how far?

Depending on what shape you're in. Just listen to your shoulders, they'll tell you if you're doing too much. Or if you're doing something wrong. 1000M workout may be a lot for a novice, and when my friend was swimming on a national level, in college, they had workouts ypr to 10,000 M a day, 5000 in the morning and 5000 at night. 2500-3000 a day is useally considered a solid beginners workout (maybe your forst 6 months of swimming). 4000-ish would be intermediate 6000 a day or more is pretty advanced.

Well, from age 14 to 18 I did about 5,000 to 8,000 yards a day. A few weeks at the 9000 to 11,000 range a year. At age 18 to 20 I just swam community college and did from 2,500 to 6,000 yards. Now I swim from 2,000 to 3,800 yards a workout 3 to 4 days a week and sometimes 5 if I can get the time. And in my youth college programs were more for the Male swimmers. Most females that swam at a 4 year team had made nationals or were closed to it.

5000 in the morning and 5000 at night sounds like a lot.I've been doing 3000,3times per week since i first read your replies and i must say at first it was quite a lot compared to my usual 1500-2000,3 times per week however i find that i'm now(a couple of weeks later)easily able to complete these distances,i usually do 10 sets of 250m+250warmup and 250 warmdown my rests vary between 250m sets 20-50secs,my strokes are about 65% breastroke and35% freestyle .

Wow! Conniekat8's yardage figures are way over what I do. I have competed for 25 years and have never averaged over 2700-2800 yards 5 days a weeks. I am competitive in my age group, more so as I get older. I don't think I know anyone who consistently does over 4500 per day. Time is probably the issue more that anything else. She's right, however, in telling you to listen to your shoulders (and other parts). Betsy Durrant

I hope I don't get into trouble for sharing this... Our coach has soem workouts posted on our team website, so that if we go out of town, we have a workout to follow. here's one of them, labeled "beginner": mastersmvnswim.org/.../Week29WorkoutBeginner.doc You're welcome to check out the rest of the info on the website.