Swimmers? Whats a good aim to have?

[smurfgirl]

I have been swimming regularly for three months, really really enjoying it and am def a lot fitter since starting.

I have just started to manage to do 50 lengths in a 25m pool in just under an hour.

I was sooooooo pleased with myself until some women I was chatting to today who cruised up and down in full hair and makeup told me they did the same .
I am so tired after that amount and feel really puffed (I do half as front crawl) and they looked dead glam and had rests. I literally have to swim solidly for 50 minutes to do that amount!

Whats a good time? What should I aim for? I would love to swim a mile in an hour but I am just so slow. I am trying hard to focus on technique. I really want to be better at it, its the only sport I feel I am reasonably natural at.

I tried some sprints today but I had picked the wrong costume up and kept popping out so decided to sacrifice speed for dignity.

I did work on my front crawl though and stretched myself out and I went much much faster without trying harder. So def worth it!

I didn't do much today because I was feeling like a lazy bum and the pool was busy busy.

sounds like you are doing pretty well: I do 50 lenghts as well ( sometimes a few more ) and I have been swimming for years! it is true that technique is more important than speed - if you keep your head and neck up all the time it plays havoc with your muscles as I recall. Try to get your body as flat as poss. Breathe on both sides during freestyle.

I alternate my styles as this makes it more difficlut - 10 breast/10 freestyle/10 breast/10 freestyle, then a mixture of 10 - 15 more with a couple of backstroke thrown in for good measure! It takes me around 40 mins and I am not interested in getting faster - you sound like you are doing really well!

really glad you found it helpful sazzles, it's great to see it quantified like that, i'm not good at counting and timing but it certainly felt better to me when i used some of the techniques. i'm glad this thread has prompted me to get the book out again actually, i'll give it another go next time too.

smurfgirl - taht is just silly! 50 lenghts is great - Ishould know as I used to swim for my county many moons ago. 50 lenghts was what we swam on a training day and as someone else sugested doing a sprint every few lenghts is also good.

you go girl - you're doing good!!!

And fwiw i did nt' really swim again for about 20 yrs and have now very very recently taken it up agian expecting to cruise my 30 or so lenghts effortlessly and struggle with 15!