stop light and drop a hybrid rider who had bragged about his "eighteen-mile ride" while we waited for the light to change.

There is a downside I understand. The reek of Tiger Balm is enough to send friends and family running. And if you use ibuprofen you run the risk of getting used to not being in pain. But at the level I ride at I guess I just have to be willing to make a few sacrifices. So it goes.

2 comments:

  1. Hey, that looks like the Nancy version of Tiger Balm. Today's man uses the extra stinky red stuff. Or for an even more macho pain relief experience, try the Red Tiger Balm and Icy Hot cocktail; it's like chloroform to wheelsuckers. Just make sure you get it all off your hands before you rearrange your junk.

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  2. Hi Curtis: Good to see you're biking, teaching, playing with stringed things, etc. We worked together at the Antioch Ledger in 1983-84. See you on the trails! David Newdorf (david@newdorf.com)

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