The January results for GTD are now up: www.usms.org/.../gothedistance08
Once again, some absolutely astonishing distance totals. Carrie Kostopulos swam 212.41 miles. That's 373,842 yards or more than 12,000 yards per day (or about 11,000 meters if you prefer).
I see Kristina Ulveling swam 74.8 miles. If she kicks my butt in the 500 free I guess I'll know why :)
Something I've always found a little strange is how women seem to dominate the leaders in this event. In January, women accounted for 7 of the top 10 mileage totals. In 2007 women had 6 of the top 10, but the top four were all women. I'm not sure what to make of this. Are men just lazier?
Would it be unbelievably sexist of me to suggest that there are more stay-at-home moms than stay-at-home dads, at least in the US, if not Canada, and this could conceivably give women in the masters age groups more discretionary hours to swim, especially if the natatorium has a daycare center and/or the kids are in school part of the day?
To swim 12,000 yards a day--if you include drills, kick sets, etc.--has gotta take a good 2 1/2-3 hours minimum, seven days a week (unless you swim doubles occasionally, which would mean 5-6 hours in the pool to make up for any "missed" day.)
Factor in time to get to the pool, showers, the application of industrial-strengthed hair de-chlorination products, cortisone injections into every muscle fiber in your being every other day, time to stalk and transfuse blood from teenagers to drink for energy, and so forth, and it's hard to see how you could swim this much and also have a full time job, let alone much of a family life.
Like being on the Olympic team.
I am so jealous.
Would it be unbelievably sexist of me to suggest that there are more stay-at-home moms than stay-at-home dads, at least in the US, if not Canada, and this could conceivably give women in the masters age groups more discretionary hours to swim, especially if the natatorium has a daycare center and/or the kids are in school part of the day?
To swim 12,000 yards a day--if you include drills, kick sets, etc.--has gotta take a good 2 1/2-3 hours minimum, seven days a week (unless you swim doubles occasionally, which would mean 5-6 hours in the pool to make up for any "missed" day.)
Factor in time to get to the pool, showers, the application of industrial-strengthed hair de-chlorination products, cortisone injections into every muscle fiber in your being every other day, time to stalk and transfuse blood from teenagers to drink for energy, and so forth, and it's hard to see how you could swim this much and also have a full time job, let alone much of a family life.
Like being on the Olympic team.
I am so jealous.
