Swimming - how far is far?

[mrcharly-YHT]

Technically, I'm a competent swimmer. However I've never had any stamina in the pool (used to just sink - swimming when you have negative buoyancy is really hard).

My daughter has just taken up swimming again (for her DoE). Not swam apart from splashing about for 3 years or more.

Last week she got back in the pool and did 64 lengths, 1600m, in an hour.

This week it was 74 lengths - and she complained she felt slow, but was taking it easy.

I have no idea where the child gets it from, her mum doesn't have stamina either.

What's a reasonable distance to swim in an hour, for a regular swimmer?

[DrMekon]

Someone who is a good swimmer will be along to answer, but realising that along with walking, running, etc, there are long distance swimming events has triggered a desire to learn to swim well (which would then upen up trathlons to me too).

Greenbank linked to this lot. The idea of long supported swims in open water really appeals.


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[Justin(e)]

What's a reasonable distance to swim in an hour, for a regular swimmer?

my sisters are Long distance swimmers. Cottesloe to rottnest island (20 odd km) and I think they do about 3 km an hour - but I think they may use flippers when they are training. I know the fast men do the swim in not much more than 4 and a bit hours. The slower swimmers can take upto 10 hrs. Much depends on how choppy the ocean is.   

[hellymedic]

I'm a gurl untroubled by negative buoyancy.
An hour in the pool before work was nice and I'd do 60 x 33 metre lengths of breaststroke. That's nothing exceptional and seemed on a par with others in the water.

I found out I could do distances when I was 14.  One day I decided to keep going after my initial 4 lengths and did 28 (33 metre) lengths. Next day I did the mile.

A few years afterwards some silly (male) medical student colleague said that women weren't fiit so I challenged him to a hundred lengths of the University pool..

[Exit Stage Left]

There is Audax swimming of between 1 and 6 km, I found this on the net.

http://www.audax-uaf.com/autre/telech/cal_natation.pdf

2km has a maximum time of 1h 10min.

[mrcharly-YHT]

I don't think I've managed more than 10 lengths before crying for my mommy and carking it.

That includes when I was actually fit, could knock of a 10mile jog in an hour and did full marathon distances in a kayak.

I'm going to have to get in the pool and give this swimming thing a go, I've got 2 stone of middle-aged podge now so shouldn't sink anymore.

[hellymedic]

There again I could never run...

[saturn]

What's a reasonable distance to swim in an hour, for a regular swimmer?

Whatever's enjoyable.

After a training last week my 13 year old said she's done 94 lengths for the warm up - that would have lasted about an hour leaving half an hour for technique practice. However, being for synchro, a fair proportion of that is with one or both legs stationary and vertical or underwater lengths. She sprints quite quick but complains she doesn't have stamina - I think she's thinks stamina means sprinting for long distance because for a long session she just settles into it and takes it easy.

I guess it's like cycling, the distances just increase naturally beyond what any normal person would think is possible.

BTW if your daughter ever gets fed-up of laned swimming take her along to your local synchro club for a taster session.

[Manotea]

... because for a long session she just settles into it and takes it easy.

Doesn't everyone? I'm just a hack but I'd say 2km something under an hour is where the fun starts. Ms Manotea the younger (17)  swims this sort of distance regularly and is faster than me the last time I checked. She's not a club swimmer, she just takes herself off to the pool.

[Greenbank]

There is Audax swimming of between 1 and 6 km, I found this on the net.

http://www.audax-uaf.com/autre/telech/cal_natation.pdf

2km has a maximum time of 1h 10min.

Sounds about right. When I used to be in a swimming club we used to do a 45 minute warm up and be expected to do about 45 lengths (it was a 33+1/3m long pool) which is 1500m.

A 'training' 1500m was closer to 30 minutes.

Grant Hackett's 1500m freestyle record is 14:34:56 (in a 50m pool). Short course it's 14:10:10 (shows you how much of a help being able to push off is).

[tom_e]

When I was swimming regularly for an hour I reckoned on getting at least 3000m.  That was assisted by it being a 25 yard pool, so plenty of pushoff and glide.

Tis lovely when you can find a quiet pool to use regularly, but I just can't be bothered when it's busy - too much mental effort.

[jogler]

I realised years ago that I am not a strong swimmer so took the soft option....scuba diving as my main hobby.All that gear helped somewhat
Mind you the progressive training was not a doodle

[mike]

it's so much about technique, I've gone from 4 lengths nearly killing me to 2k in 40 minutes without getting that much fitter, just more efficient.   Google for 'total immersion' videos and it'll explain how to swim barely using your arms or legs.

[tom_e]

+1 to wot mike said.
That was exactly what got me to 3k in the hour.

[Oaky]

I used to do 72x25m lengths in about 40-45 mins when I used to go most lunchtimes.

That was at about my all-out pace though (although I might have gained some time if I'd bothered to learn to tumble turn).

[saturn]

Google for 'total immersion' videos and it'll explain how to swim barely using your arms or legs.

Good tip - look at this one for effortless,... <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/rJpFVvho0o4&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/rJpFVvho0o4&rel=1</a>

[Kathy]

Depending on whether it's lots of short sprints with rest time an a mixture of strokes or whether there are lots of long stints my swimming club generally do 2.7-3.5km in an hour. I'll usually manage less.  

[DrMekon]

it's so much about technique, I've gone from 4 lengths nearly killing me to 2k in 40 minutes without getting that much fitter, just more efficient.   Google for 'total immersion' videos and it'll explain how to swim barely using your arms or legs.

That looks great - did you have tuition or just copy the technique from the videos?

[mike]

it's so much about technique, I've gone from 4 lengths nearly killing me to 2k in 40 minutes without getting that much fitter, just more efficient.   Google for 'total immersion' videos and it'll explain how to swim barely using your arms or legs.

That looks great - did you have tuition or just copy the technique from the videos?

Book / videos first, then a lesson with the cambridge swimming academy.  Their teaching isnt quite the same as total immersion but it's very close and a bit better for open water (less of a pause at full stretch)

My best time for 100 meters has gone from about 2.15 to 1.27 thanks to the book and 2 lessons (and a fair amount of pool time).

Can recommend the book, it's about 10 quid on amazon and understanding the theory made a big difference to me.

[mike]

My version of it from back in June


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(i've been working since then on tidying up my kick and getting my arms to enter the water a bit wider & straighter)

[Valiant]

What is negative buoyancy?

[jogler]

What is negative buoyancy?

an inability to float

[GruB]

I used my HRM in the pool last Friday and used 854 kcal in the 1 hour session.

[andygates]

A mile is long in my book.  I'm the reluctant lazy swimmer, mind. 

[Manotea]

What is negative buoyancy?

an inability to float

If in doubt, don't breathe out!