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What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim?
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First off, I realize there is a lot of variables that could affect this do no one can say definitively. But assuming a wetsuit legal, properly measure course with relatively calm water and I’m able to latch onto some feet and swim straight. And not having to overswim and affect the rest of the race

Lots of assumptions. But what kind of pool times (scy) would you need be hitting to have a shot? ie 1000 yard time trial, or avg wall time on a 10x100 or 20x100 set leaving on the 1:30. A 1:25 per 100 yd would come out to sub-30, so imagine the 100’s should be a little faster than that

Matt
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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [Pun_Times] [ In reply to ]
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10x100 lcm leaving on 1:40 (in on 1:25-1:30) for me gets me a 59min ironman swim with wetsuit at what feels like 70% effort pace

Edit: sorry that I don’t have direct answer to your question but thought this might be helpful
Last edited by: randomtriguy: Nov 24, 18 9:11
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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [Pun_Times] [ In reply to ]
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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [Pun_Times] [ In reply to ]
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You might as well do an accurate simulation and do 4 x 500 on 30 seconds rest and do them around 7:00ish. Hold consistent pace the whole set with no drop off in speed. I think people can get a false sense of their pace based on the 100s or if you do the 100s you should descend as you do the set.
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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [Gonefishin5555] [ In reply to ]
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Gonefishin5555 wrote:
You might as well do an accurate simulation and do 4 x 500 on 30 seconds rest and do them around 7:00ish. Hold consistent pace the whole set with no drop off in speed. I think people can get a false sense of their pace based on the 100s or if you do the 100s you should descend as you do the set.

This. 100s are nice, but you need stamina. If you can go sub-7 500s with descending splits you are good for that pace.

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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [Pun_Times] [ In reply to ]
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15X100 on 1:30 holding 1:15
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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [Greatzaa] [ In reply to ]
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That's got to be pretty close cuz at my best I was able to do 20X100 SCY on 1:35 holding 1:20 and I've gone ~32 at that time.
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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [Pun_Times] [ In reply to ]
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FWIW, I can hold 1.25-27 for 20x100 LCM leaving on 1.40. My last HIM I swam 28.15 with a wetsuit

No idea about yards
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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [Gonefishin5555] [ In reply to ]
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Gonefishin5555 wrote:
You might as well do an accurate simulation and do 4 x 500 on 30 seconds rest and do them around 7:00ish. Hold consistent pace the whole set with no drop off in speed. I think people can get a false sense of their pace based on the 100s or if you do the 100s you should descend as you do the set.

Pretty close to what I was going to say. But I'd go 4 x 500 at 7 min per steady to hard, on 8 min. take off. When you can eventually do that, graduate to 2 x 1000 on 15 min take off with target of 14 min. Then you're ready.

In the race, you'll have to use some extra skill of navigating super straight on some slightly faster feet, with a wetsuit--you'll nail it provided the course is measured accurately.
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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [Pun_Times] [ In reply to ]
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Maybe I do better in open water, but when I swam 30:xx a couple of years ago I was doing 100 repeats on 1:35 and coming in around 1:22. 400's were around 5:45-5:50 on a 6:15 send off. This season I swam around 32 in my two HIM's on around 1/2 of the volume of previous years. Pool times were around 1:25 on a 1:35-1:40 send off for longer sets. This is all scy.

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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [Pun_Times] [ In reply to ]
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I am between a 29-31 1/2 IM swimmer (trying to make some big swim gains this year however). I have done many 1,000’s, when I am swimming well my 1k repeat time are 14:15-14:45. Take around 1-2 min between them. 15-20 x 100 would be sub 1:20 on 1:40 as well. Between those 2 things I can tell if I am swimming well.

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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [Pun_Times] [ In reply to ]
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What I am taking from thos thread is that I am never swimming 30min for HIM.

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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [ericlambi] [ In reply to ]
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It still might be possible. I am not even near the sets that others are posting here with 100s around 1:15 to 1:25s. For me a 1:35 would be a pretty fast 100 and I would not neccessary be able to do 10 of those. In my main set my 100s would normally be around 1:40-1:45...

However, if the swim is in saltwater I am a few seconds faster per 100, and with a wetsuit I probably drop another 15 seconds per 100. I think there is quite an individual difference in how much "type of water" and wetsuit helps - probably based on technique and efficiency?

So based on my experience there is hope even with slower times in the pool. I've done 1/2 IM swims ranging from 29:30 to 31:xx several times and full IM's in the 1:02-1:03 range where one was even non-wetsuit.
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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [Steel01] [ In reply to ]
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For me 50x50’s leaving on the :45 was a good one for me or 20x100’s at 1:25-1:30, 5-7 sec rest.

