FitSugar

Dara Torres Talks About Staying Fit and Not Acting Your Age

FitSugar — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing Dara Torres, the amazing Olympian, swimmer, and mom who made headlines at Beijing when she swam for a comeback at age 41. She won three silver medals and also won me over.

Not only did Torres give me lots of great advice on health, training, and fitness, but she also shared some insight on how she balances intense training with a (relatively) normal personal life. She was funny and refreshingly honest. Better yet, I've got a video excerpt of our interview! Check it out below.

To read some more of my favorite excerpts from the interview, read more.

FitSugar: Tell us about your memoir, Age Is Just a Number:
Dara Torres: "It was really a lot of fun to write. I got that title because I really realized you don't put an age limit on your dreams. And a lot of people put elite athletes on pedestals and forget that we're human and that we make mistakes and we have our ups and downs and our trials and tribulations, and I really wanted that to get across. I wanted the everyday person to relate to my book."

FS: What are some of those trials and tribulations you discuss in the book?
DT: "I talk about just getting back into my comeback and my father passes away from colon cancer. I deal with the pressures of trying to make an Olympic team when so many eyes are on me and so many middle-aged people are counting on me. I talk about my coach, who ended up having a rare blood disorder right after I made the Olympic team. There were a lot of things I had to deal with."

FS: And you also, throughout all this, have been raising a daughter? How old is she now?
DT: "My daughter is 3, and it's really been such a fun time in my life. I really looked towards role models like working parents to figure out how I can balance my life to be the best mom that I can be and also be able to do what I love to do. Just normal people who work 9-to-5 jobs and are still awesome parents. It's a tough thing to try to figure out how to balance, but I'm lucky I found a balance that works really well for both my daughter and myself."

FS: And does she like swimming?
"She loves swimming. I've had her in the pool since she was about 3 months old. Some of my teammates who are so young tease me and say 'you guys'll be swimming in the same meet coming up soon,' so I get teased a lot."

FS: What is your precompetition ritual in terms of what you eat or what you do?
DT: "I'll drink some type of shake with milk before I swim, and that's really all I need. I don't like to eat a lot before I'm in a big race because I'm already nervous as it is and the last thing I need to do is get sick to my stomach. Maybe have a little cereal with milk. Just very minimal what I eat before I train."

FS: In a recent interview with More magazine, you mentioned that you had some eating disorder issues when you were in college and went "cold turkey." What tips could you offer to other women who are struggling with this?
DT: "It's not easy to get over it on your own. What I did was set a goal. And at that point in time I had not been swimming for a while, and my goal was to try and make a third Olympic team. The minute I had that goal in my head, it was like, you know what, I can't have this eating disorder anymore or else I'm not going to reach my goals. And so I was lucky to have swimming as an outlet. The biggest thing you need to do is be able to talk to someone about it. It's not like if you talk to them you’re going to get over it right away but at least you can communicate and let someone know and hopefully they can help you get help."

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Are You Surprised by the Michael Phelps Photos?

FitSugar — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Sports fans were shocked this weekend when photos surfaced of Michael Phelps smoking out of a bong, apparently taken in November when the Olympic golden boy and sportsman of the year attended a college party. Does such behavior from an elite athlete surprise you?

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Your Favorite Olympic Moment of 2008

FitSugar — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:00:00 -0800

It may not be quite as exciting as winning eight gold medals, but Michael Phelps has won again - in FitSugar's best Olympic moment of 2008 poll. Though he was bested in the favorite Olympian poll by Shawn Johnson, his record-breaking moment garnered 40 percent of your votes, and the thrill of his victory was also the favorite of CitizenSugar readers.

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What's Your Favorite 2008 Olympics Moment?

FitSugar — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 03:01:43 -0800

Now that you've voted for your favorite Olympian and relived the Beijing games, I want to know what Olympic moment you loved most. (Of course, these are all sports moments; if you want to vote on the whole shebang, check out Citizen.)

