Run vs. Swim? The Scores are In.

[Talvi]

Came across this today when trying to get a fix on technique vs. fitness: http://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/21/he...ore-is-in.html

If you're as efficient at both, and going at top speed in both, men will travel 3.75 times further running than swimming and women 3.5 times farther.

An interesting benchmark I think.

FWIW

EDIT
Just checked my statistics for last year, when I swam my first mile etc. At that time I ran 6 km - exactly 3.75 miles! :D Now though, having just been swimming since then, the first time I ran, last week, I found I had to walk after only a kilometre. Time to factor in some running I think!

[sclim]

So, not sure what I was expecting, I did the math. I got a ridiculous ratio. So I guess I just got confirmation of what I already know -- I'm an efficient runner, and an abysmal swimmer lol.

[sclim]

PS: Too much time to ruminate. Not enough motivation to actually practice to get better.

[andyinnorway]

This 3.75 ratio and a ratio of 10 for Cycling tend to hold up well with age group triathletes that keep their training equal across the disciplines.

mine always do at least

[Talvi]

Hi Andy, re your sub 1:30 100m, what TT tempo are you getting these times in?

[Zenturtle]

This 3.75 ratio and a ratio of 10 for Cycling tend to hold up well with age group triathletes that keep their training equal across the disciplines.

in the "how efficient is your swimming" thread I looked at a random sample from regional triathlon times and the bicycle speed was 7-13 times higher than the swimming speed, so the factor 10 makes sense.
Quit a good rough indicator of your swimming efficiency if your spending equal amounts of training time on both sports.

Interesting in the article is that most people work out less intense in the water than on dry land except the real swimmers. Getting the most out of your breathing is a big thing in the water.

[WFEGb]

Hello Talvi,

FWIW: my yellowed (and by far outdated) Cooper-book tells:

Running 2,4km in 9:45-11:59min should be evaluated as well as running 4km in 25:00-29:59min should be evaluated as well as swimming 600m below 10min or 900m in 15:00-22:59min or 1200m in 30:00-39:59min should be evaluated as well as cycling 8km below 15min or 24km in 1h-1h59:59min

... and if you do four of them per week Cooper declared it as in good shape not as an athlete but as an ordinary citizen. (Think in this point he's still right today)

Best regards,
Werner

[Talvi]

Werner, did you mean that the effort for each of those different things is about the same?

Couldn't do four of them a week though! :D

[WFEGb]

Hello Talvi,

not I, Cooper. All these are 7.5points in his scale; and 30 Points per week in which combination ever he defined as good shape. It was around 1970 when he and others developed jogging as fashion. His grid is/was very coarse. But what I'd liked was his program. You had to do a test, which assigned you to a group and a program for 10-16weeks showed how to reach it. This program did not work for FS, but for the other sports. It's successful for breasstroke (less points) but boring until I found TI...

Best regards,
Werner

PS: FS: 9kcal/min; Breaststroke: 7kcal/min; Backstroke: 8kcal/Minute and Fly: 12kcal/min... But even Terry didn't know about TI at the time...

[Talvi]

Ah well, I could have done four a week in 1970 ;) if I hadn't been otherwise engaged that is! :D

Did he make no allowance for age?