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ziegman49
Posts: 28 Member
I am fairly new to swimming, only been at it for about 18 months. I finally added it to my workout routine to take on multisport challenges. The problem is, I have no idea of where I stand. The guys I normally swim with are Kris Rutford (you should google him) or people who have been swimming since high school. It is a bit hard to compare myself to them. The only reason I ask is so I know if I need to dedicate more time to swimming. In sets upto 1000 yards, I usually stay 1:30-1:39 per 100 yd. Start getting over 1000 yards, I usually end up in the low 1:40s per 100 yd. I guess my question is really, what would be a respectable mile time? I am looking at doing a LONG triathlon next September that is a 5k swim and would like to ideally finish that in 80 minutes (it is wetsuit legal). Is that a realistic goal? Thanks in advance.
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I'm about your pace and I'm in a similar boat in that I'm doing my first Ironman next Sept. It sounds reasonable to me, but I haven't done anything longer than an Olympic yet, so I'll be interested in other responses. You might also try posting the question in the "Triathletes/Duathletes" group.0
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I'm an amateur distance swimmer, and I am strictly a swimmer. I've been swimming on and off since high school. I swim in a pool for two to three miles per day. I swim with a few guys who do tris including one guy who does every Iron Man he can. I'm faster than all of them. I would say that any mile 30 min or under is respectable.
A 5k comes out to about 3.1 miles, and to achieve your goal of 80 minutes, you would have to average 43 seconds per 50 or 1:26/100. The drop that you're looking at to make your goal is 14 seconds per 100. I know it doesn't seem like much, but I would qualify that as an almost impossible goal, especially if you're already in decent shape.
My best mile time (1800 yards) is 22:15, which averages out to about 37 seconds/lap in a 25 yard pool, or 1:14/100 yards. Assuming I could keep that pace (I probably couldn't) for 5k, I would finish in 69 minutes give or take a few seconds. This entire analysis begins with the premise of swimming in a temp controlled pool with flip turns and their subsequent pushes off the wall, and a straight line at the bottom of the pool to follow. The game changes in open water, especially when there is no current to help push you along. I think I would be pushing myself to hit 80 minutes in open water for that distance.
All these stats are not to brag, but rather to give you some context of what it would take to achieve your goal. I'm not saying it's impossible, but being that you're new to swimming, I would say that a more realistic goal to start with is 90 minutes. That gives you 30 minute miles, which would make sure you have more in the tank for the other legs.
Finally, if you swim with Kris, why not just ask him? He's much more of an expert than a bunch of random schmos like me on MFP.0 -
I would ask Kris but he is such a nice guy I wouldn't be able to tell if he is being honest or just patronizing me.
I figured if I asked on here people would be honest since they don't have any reason to not be brutally honest.
Thanks for the advice and swim times.0 -
I am an old fat guy and I swim 2 miles in just under 80 minutes.0
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A mile takes me 45 minutes.0
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Dude, you are much faster than me.
Take me about 1 minute per 50 yard lap. A little longer when I stretch to 7500 yard swim (150 laps) which takes me 165 minutes.
I don't have any plans to compete. So my focus is more on endurance than speed. My longest single swim so far is 11,000 yards (220 laps) in 3 hours 54 minutes.
I wouldn't mind getting down to 50 seconds per lap. Then I could swim 110 laps each morning instead of only 90.0 -
El's analysis is pretty much right on. I swim 1 mile in 35 mn in OW and I'm considered very slow. Hope that helps assess your own time.0
