Debating doing College Swimming... Never Swam Competitively
Former Member
Here is the low down guys. I am a Sophomore at a pretty average division 1 university. I am a member of the cross country and indoor/outdoor track teams so i have been competitively racing for almost 6 years. I have never swam on a team before but... I want to! I feel as if I've gone mad. I want to try in college!! Next year, not this year, I need to get my base up i know that. off of 2 swims a week (500yards) i swim 500 yards free in 7:48 as of yesterday (you dont need to tell me how slow that is I already know). I am not afraid of hard work, swimming 2+ hours a day I can do that. I want to try! can anyone tell me what I need to do to see if i can get to around 5 flat in the 500 yard free? or a fast 1000 time it doesn't matter, just good enough to walk on the team. the weird thing is, i think I am a better swimmer than I am a runner. the pool just seems to click for me. can anyone help me out? I am willing to swim every day from now till next swim season to make this dream a reality! ...ps i'm a guy if that matters
Stop running
Swim hard every day
Lift weights (XC runners are weak in the upper body, always)
Swimming-specific flexibility (shoulders, torso, ankles)
Also work with a good swim coach. You can’t make technical corrections on your own. Also a coach who sees your stroke and is working with you can help you set realistic goals.
To roughly equate swimming to running, I suggest that a 5:00 500 swim is comparable to a 4:30-4:40 mile run. So if someone came up to you with a reverse scenario; “I’m a swimmer who currently runs a 7:00 mile, what and how long would it take to get to where I could run a 4:40 mile?”
I encourage you to give it a try, but get with a coach to set achievable goals and work smart and hard.
Also, a lot of colleges have club teams in addition to or in lieu of varsity programs. This may be a better option for now.
Stop running
Swim hard every day
Lift weights (XC runners are weak in the upper body, always)
Swimming-specific flexibility (shoulders, torso, ankles)
Also work with a good swim coach. You can’t make technical corrections on your own. Also a coach who sees your stroke and is working with you can help you set realistic goals.
To roughly equate swimming to running, I suggest that a 5:00 500 swim is comparable to a 4:30-4:40 mile run. So if someone came up to you with a reverse scenario; “I’m a swimmer who currently runs a 7:00 mile, what and how long would it take to get to where I could run a 4:40 mile?”
I encourage you to give it a try, but get with a coach to set achievable goals and work smart and hard.
Also, a lot of colleges have club teams in addition to or in lieu of varsity programs. This may be a better option for now.
