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2010-07-04 9:02 AM

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Subject: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?
So if you get into running, do it for a couple of years, you at least think about doing a marathon.  If you get into biking, do it for a couple of years, you at least think about doing a century.  Is there an equivalent kind of benchmark for swimmers?
(Purely curiosity- I'll be happy to ever get to a "5k fun run" level of swimming!


2010-07-04 9:06 AM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?
I think a Marathon is harder than a century. cycling would be more like a 200 miler. swimming. probably a 10k
2010-07-04 9:10 AM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?
I can only give you my mental "omg" distance right now - and that's a mile. Which is kind of funny, since I can swim about 1.5km but there's something about saying the word "mile" that is intimidating. I also think it matters, at least a little if its an OWS or a pool swim.
2010-07-04 9:14 AM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?
Yeah, I'm looking for that "omg" distance, or just the one that someone fairly new to the sport would say "Someday I'd like to do..."
I totally agree that a marathon is harder than a century, and the equivalent effort for the average person to get there will be different.  But is there a kind of shorthand race/ distance for "dang, you're a serious swimmer"?

Edited by chayes 2010-07-04 9:17 AM
2010-07-04 9:20 AM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?
If you ask me..

Swimming: 10k+
Cycling: 120miles
Running: 26.2



I've never ran over 20 miles though, I've done the other two and I'd say the 10k swim was tougher. But that was 100x100 on a fairly tough interval, so that may skew my perception of it. I'm sure you could do a much easier 10k workout.

Edited by smilford 2010-07-04 9:20 AM
2010-07-04 9:20 AM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?
wrenling - 2010-07-04 9:10 AM  Which is kind of funny, since I can swim about 1.5km but there's something about saying the word "mile" that is intimidating.

SO true!  Even though I live in a km country and have gotten used to it for biking and running, for some reason, 1 miles sounds cooler than  1600 meters.  I tell friends & family a sprint is a half-mile swim (fudging a little, I know) and they gasp, but tell them it's 750 meters and they're like, eh.


2010-07-04 9:24 AM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?
smilford - 2010-07-04 9:20 AMBut that was 100x100 on a fairly tough interval,

You officially get a "dang,you're a serious swimmer."
I can't imagine 100x anything.  If I looked at a century as "100 x 100 miles at moderate pace" I'd never be able to do it!Tongue out
2010-07-04 11:11 AM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?
I've got a 5K OWS in 5 weeks... I'll let ya know. 
2010-07-04 11:25 AM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?
I would think it'd be a 5K OWS.  (which is what I want to do! Tongue out)  But I guess a 10K would be even more extreme.  I'd think a 5K event would be easier to find though...
2010-07-04 11:30 AM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?
smilford - 2010-07-04 8:20 AM If you ask me.. Swimming: 10k+ Cycling: 120miles Running: 26.2 I've never ran over 20 miles though, I've done the other two and I'd say the 10k swim was tougher. But that was 100x100 on a fairly tough interval, so that may skew my perception of it. I'm sure you could do a much easier 10k workout. [/QUOTE]


This was January 1st New Year's workout at pretty much every training camp I ever did in swimming from about 2000-2005. We always crossed our fingers that it wouldn't happen... 

I would agree with 10km is the equivalent. If you wanted to be really extreme maybe 15km. 10km would probably take me max 3hrs...which doesn't really seem that bad to me. So I guess it depends on how fast/strong you swim?

Edited by mndymond 2010-07-04 11:34 AM
2010-07-04 11:37 AM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?

I'm in the use time method.  If a marathon takes say 3 hours.  A Century takes 5 hours.  And a swim????  Thing is for those saying a marathon is harder than a century, I'm not sure how much weight that holds.  It would all depend on the intensity and effort.  I'm pretty sure if you did both at the same HR, you would probably feel it the same or worse on the bike as it would be about 1.5 to 2 hours longer at that HR. 

I don't know what would be the equiv swim, but I personally would probably say a 5 k 

Heck if you really want to get exact, I would probably put

Swim 2.4 miles

Bike 112

Run 26.2



2010-07-04 12:04 PM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?
velocomp - 2010-07-04 11:37 AM

I don't know what would be the equiv swim, but I personally would probably say a 5 k 



I have done a 5k swim.  It was fairly equivalent to a half marathon which was also fairly equivalent to a century.  The 5k swim was maybe a bit easier than the century.

I would say based on extrapolation that a 10k swim would be roughly equal to a marathon which would be significantly harder than a typical century.
2010-07-04 12:23 PM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?
A century ride is in no way harder than a marathon. Case in point. There is no pro level running race that does a marathon everyday for 21 days. They do close to or longer than a century everyday on the TDF. Up mountians no less. I can get up and function just fine afer a century. It takes a couple weeks to get my legs back after a marathon. As far a swimming ive never dne more than 2 miles. Im sure a 10k would be really tough and a distance that would get you plenty of respect.
2010-07-04 1:07 PM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?

Running = Marathon

Cycling = Century

Swimming = Alcatraz

(But that's probably just in Northern CA)
2010-07-04 1:17 PM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?
Swimming is a little tougher to compare because it's sort of like riding on a trainer: you get bored after so many laps in the pool.

People do some crazy open water swims, though.  There's a guy near my area that swam from USA San Juan Islands to Canada (7.5 miles, really freaking cold).  People also swim the English Channel - 21 miles - fastest time is just under 7 hours.

