Small Wins Count - Big Wins Count More

After a bunch of fantastic years travelling around Europe I thought to myself - this European life is nuts, I have to go back to Canada and live a 'normal' life. I have to go to Canada and pursue this normalized lifestyle that proves the Euros to be ABSOLUTE nut-jobs. 

Two years into my return to Canada - I scrape up enough money to naively afford a 1973 VW Camper Van.  At this point I think to myself "Boy am I kicking ass now".  

Fondly I recall in the same VW Camper Van - that in 2002 I received a speeding ticket in North Vancouver driving THE VAN.  According to the lovely police officer who pulled me over -  I was doing 20km/hr over the posted speed limit.  

I will note the infraction was committed in the on a downhill road in the rain - on a certain stretch of road that no savvy VW camper van owner would ever touch the brakes on - EVER.  Unless of course they wanted to obliterate themselves, everyone around them, and alot of trees, shrubs, and neighbourhood cats.  

I didn't ask the officer to repeat what he just told me.  Being a VW owner - when you are going 20km/hr over the speed limit - you fucking know you are. You don't need a police officer to tell you what just happened.  

We all know that getting a shitty ass VW camper van from the seventies up to speed in itself is a bit of a big deal - and if we reach the promised land of 20km/hr or more over the speed limit - we fucking know well before you nabbed us.  

I told the officer I deserve an award for getting the van up to that speed, I insist that this is no small feet.  I with a clear mind continue to explain to the officer it took about 18 blocks of planning to reach this speed - ON A DOWNHILL.  

Which leads me to the fact a 62 year old road racer in the glorious US of A was recently nabbed for EPO & testosterone use.  The rider - even though he was 62 years old - managed to fight it out and competitively compete in Cat 1 races for a while, and unfortunately recently dropped to Cat 3 road races. 

That's right - some drug testing agency in the USA - nabbed a senior citizen.  They nabbed a 62 year old. 

Now - in case you've never tried your hand at a road bicycle race - let alone anything Cat 3 or higher - these races are not easy.  Let's be crystal clear - for the 'normal' person aged 18-40, these races tend to be 'balls-to-the-wall' and extremely fast.  For anyone who is reasonably fit, trains alot, and gives it everything - you may not even be competitive at any of these levels.  

So the USADA decide to nab a 62 year old racer.  Sixty two fucking years old.  No-one else.  A senior citizen. Tell me - this is progress?

Correct me if I'm wrong - shouldn't this 62 year old guy be given an award for getting his old-ass body even on a bike in the first place - let alone keeping pace with Cat 3 guys?

So what he took some gear, let's be serious people.  'Catching' him is insanity, not progress. And honestly - was the writing not on the wall?  Whenever y ou see a 60 year old or more man ripping it up with the Cat 3's - what do you think is going on?  Leave him be.

Think I'm a hyprocrite - good for you.  Get rid of your smartphone, coffee, asprin and your vehicle for a year then get back to me.  Then tell me how the 'puritan' lifestyle helped you get ahead.