A Mile is How Long???

[caronis]

I'm a bit confused by the number of laps in a 25 yard pool that constitute a mile....I thought it was 35 laps, but now I'm reading that it's 33 laps for a "swimmers mile".....I don't get it.

I'm also trying to figure out how fast my lap times need to be in order for me to swim a 30 minute mile.....Are there time calculators out there that I can use?

[CoachToby]

Originally Posted by caronis

I'm a bit confused by the number of laps in a 25 yard pool that constitute a mile....I thought it was 35 laps, but now I'm reading that it's 33 laps for a "swimmers mile".....I don't get it.

I'm also trying to figure out how fast my lap times need to be in order for me to swim a 30 minute mile.....Are there time calculators out there that I can use?

A swimmer's mile is 1650 yds, or 66 lengths (the closest event possible in a 25 yard pool to 1500m). There are 72 lengths in a real mile.

Convert 30mins to seconds, and divide by 72 = 25 seconds per length.

[jenson1a]

35 laps = 70 lengths or 5,250 ft (70 x 75 ft) 33 laps = 66 lengths =4,950 ft

1 mile = 5,280 ft and a swimmer's mile is 1500 meters or 4,950 ft at least that is what I have read

Sherry

[caronis]

When I read about the times people put down for the Mile Swim Time....like 35 minutes or 30 minutes......Do they tend to use the swimmer's mile? Or the actual mile?

When I said laps, I meant 2 lengths per lap....I've always preferred looking at it that way....

Also.....What would be considered an average time for a mile swim versus a good time for an amateur swimmer?

[andyinnorway]

Originally Posted by caronis

When I read about the times people put down for the Mile Swim Time....like 35 minutes or 30 minutes......Do they tend to use the swimmer's mile? Or the actual mile?

When I said laps, I meant 2 lengths per lap....I've always preferred looking at it that way....

Also.....What would be considered an average time for a mile swim versus a good time for an amateur swimmer?

I think these days a mile is a mile. If you enter a mile open water race then you can expect to swim 1760 yards or 1609 metres.

A swimmer's mile is a term I wouldn't think anyone needed to use anymore as its confusing. Much easier to refer to it as 1500m

Swim laps are normally referred to as single lengths, even though 2 lengths is a true lap that gets you back to the start.

[Richardsk]

Generally in 25 meter pools the mile is taken as 64 lengths, which is somewhat less than a statute mile (1762 yards) . 65 lengths is somewhat longer . 72 lengths would be a lot longer. In my opinion if you are not living in the USA you should think in meters as far as swimming is concerned and regard the mile as something irrelevant.

In the old days, when converting meters to yards for athletics purposes, we took 100 meters as 109 yards one foot and one inch, which I believe is fairly accurate. The figure for one meter is 39.37 inches I believe. The 200 meters race is a little shorter than the 220 and the 400 meters and 800 meters a little shorter than the 440 and 880 yards.

[Mike from NS]

For added confusion in Halifax (Canada Games Centre) at times with various pool activities at the same time -- the lanes are placed sideways; no floor markings for easy guidance and narrower than the standard lane. Collisions are common. So at these times the lane length isn't 25M but what ever the pool's 8 standard lanes measure sideways. Not a happy place when the management does this !! It kind of throws times and stroke counts per length out the window ! People complain and they still do it. It may take 110 "widrhs" to cover a mile if a lane is 6ft wide - normally. Maybe I'll take a tape measure and find out !
Mike

[The Bear]

As far as times go, our club did the "Postal Swim" a couple of weeks ago. 1650 in a 25 yard pool.

Times ranged from 23 minutes to 47 minutes with a lot of the good swimmers around the 30 minute mark.

[caronis]

Originally Posted by The Bear

As far as times go, our club did the "Postal Swim" a couple of weeks ago. 1650 in a 25 yard pool.

Times ranged from 23 minutes to 47 minutes with a lot of the good swimmers around the 30 minute mark.

Thanks...that helps! ... I'm thinking that a 30 minute mile is a challenging, yet rewarding bar for me.....I'm quite aways from that now, but I have a good mark to shoot for and a sense of what my interval times should be.

Which is your club?? Is the Postal Swim where you send in your time?

[AndrewLRose]

Originally Posted by jenson1a

35 laps = 70 lengths or 5,250 ft (70 x 75 ft) 33 laps = 66 lengths =4,950 ft

1 mile = 5,280 ft and a swimmer's mile is 1500 meters or 4,950 ft at least that is what I have read

Sherry

Very clear. Firstly I am not really about the estimation of A Mile and I also have the wonder as caronis. Luckily for me read this topic. Tks your sharing.