You said it...

Landis got screwed by the system...

I have so much to say about this I could not possibly type fast enough.

BUT I will say this:

This is a system where he was judged by three arbitrators. One selected by the prosecution; one selected by Landis but only from a list approved by the prosecutor, and a third, selected by those two arbitrators.

HOW IS THAT A FAIR SYSTEM???

"The panel does, however note that the forensic corrections of the lab reflect sloppy practice on its part," the majority decision noted. "If such practises continue it may well be that in the future an error like this could result in the dismissal of an AAF (Adverse Analytical Finding) finding by the lab." Read the Full Text of the Decision

So tell me this: If the errors would not stand in the future why would they not be thrown out in this case? That does not make sense…

At least someone had some sense. Landis' chosen arbitrator had some interesting comments in his decent .

What is most frustrating for me is the hypocrisies of sports fans in the United States. This whole case brings me to my larger point about cycling in America. Americans know nothing about clean sport, yet constantly reticule cycling for being full of dopers. It astounds me how fans of football and baseball can pass judgement on cycling, without ever considering the troubles that exist in their own chosen sport. Without saying anything about Landis's guilt, let me say this: at least cycling admits it has a drug problem, unlike some other sports. These are athlets that are tested nearly everday during a competition event - that is likened to the pace of a baseball schedule. Unlike in America where athletes might be tested before and after a season, and possibly randomly throughout. Being a cyclist means living day to day with testing, not living with a remote possiblility of testing like football.

Air Force Marathon… A zesty enterprise

I was excited about this race all week and it for sure did not disappoint. The weekend, the race, the beer and the football were all awesome. I could not ask for a better weekend to run a PR.

Emily, Tom and I left a little late on Friday for our eight hour drive to Dayton. Eventually we arrived and were in bed by midnight so we could get a cool five hours sleep before the race Saturday morning. The weather was awesome; clear skies with temps in the low 50’s. perfect race weather.

I took off right from the start, nudging myself into the 3:30 group before the first hill broke up the field. I felt good through mile six so I decided to bridge the gap to the 3:20 group from mile 7 to 9. Once comfortably situated in the tightly bunch group of runners, I held tight for a few miles. Eventually I felt a little anxious that I was running too slowly, so I began moving away from the group. So some guy I couldn’t understand left with me. We hung together for a while, but eventually he dropped back. I decided to run alone for a while. I’m not sure if this was a good or bad idea. In the end I had a great run, actually a personal best time of 3:22. But, in hindsight if I had stayed close to the 3:20 group I could have saved energy by not being out on my own. Had I stayed with the group, its possible I could have used that extra energy to pull ahead in the last two miles.

Travis and Emily managed to see Tom and me four times on this course, which is incredible given that it was run on an Air Force base. They were the best fans out there. Every time I saw them I felt so much better.

After the race we headed to Milano’s on campus for some food and beer, which turned into more beer, which turned into more beer and wings and… well… you get the picture. I think Tom and Emily enjoyed the University of Dayton. I think all in all, this was the more fun I had traveling to a race this year.

I had a best time (both on and off the course). I’m really looking forward to Chicago. I think that with a smarter plan from the start I can drop a few minutes. I think sub three hours was a little out of my league this year, but next year for sure.

Bound by nothing...

The Victor

by: C. W. Longenecker

--

If you think you are beaten, you are.

If you think you dare not, you don't.

If you like to win but think you can't,

It's almost a cinch you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost.

For out in the world we find

Success begins with a fellow's will.

It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you are out classed, you are.

You've got to think high to rise.

You've got to be sure of your-self before

You can ever win the prize.

Life's battles don't always go

To the stronger or faster man.

But sooner or later, the man who wins

Is the man who thinks he can.

You Can Be Whatever You Want To Be!

by: Donna Levine

--

There is inside youAll of the potential

To be whatever you want to be;

All of the energy

To do whatever you want to do.

Imagine yourself as you would like to be,

Doing what you want to do,

And each day, take one step

Towards your dream.

And though at times it may seem toodifficult to continue,

Hold on to your dream.

One morning you will awake to find

That you are the person you dreamed of,

Doing what you wanted to do,

Simply because you had the courage

To believe in your potential

And to hold on to your dream.

Dayton here I come...

This Saturday will mark one-year since a developed one horrible stress fracture as a result of poor training mistakes and poor racing decisions. I am extremely excited to return to the Air Force Marathon as a better, smarter runner.

Since being forced to take a full eight weeks off from walking much (let alone running), I have learned many lessons. But, no lesson was more profound than ‘patience.’ I’ve learned the patience to heal, patience to train, and the patience to rest. I’m excited to come full cycle this weekend.

Air Force Marathon is an AWESOME race in a great location. I was so impressed last year that I was determined to return this year and hopefully for many years to come. The Air Force runs a highly prepared and exciting race. I look forward to every step of this race. The relaxed start; the fog-filled first miles; the excited military families; and the amazing aircraft that line flank the finish line (and the hot dogs at the finish).

Not only am I excited for the race, I am also very excited to see my friends at the University of Dayton. Tom and Emily are in for a real treat – this will be their first real UD experience.

Rock and Roll ½ Marathon – Virginia Beach, VA

I’ve never been to VA beach, so this ½ marathon seemed like a good excuse. I wanted to run fast so I decided not to run the 18 miler on Saturday morning. Instead I spent Saturday morning helping my roommate move out and my new roommate move it. Then picked up Tom at the airport and drove directly through hell. It was a pleasant six hour drive, which should have only taken three. Oh well, we ended up making it to the expo, which was all that mattered.

Once we got down there, Liza had dinner ready so Tom and I pigged out then went for a quick run. Jasmine rented out a sweet beach house for everyone. 10 runners in all! It was a pretty cool beach experience. Definitely better than Tom and I sharing some broke-down hotel in the middle of nowhere.

The race was super flat and fast with a tail wind for most of the way. I felt like I started off a little slow, but then kicked it in around mile three. ½ Marathon was short enough to feel like I could sprint a little, so I had some fun with it and dug a little deeper than I would in a Marathon.

In the end, I ran a sweet 1:35.05 (7:18 per mile), which was good enough for 519 overall (17,009). So I was pretty happy and I get a whole separate medal for completing two rock n’ roll races. After all, the medal is all that matters anyway.

Now if only I can convert that time into a 3:10 at Chicago Marathon I will be all set. Next up is Air Force Marathon in Dayton, Ohio. Great race – Tom and I will be joined by a mystery traveler…