Dara Torres-Amazing

What if a mesomorph like myself tried HGH or gene therapy? DISCLAIMER: I am not saying that Dara is doing this. This thread really needs the voice of reason. Lucky for you all, I have returned from vacation!! You would develop huge, manly, freakish in fact, trap muscles...that is if you're truly a mesomorph. You'd get way more than definiiton. ;) Usually, the use of steroids, genetics, diet, supplements and diuretics (sp?) are the key tools of the "bodybuilders" when going for ripped. I don't know about HGH except it makes for bigger muscles, without other factors this would not alone bring such definition. Anyone have a good shot of Dara's abs back in the day? I also see som Martial Artist gals in the 40's that have washboard abs. The core work builds and strengthens, stretching and diet shapes and defines them. In my limited exp.

You know for the past few days I've been reading the silly banter of doubting minds and it appears conclusive that many people prefer to be confused rather than living with crystal clarity. For example, I saw Dara swim fastest at 41. I suppose it is easier to doubt, that would make Dara's accomplishements more tolerable, or even easier to relate to, something that might one day be possible for everyone... Never! Even if people drank a gallon of PED's every day, I DOUBT anyone could repeat Dara's accomplishments. Why? Because Dara has a gift, she is the greatest female sprint swimmer of all time.

Paul......a little bored tonight??????? LOL

Certainly, you know that CB changed his opinion on this topic about a decade ago. dorothy - again, be careful of slipping into a comparison of what she is doing to your average 41 year old person. She is a pro athlete, this is her job and basically has been her job her whole life. She is not you, nothing like you, other than being a mom and a swimmer. She has fashioned her entire existence around this one item. Because I play golf on the weekend doesn't make me Greg Norman (who is leading the Open as of this morning). Unless you personally know Dara - do you know she has "fashioned her entire existence around this one item?" Sure she is going to her 5th Olympics. But she retired twice. The last time for 7 years. She raced cars. She was a media person (not focused on swimming). Based on what I have seen - swimming is a big part of her life so far. But she has been married twice, surely traveled around the world, now has a child. Hardly her entire existence.

Certainly, you know that CB changed his opinion on this topic about a decade ago. dorothy - again, be careful of slipping into a comparison of what she is doing to your average 41 year old person. She is a pro athlete, this is her job and basically has been her job her whole life. She is not you, nothing like you, other than being a mom and a swimmer. She has fashioned her entire existence around this one item. Because I play golf on the weekend doesn't make me Greg Norman (who is leading the Open as of this morning). Was funny watching him when it happened.......

Lesser sports, you might be right but in the pro ranks it's all about what people think, the flash, the bling, the cars, houses, girls, etc. They are obsessed with their image. I think Sir Charles would disagree with this statement!!!!! :woot:

You are such an elitist...some of us here can't afford nice toys as we are stay at home, non-dads who spend all our time trying to bash Title IX, working mom's, Rush Limbaugh-Alan Combs and glamorous/fast people that we are actually really just jealous of because we never were good enough...so some of us in middle age (not me) get tattoo's trying to relive what little glory days...but because we are so miserable in our pathetic lives we come here and try and be "understood" but end up getting PM's from the moderators about being political..so we really have no friends here either...but we'll still got to nationals and taunt each other and in some cases win beer bets because we really hate our families we can't afford for not letting us train full time and teach TaeBo... OK..to much coffee...time to grab my (wifes) push mower and clean up the 10' x 20' piece of lawn we haven't torn out yet so we can find the dog bomb's. Is it taper time yet? Best post yet!!

To be a role model. No one would have wanted me as role model. Until I married Chuckie it was not nice to follow me to the drink fests. Never trained in earnest in my life. I was a big guy who could swim a little. But I had a real life roll model after I married. She raised six children with very little help from me. I did pitch in sometimes. She taught me not to curse and swear in front of children. She was my very first love and has always been there for me through good and bad. She still stands by her man.

Man. Y'all are taking me the wrong way. Men give up promotions where they would get more money so that they can have more time with their families. My dad did it. My statement was not meant to be a a criticism of working women. Our society is money-driven and we are now paying the price. Until the last year or so, it has been all about who has the most - the biggest house, the biggest car, etc. All these take money and to get it, you've got to work your butt off or do something illegal. In our society, making money has gotten to be the big priority while time with the family has gone out the window. Gosh, with all of this drive to make money, we can't swim as much anymore. I'm guilty of it - went back to working part-time so I could pay for the Cervelo and Cannondale. Really, I enjoy working so that I can put the years I spent burning the midnight oil to use. It is rewarding to be a part of the working world regardless of money. I gave up a promotion so that I could spend more time browsing USMS forums. With all of the posting going on, it's hard to believe anyone around here works full time :mooning:

Here is the quote that got me (from the NYT article on Torres): Driving home one night from a sushi dinner, Torres’s partner, David Hoffman, admitted that he’ll be relieved when Torres emerges from her Olympic training tunnel. “We don’t spend as much time together,” he told me as he idled his car outside their home. “We can’t go on a vacation.” Torres had driven home separately with Tessa. Hoffman watched the swimmer standing in their driveway at dusk, her mind clearly turned toward getting Tessa to bed, so that she could get nine hours of sleep herself. “I can’t wait until this is over,” Hoffman sighed. “It’ll have been two years.” Surely one doesn't have to be a diehard conservative (which I definitely am not) to be just a little turned off by this? As inspirational as her feats have been, DT had nothing left to prove. She's already been to the Olympics 4 times... I think athletes are a bit like professional dancers, in that there's a shelf life on their careers and they have to do what it is they do while they still can. If her partner is pouting a bit now, well, I'm sure he'll be happy to share in the glory if she wins a medal. Do we ever hear from the wives/girlfriends of male olympic hopefuls about how they feel about all their husbands/boyfriends training? No, because it's just assumed that the little woman is going to be the one to put up with it and do the sacrificing. I don't think any athlete sets out deciding to be a role model. In fact, I doubt they really care what people think, they just want to do their sport.