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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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How to Be an Olympic Athlete

Pointers on what it takes to go for the gold

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(Newser) – Before you clear a spot on the mantle for that gold medal, you may need a quick reality check: Forbes runs down the numbers behind the blood, sweat, and tears of an Olympic athlete's training.

  1. Training: 4 to 8 years to maximize lung capacity and heart strength
  2. Sessions: up to 3 a day, 6 days a week
  3. Goal setting: beyond annual benchmarks, some athletes plan 4 years out

  1. Pain: suck it up in 55-degree toxin-flushing baths
  2. Sleep: clock 10 hours a night...plus an afternoon nap to rebuild muscle
  3. Eat, eat, eat: up to 5,000 calories a day during intense training
Click the link below for the complete list.

In this July 5, 2008 file photo, swimmer Dara Torres celebrates setting a US record time of 24.38 in the women's 50-meter freestyle semifinal.
In this July 5, 2008 file photo, swimmer Dara Torres celebrates setting a US record time of 24.38 in the women's 50-meter freestyle semifinal.   (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, file)
In this April 21, 2005 file photo, Bulgaria's Demir Demirev competes during the men's 69kg category, group A, weightlifting event at European Weightlifting championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.
In this April 21, 2005 file photo, Bulgaria's Demir Demirev competes during the men's 69kg category, group A, weightlifting event at European Weightlifting championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.   (AP Photo/Dimitar Deinov,file)
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