How fast do you swim?

Not very lol

Your mistake was reading any pizzing contest over on ST.

I would say FOP swimmers are in the 1:05-1:15 per 100 yards region.  1:15-1:30 per 100 yards is "still very darn good".  1:30-1:45 will keep you in the top half.  Slower than that and you are MOP/BOP

**Let it be noted I didn't do any actual math...just thought about various swimmers I know, how fast they swim, and where they finish.

Its all about perspective...junior high kids can hit those times (1:07) easy....

My PR is under a minute, but I swam in High School. Very few people that take up swimming as an adult will reach those top end times. It took years to get to that point swimming daily and swimming hard. Its much easier to maintain something (speed) than reach it.

There are a few people here (Jellyfish) that are stupid fast in the water....

Is that in practice or in a race?

If it's practice, I would bet 1:07 is mediocre for top folks.  I wouldn't be surprised a bit if the top pros are pulling sub-minute 100 splits in practice on a regular basis.  Top high school swimmers can do that on a regular basis *edit to add* (in practice).  My team had ~5 people who could do 15x100 on a 1:05. *edit over*

In a race, it's ahead of FOP for the pros for the only race I've really looked at.  IMCdA last year...the top pace was 1:09 after being converted to yards.  10th place for the pros was 1:24.

Edited by miwoodar 2009-08-26 5:29 PM

Eh, it's all about who shows up that day... as to where you will place. Or how fast you are relative to the competition.

At my tri this past weekend I placed first in my age group out of 25 ladies... with a 1:40/100 meter. Yep.


At a 3 mile OWS I did last month...

Congratulations on finishing the Chester Swim for Life on July 11, 2009.

There were 18 finishers in the Female 44 and Under age group and 43 finishers in the race.

Your overall finish place was 11th. Your age group finish place was 7th.

Your overall finish percentile was 26 while your age group percentile was 39. Your time of 1:32:29.7.


Anyways... I'm a solid 1:40/100 meter in workouts. I have cruise set on that pace because I can't seem to go faster than that! HA!

Yep. Admittedly he's a former Olympic level swimmer, but there is a pro I know who did a 4x400 set last year in a workout with times of 4:06, 4:07, 4:02 and 4:12.

1:07 is a slow 100 time for a single race. I don't know as much about the modern times, but in 85 (my senior year) IIRC the state qualifying time was :58? Somewhere right around there, but def. sub 1:00.

I'm nowhere near any kind of sprint shape, but I bet I could get pretty close (if not beat) a 1:07 in just a one-off sprint.

John

I cant help it it further feeds my addiction to these forums. I have to look like im elsewhere at some point, I cant be on this website 24/7.

I assume we are talking splits here?  how long is that slit coming from?

100 yards no not fast, 100 meters still not fast.

500 yards or meters no not super fast.

Mile? yeah that's a decent split..

Are we talking OW or pool here?

HS 100 wasn't my race but I could break a minute in an event, 500 I Was low 5:20s most of the season and would do a 5:12 or so tappered for counties.

Yep, I too would say 1:07 for a single 100 yard swim is medicore. If I can do it I am sure tons more can also.

I am always a little dismayed when I read the finals qualifying times at the local pool for some of the junior meets and see that if I really work hard someday I might qualify as an 8 year old girl.

Hmm true should probably clarify. Speeds per race distances longer than a sprint tri.

It's often confusing trying to compare swim times because some people swim in 25 meter pools and some in 25 yard pools but think they're swimming in a 25 meter pool (the difference is significant).  It's common to compare 100 yd or 100 m times, but for some they're talking about one all out sprint, and others about a pace at a distance over 1500 meters or longer.  And some give their 100 splits from races that have inaccurately measured courses, so they're faster in their mind than in reality....

That being said, I think that the splits that jldicarlo gave a few posts ago are fairly accurate of what fast and mid-pack swimmers are doing.

Brian

Edited by famelec 2009-08-26 6:03 PM

I did a 1:00 for 100 meters (from a dive) in February and for my tri this past weekend, I was first out of the water with a time of 9:21 for 750m (1:15/100m pace).  However, there were 4 or 5 guys that did the Olympic that beat my pace and I know that some of the faster swimmers in the area weren't in this race so my first out of the water could easily been 10th out of the water.  As others have said, it's all about who shows up that day.

x10 about it's all in who shows up.  Just as examples, for 2 of my races this year, I've been 6th out of 69 in my AG and 4th out of 12.  Normally, I'd have expected to finish lower in the larger race or higher in a smaller race (based on percentiles), but some fast guys showed up at the smaller race.

FWIW, I'm in M35-39 and usually hold a pace around 1:30 - 1:40 per 100 yd.

My race PR is :58/100 for a 1500y swim. A Noreaster had blown through the night before and the current was insane.

Normally, I'd say my average is in the 1:40-1:50/100 range.

When I started doing tris 2+ years ago, I was over 2:00/100 so I've improved to the point where I'm usually in the top 1/3 or so of my swim waves.

I usually go just under 2:00/100 for an Oly/ HIM swim.. and that puts me front of the MOP for my AG.

You DO know that there are lots of totally normal people on ST, right?

I had the fastest female swim split at Timberman (including pros) and can go about :56 for a 100 sprint (not a sprinter). I'n practice (when in shape) I hold about 1:05-1:10 pace.

I wish I could say that.  I am a 1:45 on my very best day....with a current in my favor.  But I will make up for it on the bike/run.  Actually thinking about getting a swimming coach this off season to help this discipline.  

**edited to say: I am talking to split times.  I have no clue what I would get in a sprint but I would guess that 1:07 is a darn good time. 

Edited by Derek1984 2009-08-26 7:41 PM

best 100 yard is :59

best ave in a sprint (800m) was 1:13, best HIM swim 1:19.

3 years ago i could not break 50 for a 50

So what was the big difference?

Technique? Or swim fitness/strength? Obviously it's going to be some of both, but what percentage of each would you guess in terms of your improvement? 

God, you people make me realize I need a swim coach in the worst way.  On the to do list for the off season.  I've improved, but not that much.

Yeah...you need to take that with a grain of salt, or at least understand what the point of reference is. In a flat out 100, they are correct. 1:07 won't get it done at any age older than 6 or 7. At my fastest I was a :44 and wasn't exactly going to Disney World afterwards. But if they are saying that is slow in a triathlon OWS, then they are just blowing smoke. Just look at the results. A 1:07 pace for an Ironman would get you to the transition in 43 minutes and that just doesn't happen. For an Olympic, that pace gets you out in 16.45 which happens, just not that often and certainly no one, even top pro swimmers, considers that slow.

As to the FOP avg...well, that depends on the race, but I would hazard to say that the first pro men are out of the water in the 17th minute in most races and top age groupers are breaking 20 minutes.