Dara just one the national title in the 100M Freestyle in 54.4 at the ripe old age of 40. Simply Incredible. :applaud: :woot:
If that's not inspiring I don't know what is.
She might have been reading this thread...
www.indystar.com/.../article
I especially liked the part where she requested that some of her blood samples be stored until a test for HGH can be performed on them. This certainly doesn't sound like the actions of someone who is doping. I for one think it is very sad that people can judge and convict someone like Darra Torres (in thier own minds) of something even though there is absolutely no physical evidence to support it other than the fact that she is swimming faster than what most poeple would expect from a 40 year old woman who just gave birth not long ago. I've always believed that people are innocent unless proven guilty. Some of these arguments about how impossible it is for someone to accomplish what Darra is accomplishing without doping are really upsetting.....it reminds me of when scientists declared that it was physically impossible for any human to break a 4 minute mile. IMO these arguments are based on nothing more than pure speculation only (and in many cases jealousy) ....what makes these finger pointers such experts on what humans can or can not achieve?? Does this mean that we should also start accusing masters swimmers like Rich Abrahams of doping as well? I mean this guy was performing at the same level as he was in college at the age of 50....and he is still not that far away from where he was in college in his 60's....Does this also mean that everytime a masters swimmer achieves a time that is beyond what is expected (by some pre-prescribed formula perhaps), that we should automatically assume they are also doping?
I am a friend of Dara's. I live in Coral Springs and swam with Dara while she was in her third trimester, the only way I could even stay on the same lap with her! She now trains with an international group of Olympic hopefuls at Coral Springs. Dara is a natural talent with an amazing work ethic and the sponsors to afford to train to the max. Dara definitely does not dope. She has already been subject to multiple testings by USA Swimming, at meets and unannounced at her home. She is volunteering for additional testings and for anything they want to test her for to quiet all the naysayers. Dara is the real deal!
:cheerleader:
Thanks for chiming in...it's good to hear some support for her by people who know her.
If its homologous doping its someone elses blood, so you aren't drawing every day
But isn't there only so much blood you can have in your body at one moment? Oh, where are drs. gull and jaegermeister?
I'll give my blood to the cheaters. I have a fairly rare blood type and it'll kill them.
I'm also still cracking up that Geek is now running for triathlons, but doesn't know who Paul Tergat is ... Ha, ha, ha. Shoulda thought of that example myself.
But isn't there only so much blood you can have in your body at one moment?
You are correct, counselor. Too many red blood cells is a condition called polycythemia. Your blood becomes too thick, forming clots that can cause strokes and heart attacks.
Peaking for distinct distances is different in swimming than running. Paul Tergat ran 5 and 10,000 for years, and Cross-country...later he started doing marathons. It is a natural evolution, for distance runners. I can't remember the ages exactly but they peak for marathons after 30. There is no way Paul Tergat is doping. He is extremely tested as he is always winning this races. He is an icon in the running world. One of the best ever. I ran with him in 1996, well, myself and another 14,000 runners doing a New Year's 15k in São Paulo. The blood doping wouldn't work that well in swimming, even less in shorter distances. Too long to explain here. The doping would have to be via the steroid or Growth Hormone way, to augment the muscles and create extra power. Not via the oxygen capacity, such as in cycling. Check the age these guys won their olympic marathons: Joan Benoit, Carlos Lopes.
What a waste of time trying to be the best.
Many people use competition and finishing high as their motivation. I don't think this means they are wasting their time, we all are motivated by something.
Running is not a good comparative to swimming for many reasons..... Weight training, taper,..... even the general yardage or mileage is a vastly different concept. Consider this, the average sprinter trains about 100 times his/her race distance every day. This is not possible for runners. Yet the longest competitive event in the pool is around 15 minutes (the mile) as opposed to the marathon which is several hours.
I'd stick to swimmer vs. swimmer comparisons.
John Smith
