I am moving somewhere where I won't be able to swim much for two years. Anyway, I made it my goal to swim 15,000 meters straight in four hours. I was only able to swim 14,000 meters, but it was a great experience. I actually had time to finish another thousand, but my body died on me. I should also say that I have not been training like I usually do, so this was a lot of swimming. It was a great accomplishment and I can now go without swimming for awhile. My question is, what is the most you have ever done in a workout or in a day and what has it meant to you?
In my case, this was the most I had ever done in a workout. Most in a day was 25,000 that was stretched over the entire day. The meaning of my 14,000 meters was that I was able to have the mental and physical ability to handle doing this many meters by myself.
Former Member
WOW!!!!
And I was happy to get back up into the 7000-8000m range:(
Back to the drawing board:D
Originally posted by Jeff Commings
I got into Masters to get away from doing 15,000 meters per day.
Now I do about 3,000 meters (3,500 yards) a day, and I LOVE IT!
If I need to do more to stay in shape, then maybe I'll bump it up to 3,700 yards. ;)
I'm beginning to think that 3000/day is enough to maintain your level of conditioning, but more is required to actually improve your times. Those of us in the older age groups are swimming against a "current" -- the aging process. My daughter's theory (she's 14) is that I've actually improved if my times remain the same from one year to the next (I'm 47). I can live with that.
Originally posted by Peter Cruise
Tom, what they do is impressive...what you have done and persevered through has been heroic- don't sell yourself short!
Amen , to that!
As someone who has done both the channel and Tampa Bay, I am "seriously humbled" by Tom and others in Masters Swimming who have fought through tremendous adversity and made their life and the lives of those of us touched by your stories much richer. Thank you!
In response to the 'how much could be swum in 24 hours' .. go check out the Guinness Book of Records. Last time I looked was several years ago but the record in a 25 m pool is ~60 miles, held by a Swedish swimmer.
At the time (1990s) a colleague of mine had attempted to break this record but had failed :-(. It's a phenomenal pace to keep up.
I ended up contacting the record holder .. and to cut a long story short I got a letter back from him where he said that "even today, he was not sure it was worth it". I gather he suffered from side effects afterwards.
In answer to the initial thread, the furthest I've swum in one go is only 10km in a 25m pool, although I was pleased to complete it in ~2h 15m. This was 3 years ago, when aged 43.
I swam in two 10K off shore races....and one was NOT fun in warm water....
In the event my body does not give out before I get it back together....I always wanted to swim the 24 mile Tampa Bay Swim....I know that IF I had tried to swim this in San Francisco Bay swim shape...I would have had a DARN good chance of making it....Now, that I am fighting my way back into shape....I am not sure the envelope will come together at the right place regarding getting in shape and the bottom end falling out....But, swimming the Tampa Bay 24 mile swim....is a many year old goal....9 to 12 hours in the water is purest swimming at the finest....! Swimming the English Channel is hero swimming in my book! And, what is off the chart wild....SOME have swam it over and back....and a few have swam it over and back and over....all in the same swim.....THAT IS....... well.....words cannot begin to write how off the chart that is......I am humbled deeply by those who have swam Tampa Bay...and seriously HUMBLED by those that swam the English Channel....and the few that swam it over and back...and over....In TEN life times I could not carry those swimmers goggles......
In answer to the initial thread, the furthest I've swum in one go is only 10km in a 25m pool, although I was pleased to complete it in ~2h 15m. This was 3 years ago, when aged 43.
originally posted by alexknibbs
Dear alexknibbs,
I am very impressed by your time in the 10 K at age 43!!....I am 40 (almost 41) and just getting into open water swimming.....I want to "eventually" be able to do 10 K's, 20 K's, and 25 K's (these seem like 3 of the most popular long distances for open water events as far as I can tell??)....Anyway, 2 hrs and 15 minutes for a 10 K comes to exactly 1:21 per 100 meters pace........Only you have to string 100 of them in a row at that pace to equal that time!!....Wow!!....I am hoping to average somewhere between 1:15 and 1:20 per 100 meters in my next open water swim....only it's a 2 mile race (i.e. a 3.2 K race).....1:15 per 100 meter pace equates to exactly 40 minutes for 2 miles ...So the 40 minute barrier for 2 miles seems like a good goal to try and break (and a very fast goal!!).....1:20 per 100 meter pace equates to 42:40 for 2 miles.....So if I break 43:00 I will be happy (if I break 40:00 I will be VERY VERY happy!!).....To hear that you could hold a 1:21 per 100 meter pace for 12.4 miles at age 43 just blows my mind!!
Tom.....Were you also this fast in the 10 K once?....when you were over 40??....If so, then I have a new found respect for the Moose Man!!
Newmastersswimmer
Originally posted by alexknibbs
Additional clarification after reading your email again - although I'm currently based in California on a work Visa, my 'home/legal residence' is in England.
Oh, no, you might be soon accused of stealing US swimming scholarships.
