HELP!! swimming endurance

gabeej

I used to swim competitively as a kid, and I really want to join the local masters swims club here, but the minimum requirement is 1100 m in an hour (44 laps) I can do about 800m, because I have to stop a lot. Once I get in better shape it will be quicker for me because I have a really strong base for all 4 strokes.

Should I just hit the pool everyday, or should I cross-train, as well? I am working on getting to a 5K right now, so do I drop the running and focus on the swimming, or will they both be useful to each other?

scottb81

By the Principle of Specificity you will achieve what you want fastest by swimming.

You already have the skill so you just need to rebuild the aerobic conditioning in the muscles used for the various strokes. The best way to do this is to use them by swimming for extended times.

Running will only help to a limited extent since the working muscles are different for running and swimming. However, running won't hurt so if you have the time training for both is good for your body.