Go The Distance program is stupid and overrated

The OP was obvious a troll and not worthy of direct response. But more generally this thread and various others I have seen over the years makes me question why there are prizes in GTD at all. The focus should be on setting goals and tracking one's progress toward that goal. The GTD tool is useful in that it can tell you how far above/below pace you are, and you can compare to previous years. The swag is a distraction. I also don't really understand why the totals are publicly ranked, though I do like the ability to aggregate by (say) team since that can be motivating. And if one doesn't think that total mileage is worthy of tracking - an opinion I am sympathetic toward - then clearly it isn't a tool for you.

I also don't really understand why the totals are publicly ranked Because GTD is an event. You can flog without entering GTD, correct? If you aren't interested in being ranked just flog without entering the GTD event. That's my take, anyway.

I think there should be a "Frequent Flyer Mileage" activity. Ok, so maybe the name is a little corny but I would love a good fly challenge. Of course, the FLOG would have to be modified to accommodate sub-categories of swimming. Try this for a good fly challenge: www.grinswim.org/.../butternuts.html Several Forumites have taken the challenge, including me (900 yards, 2000 yards, and 1000 yards continuous fly). Give it a shot, Judester! :cheerleader:

Brilliant idea Steve!!! SSL has been one of the most meaningful movements I've personally participated in lately. I will mention this in the discussion fodder @ convention. (light bulb!) What about and option to cash our prize and have it go to the swimming saves lives foundation instead? Would that be too complicated, or possible?

Hi onlybrit- I think people with opinions like yours should become a member of the USMS National Fitness Committee and come up with useful, motivating ways to benefit our usms swimmers. I happen to be a member of the committee and would be happy to present any of your ideas during our next conference this September in Jacksonville, Florida. The idea is to offer a variety of activities and programs with the hopes that most of our members will find something that benefits their swimming lifestyle. GTD may not be perfect, but you can tell by the log pages that a large number of swimmers use it daily on some level and possibly enjoy the benefits it provides them. I'm sorry GTD isn't working for you. Sincerely, Robin Walker I think there should be a "Frequent Flyer Mileage" activity. Ok, so maybe the name is a little corny but I would love a good fly challenge. Of course, the FLOG would have to be modified to accommodate sub-categories of swimming.

I think there should be a "Frequent Flyer Mileage" activity. Ok, so maybe the name is a little corny but I would love a good fly challenge. Of course, the FLOG would have to be modified to accommodate sub-categories of swimming. I love this idea.... it's one thing to log total yardage, but when I look back at a month's worth of swims and see 25 2-4,000-yard days I would love to know at a glance how much of that was fly, back, etc. So, one 3000 yard workout might be mostly free, but another racks up 800 in backstroke; another 3000-yarder might include 600 in fly. How many miles of fly do I swim in a month? How many miles of back? Can't really tell that easily now. I swam almost 40 miles total in June, but I bet 12-18 of it was backstroke, because I was training hard for those events. This would also make correlating training patterns and injuries a lot easier... what percentage of my yardage does the fly have to be at before my shoulders start really annoying me? Where is the breaking point? These are all questions I try to go back over my training logs to answer from time to time... but I'd love to look at the flog and see the running totals in one spot.

Brilliant idea Steve!!! SSL has been one of the most meaningful movements I've personally participated in lately. I will mention this in the discussion fodder @ convention. I agree; great idea. Not sure I need another swim cap or bag, so just saying donate the cost of my prize to the foundation is a great way for all of us who swim regularly and log our yardage to support this cause.

I love GTD. It was the primary tool I used two years ago when I started setting real fitness goals and lost over 60 lbs. I started logging everything....my swims, runs, pilates, and I feel like it gave me the documentation I needed to define what it took to maintain the fitness level I want for my life. The weight has stayed off, my distance swimming feels great and is an absolute joy, and I love watching the miles accumulate on my flog. I'm on track for my second year of a million meter goal, and I've never been more motivated for swimming. And although it's probably worthy of a whole other thread, I disagree with the assumption that there is a quantity/quality tradeoff. Ever since I asked my coach to train me for distance swimming, we've been working on doing serious speed play embedded in longer distances, and it has worked amazingly well on both speed and stamina. My distance is up, and my quality is through the roof.

There is always negativity in the world. This started with a negative assumption, but so many positives have been expressed to validate GTD. Aside from the obvious, the goodies, I tend to focus more on the records year over year. If I had a great spell, and am now in a downturn, I can go back and see what I was doing when things were going better. I can track my training patterns over time and can see what makes a difference in results. I can't see how someone can possibly see anything negative about GTD unless, of course, they are only focused on the goodies. In my world, they're nice but not necessary for my motivation.

What????? Where have I been all these years??!!! Why would you NOT sign up, even if it's just for fun. After 6am EST tomorrow, yours truly will be somewhere at the bottom of the W45-49 list! I set my goal at 150 miles for the rest of the year, starting 07/01/14 - will probably not make it, but it will be fun to see how far off 25 miles/month I am! I agree that it is a meaningful goal, depending on what you are trying to achieve. I'd like a freebie of any kind. Surely I can make the first milestone by the end of the year, even with only 1/2 year to get there. But I also agree with those that don't believe in it. Counting yardage and only yardage is like trying to train for a short drag race by driving a Prius going across america's highways at 68 mph. Yes, you'll log in a lot of mileage, but it won't be race specific. I also think our poster is someone in disguise trying to drum up comments! So here was mine!