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.
Back as an age grouper we did 20,000 on hell day of hell week (100,000). Morning workout was 24x400 followed by Afternoon workout 26x400. I don't remember the interval but do remember the coach put underwater speakers in (with music pumping) to keep us going.
I had to think long and hard about this, but I vaguely remember doing a five-hour swim about 10 years ago with about 10 other people of varying backgrounds and abilities.
I think I managed about 26,000 yards, give or take a few hundred, with a few breaks to scarf down a Powerbar, take a little rest and drink fluids. I don't think anyone did it nonstop, but there were some who held 1:05 pace for an hour.
And my fiance once swam the Channel, so I know well what the work is required to do that. The thought of doing 220 lengths in an hour is astounding.
Hi Tom,
Perhaps I should clarify. I train in a 50mtr pool at Burlingame (south of San Francisco) but across the width it's 25 yds. We alternate between them but it's mainly LC at present.
Yes, don't start me up with swimming on the left ... actually coached a session here a while back and got them all doing it 'UK' style for a change, alternating clockwise and counter-clockwise in adjacent lanes. Beats me why they had so many problems. As a seasoned traveller I've never had any problem switching to suit the location. Perhaps it's got something to do with old dogs and new tricks ;-)
Of course, in the UK and Europe it's done this way as much for safety reasons. Hitting someone doing 'fly in the next lane isn't HALF as painful if you're both heading in roughly the same direction!
Originally posted by Jeff Commings
The thought of doing 220 lengths in an hour is astounding.
How about 244? That's what Dan Veatch did in 1994. 6115 yards total for a pace of :58.5 per 100. :eek:
Tom,
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.
There are a number of 25 yd pools still left in England, though they tend to be the older 'Victorian' pools. We have all sorts of pool lengths in the UK; 25 yds, 25 mtr, 33.33 yd, 33.33 mtr, 36.66 yds, 50 mtr. A real hotch potch.
If I calculated his time correctly, he swam a pace of approximately 1 min and 22 seconds for 24 hours straight. Ouch, I can only imagine what the effects of swimming for 24 hours straight would be, but to do it at a pace of 1:20 per 100 yards. 1:20 doesn't sound that fast, but after just 4 or 5 hours of continuous swimming I can't imagine my arms still working much less swimming a 1:20 pace.
Hook'em
Blue
Geek,
I wish! ;-)
Blue Horn,
Remember that doesn't take into account short breaks too .. and of course the clock doesn't stop .. so the pace was even quicker than that.
Tom, I must echo what Rob C has to say. The bits and pieces I have heard of your story, make me humble. I thank God everyday for the good things in my life! And I am happy to say, that you are one of those GOOD things!!!
Jim,
Thanks for your kind words .. but inevitably you don't have to look far to find awe-inspiring swims from others. In our club we have a 29 year old (he competed at the Sydney Olympics btw!) who went 220 lengths of a 25 yard pool in the Hour swim which I thought was excellent.
A few weeks later I then discovered a 49 year old Californian has also managed 220 lengths!!!!!
How do you do a really big sulky face??
- similarly, swimming things like a 25 km open water seems pretty awesome stuff to me. Small tip - be 'careful' with the times your aiming for in open water - it's not as easy for them to get the distances 'spot on' and distances could be a a little under or over what they say it is. In addition, in a pool you tend to swim a fairly straight course. In open water .. well, you can see where I'm heading, yes?
Tom,
I haven't been on this board for a while. I must backtrack to find your details - I expect I too will be humbled when I read about your background.
Alex...thx for the kind word...
Where do you swim over there on the other side of the pond?
Did I read your post right...a 25 yard pool in a meter country.
Do you swim on the left side of the lanes....
;)