I would also incorporate flip turns and sighting while in the pool. U would be surprised how bad ur form can fall apart if u can’t sight efficiently.
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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [Greatzaa] [ In reply to ]
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Greatzaa wrote:
15X100 on 1:30 holding 1:15

eh

you're not talking meters?
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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [Pun_Times] [ In reply to ]
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Do you swim masters? If you do it regularly, you get a feel for what your base pace is. When I'm actively swimming masters (3x a week), I swim in the base 1:25/100 SCY lane. I swam St. George in 30 minutes on someone's feet, in a wetsuit, and pretty straight.

I'd like to get into the base 1:15-1:20 lane but I would need to swim 4 or 5 times a week to make that happen.
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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [Pun_Times] [ In reply to ]
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Assuming all good things, you swim well in a wetsuit, get on feet for the entire swim and swim straight, I would say the minimum in a pool would be 1;25's for 100's on the 1;30/1;35 or so. If you can do 10 that would be good, do 20 and you should be golden..

Now that is slowest and best case scenario. There will be guys that can do 1;15's and not make that 30 minutes, a very wide range of abilities once you are under race conditions. But physically and speed wise, that 1;25 pace could get you there, so don't be discouraged by all the faster sets people post up, they are their guidelines or guesses, and of course more stringent and more of a slam dunk on a 30 minute swim...
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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [Pun_Times] [ In reply to ]
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100's isnt the best way to benchmark this, do 4x400 or 5x400, if you can hit 5:30- 5:35 pace- 40 sec rest after each interval, then you will be good

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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [Pun_Times] [ In reply to ]
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1000scy time trial 14:00 has a shot. 13:30 you're a slam dunk. I'd say this because, even as a swimmer, if I'm in whatever "1000 shape" I'm in, the time drop for the next 1000 is nominal. It's difficult to extrapolate 500, 200, 100, 50's on intervals into a 1.2 miler because it's hard to quantify how much your repeats benefit from rest time in strength, stamina, and mechanics.
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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [Gashman] [ In reply to ]
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Gashman wrote:
Greatzaa wrote:
15X100 on 1:30 holding 1:15

eh

you're not talking meters?

I swam 28:55 and 20x100 scy on 1:30 holding 1:20 was one of my hard sets. Max effort would be a a bit faster but not much. I am atypical and wetsuits help me a ton. But it is possible.
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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [ericlambi] [ In reply to ]
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ericlambi wrote:
What I am taking from thos thread is that I am never swimming 30min for HIM.

I can't hold most of the benchmarks being thrown around here and I swam a bunch of 30:xx splits on accurate courses, so don't give up hope yet...

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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [SpeedOfCourse] [ In reply to ]
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Curious as to why you think 400s are the best benchmark?

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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [Pun_Times] [ In reply to ]
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I've hit sub 30 twice in HIM races. Both were wetsuit swims. When I hit those I was swimming 3x/week, two with masters one on my own. I would typically do a set of 16 or 20 100's on the 1:35 or 1:40 (SCY) and come in on average around 1:25. At that time I could swim a straight 1000 SCY in the 1:40-14:20 range.

So if you want to make sure you can hit under 30', I'd try and exceed these figures, especially if the swim might be without a wetsuit.
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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [ripple] [ In reply to ]
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ripple wrote:
1000scy time trial 14:00 has a shot. 13:30 you're a slam dunk. I'd say this because, even as a swimmer, if I'm in whatever "1000 shape" I'm in, the time drop for the next 1000 is nominal. It's difficult to extrapolate 500, 200, 100, 50's on intervals into a 1.2 miler because it's hard to quantify how much your repeats benefit from rest time in strength, stamina, and mechanics.

I think 13:30 for 1k yards TT is right. Should be able to swim 30 min and not kill yourself doing it.
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Re: What benchmarks would I need to go sub-30 in a half-IM swim? [Sean H] [ In reply to ]
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Sean H wrote:
ripple wrote:
1000scy time trial 14:00 has a shot. 13:30 you're a slam dunk. I'd say this because, even as a swimmer, if I'm in whatever "1000 shape" I'm in, the time drop for the next 1000 is nominal. It's difficult to extrapolate 500, 200, 100, 50's on intervals into a 1.2 miler because it's hard to quantify how much your repeats benefit from rest time in strength, stamina, and mechanics.


I think 13:30 for 1k yards TT is right. Should be able to swim 30 min and not kill yourself doing it.

So thats what my 1k TT should be!!!! Challenge for 2019 accepted! Broken clavicle to 13:30 challenge.

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