Crunch time is closing in on the Australian hopefuls aiming for London 2012. Selection trials are looming, qualification times have been set, and the thought of the five rings is entrenched in their hearts and minds every day.

As training regimes reach fever pitch, we crunch the numbers on the journey to London in training miles in various Olympic sports.

Track and field athlete Lachlan Renshaw competed in the 800m at the Beijing Olympic Games and has his eyes on another start in London. The Sydneysider has a weekly running average of 100km which equates to 250 laps of a 400m track each week.

For Renshaw, that is 6000 laps before the Games begin on July 27, 2012, for a total distance of approximately 2500km in the next six months.

“What keeps me motivated is the dream of standing on the starting line wearing the green and gold to compete against the very best for a shot at an Olympic medal,” the Commonwealth Games 800m finalist said.

“Being an Olympian is a life changing experience and I will dedicate every minute, 24/7 for the next six months to prepare myself to be in the best physical shape I can possibly be in come London.”

Renshaw is surrounded by track and field athletes brimming for London selection. Australian 400m hurdles champion Brendan Cole recently tweeted.

“Today is one of those days I wonder why I do what I do. In my exhausted state five coloured rings emerge behind my eyelids and I remember why...”

Triple Olympic gold medal rower Drew Ginn has tasted the satisfaction when the sweat turns to gold. In his various training activities which involve running, cycling, ergs and rowing sessions, Ginn covers approximately 740km each month for a total of around 4,450km before the London Olympics even begin.

As the multiple Olympic champion says, “Life is so demanding and yet so much fun.”

In an average water polo game elite athletes swim 4-5km. Beijing Olympian Rhys Howden plays three weekly games and trains every weeknight. This adds up to 36km of swimming on top of 8km of pure swimming training each week.

Howden clocks around 176km each month for an approximate total of 1,050km of swimming in the next six months leading to London. The miles are all worthwhile for the hopeful medallist.

For Beijing golden girl Stephanie Rice, regular training involved a 3-5km run and two 6km swim sessions each day. But since surgery, shoulder rehabilitation slashed her regime to one swimming session per day with a maximum distance of 1.5km (with strength and conditioning and a spin class filling in the gap).

Based on a six day training schedule Rice would reach 2,300km at full strength leading to London.

Between them, Rice (2,300km), Howden (1,050km), Ginn (4,450km) and Renshaw (2500km) will cover over 10,000km in training before the London Olympic Games begin. With help from Cole and another rower, they could cover the 17,000km from Sydney to London in the training miles between them.

Taya Conomos
AOC