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Biggest Headlines of 2008: The Beijing Olympics

FitSugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 03:05:57 -0800

It seems like so long ago that the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing completely consumed my Summer. Not only were there plenty of amazing Olympians to follow, but there was also plenty of controversy. Take a lap through the most compelling moments.
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Guess Who Said It?

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:00:00 -0800

Which Olympic medalist said this:

"I'm chubby and I'm pregnant and it's awesome!"

Guess Who?

FitSugar — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 04:30:00 -0700

Guess which Olympic gold medalist is flashing a peace sign?

Dara Torres Just Had Shoulder Surgery?!

FitSugar — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 03:30:00 -0700

Dara Torres left Beijing with her three silver medals in tow, and went almost straight to the operating room. This means the 41-year-old comeback ~~kid~~ mama - and hot mama at that - was swimming in pain. I couldn't tell, could you?

Torres lost her signature race, the 50-meter freestyle sprint, by .01 seconds. She has a phenomenal swim, and now that I know Torres was dealing with degenerative arthritis in her AC joint (where the collar bone, or clavicle, connects to the top of the shoulder blade), I am even more impressed. I'm impressed by her competitive drive, focus, and ability to race in pain. Obviously, she put the surgery and its six-week recovery period off so she could compete in her fifth Olympic games. She had surgery on Aug. 27 to create space in the arthritic joint so hopefully she can move her shoulder pain-free. I sure hope she has a speedy recovery, since she has a little one to chase after.

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On Your Mark, Get Set, Win New Sneakers!

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:19:09 -0700

Enter to win, if you haven't already since this contest ends today at 1 p.m. PDT! Log in and take the quiz. Good luck.

If the Olympics inspired you to get in shape, then you're in luck! We're giving away two $150 gift cards to Road Runner Sports, so you can snag a new pair of running shoes and get your fitness aspirations off the ground.

To enter to win one of the two gift cards, just take the Olympic-themed quiz below by 1 p.m. PDT on Thursday, Aug. 28. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct but simply on taking the quiz after you are logged in.

You do, however, need to be a TeamSugar member to enter. So if you're not already one, just register here for an account. One quiz entry per person; all repeat quizzes will be ignored. Prizes can be shipped to US destinations only. Remember: You must be logged in to TeamSugar for your quiz to count. For the complete rules, click here. Good luck!

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There Really Is Not One Right Way to Run

FitSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:00:00 -0700

When it comes to endurance, long-distance running as opposed to sprinting short distances like Jamaican gold medalist and record breaker Usain Bolt (100m, 200m), there is not just one way to run.

There are many techniques out there and almost as many variations as there are runners. When watching the men's marathon (yes, I watched the men's marathon, which I guess establishes me as a running geek even if my weekly mileage doesn't), I kept using my DVR to pause the action and try to figure out where these elite runners strike: heel, midfoot, or toe. The answer is all three. The same goes for arm motion and torso placement - the variations are endless. I have been experimenting with where my foot strikes and I shared this information with a running-shoe specialist. I was surprised to hear him say that I would just be trading one type of injury for another as I transitioned from heel strike to hitting the pavement with my midfoot. Ahhhh, I thought, so there really isn't one way to run.

The New York Times broke down some of the pros and cons of different running patterns and for the highlights just read more.

Toe running: Running on just the forefoot means the calves absorb the shock of the impact. Calf-strengthening exercises are recommended and this style adds wear and tear on the Achilles tendon.
Heel striking: American marathoner Deena Kastor is a heel-to-toe runner, and in this style of running a shoe that has a soft midsole can create a loss of power in the stride.
Control: No matter what part of the foot hits the ground first, it is how hard the foot hits that matters. The foot should be controlled into the ground, not slammed.
Stride length: Most runners naturally fall into their most efficient stride length.
Arm carriage: The running efficiency of runners tested with their arms tied behind barely changed, so swing your arms as you may!

Runners with smooth, graceful running win races. Runners with bobbing heads win races. Runners who hold their elbows out like they are doing the funky chicken win races. The take-home message for me, a runner who hopes to keep on running rather than win gold, is to do just that - keep on running and not sweat the small stuff (pun intended).

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