But these swims are much less common than centuries because you need a people on a support boat and much more preparation.  You're not going to die if you stop riding your bike or stop jogging.  You will die if you stop floating out in the middle of nowhere in open water.
2010-07-04 1:22 PM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?
Swimming open water competitive distances are 10k and 25k both contested in the last Olympics. Challenge swims, less common, more difficult would be as one previous poster mentioned Alcatraz in NorCal, Catalina in SoCal, or English Channel.


2010-07-04 1:42 PM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?
velocomp - 2010-07-04 11:37 AM

I'm in the use time method.  If a marathon takes say 3 hours.  A Century takes 5 hours.  And a swim????  Thing is for those saying a marathon is harder than a century, I'm not sure how much weight that holds.  It would all depend on the intensity and effort.  I'm pretty sure if you did both at the same HR, you would probably feel it the same or worse on the bike as it would be about 1.5 to 2 hours longer at that HR. 

I don't know what would be the equiv swim, but I personally would probably say a 5 k 

Heck if you really want to get exact, I would probably put

Swim 2.4 miles

Bike 112

Run 26.2


 

You clearly  have never run a marathon. It's a monster of a race, between the pounding and higher speeds you have to put up. Many folks find marathons harder than the IM due to these factors.

I have no idea where swimming events would line up comparable to marathon, but for sure, cycling a century  is much easier than running a marathon. Cycling a FLAT century is comparable to racing a measly 10 miles for me; I'd say 100+ miles of hilly mountains with at least 6000 feet of climbing, if not 8000+ would be closer to a marathon.

Edited by agarose2000 2010-07-04 1:50 PM
2010-07-04 2:14 PM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?

after 6 marathons and one  ironman and a few 100 mile bike rides. i think a marathon is more physical. but a 100 mile bike is more mental. unless your a great biker it's at least six hours that's a long ride. also you can ride a 100 miles in one day  and  50 -100 the next day . but to run a marathon and  12 miles  the next day would  difficult.  my first maRATHON WAS 4:55. that"s a long time running , my last was 3:42 . the first one was harder.  . but swimming  the longest was 2.4 miles. so i would not know what's equivalent.  maybe 4 miles or so. but i will never know.        

2010-07-04 2:40 PM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?

ChrisM - 2010-07-04 7:06 AM I think a Marathon is harder than a century. cycling would be more like a 200 miler. swimming. probably a 10k

I tend to agree this is pretty close, at least for me.  I've done a century and a couple of half-marathons, and I think they're pretty close in terms of aerobic effort, although the running requires more physical adaptation.

Did a 4k swim recently and I felt a little more wiped after that than either a century or HM.

2010-07-04 2:56 PM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?
On the Southeast coast, Ches Bay Swim

http://www.bayswim.com/
2010-07-04 3:06 PM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?
TriBee - 2010-07-04 2:56 PM On the Southeast coast, Ches Bay Swim

http://www.bayswim.com/


I would love to do this swim.  4.4 miles in that bay is probably a good equivalent to a century.

I wish it was more SE than it is, though.  Just too far away.


2010-07-04 4:04 PM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?
There is really no event in swimming that you can compare to a marathon or a 100-mile bike ride.   In swimming there are very few distance swimmers that stick with longer events.  A lot of elite age-groupers that end up in Junior Nationals and then Seniors often start in distance events and then go down to the shorter events as they get into their late teens.  Part of that is because at the HS and then college level the focus is scoring points in the shorter events and relays.  At the high school level the longest event is the 500 and at the college level there is only one true distance event - 1650 SCY/1500 SCM.  There are still plenty of distance swimmers out there, but not enough to create any type of demand for marathon type of events.         

With all that said, open water swimming is something that is very new and it was just added to the Olympics in 2008.  Before that it used to be events filled with college distance swimmers on Summer break training with their club teams and would be dominated by just a few swimmers.  You may see more interest because it is an Olympic event.  

The 10K open water event would be considered the Marathon of swimming because it is an Olympic event and like the Marathon that is done on the roads it has set itself apart from the pool events.   Open water events in terms of distance are all over the map because it is often about swimming from one side to another or from an island to the shore.  Some big races that come to mind are the English Channel, Alcatraz and the Manhattan Island Swim.
2010-07-04 4:09 PM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?
Alcatraz in no way equals a marathon or a century, and its not even in the universe of catalina/English channel. Alcatraz is a bit over a mile, which can be swum in about 30 minutes. the other two are 20+ miles. i've done alcatraz twice, i wouldn't be able to do the other two. Perhaps the swim from aquatic park around alcatraz is a bit closer to channel crossings, but still nowhere as difficult
2010-07-04 5:48 PM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?

First off...I don't know if the OP was trying to say that a marathon is just as hard as a century...I think the OP was just stating that when you get into running...the glamour is in the marathon...and the century with biking.  Not that they take similar amounts of training or physical endurance.

So to answer the question...I would say a 5kish swim.  We don't have a 5k swim where I live, but we have a 2.3 mile OWS race, and the Waikiki Rough water swim which is 2.4 miles.  Those events tend to draw a good turnout compared to the population of the swimming community. 

2010-07-05 2:44 AM
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Subject: RE: What's the swimming equivalent of a century?

10K

Channel swimming is a completely different beast. Alcatraz for all it's reputation is just a challenging ocean swim. I have swam an Alcatraz double and it is also just a challenging ocean swim. Of course at certain times of the year the true challenge is the cold water not the swimming. At 10K it starts to get interesting. When hydrating and feeding become part of the sport, it starts to set itself apart from shorter events.

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