How Fast can Phelps run a mile?

Felps would struggle to break 5:45 right now. The guy looks incredibly awkward and clumsy on land.

As for Rupp, he has the aerobic engine equivalent of a modified Lamborghini, therefore his first time in the pool he would probably swim a time that is on par with some of our top collegiates.

The real question is how phast could Felps run a mile.

ecin wrote:

Elite swimmers are some of the most unathletic people outside of the pool. One guy I work with who swam in college can't run without his legs making this weird pigeon footed circular motion (used in a swimming stroke I would guess). And, a friend of mines brother won bronze in athens and the guy can barely walk for a few minutes straight without tripping over himself.

Based on this experience I'd say a 6 minute mile at best.

There was a guy on my XC team in college who had been a multiple time state champion in swimming in a fairly competitive state. He gave it up because he stopped liking it, and was a 23-high 8k XC guy in college.

Phelps has a big triangular (7'6" reach when arms stretched out!) mid section and short legs. Sorta like Mr Incredible.

This is perfect for butterfly, terrible for running. I would say no faster than 5min probably 5:30.

The MonBRO Doctrine wrote:

Just because Phelps is a much better swimmer than your friend doesn't mean that he's a better runner.

Exactly. There is obviously some correlation between swimming times and running times, but once you're that far right on the bell curve it probably breaks down (maybe even reverses, as the super elites will have very swimming-specific type bodies).

Also, the kid could probably have run a relatively better mile than 10k, as the latter is damn hard to do well without specific training - the former, not so tough for a fit teenage kid.

Mr. Obvious wrote:

Why is this relevant? How fast can Rupp do a 200 butterfly?

Rupp would have a heck of a time in the pool wearing that mask.

A high school swimmer in my state switched over to track his senior year and pulled a 4:16 by the end of the season.

im sure phelps could get well under 5 no specific training.

Dennis Reynolds wrote:

ecin wrote:

Elite swimmers are some of the most unathletic people outside of the pool. One guy I work with who swam in college can't run without his legs making this weird pigeon footed circular motion (used in a swimming stroke I would guess). And, a friend of mines brother won bronze in athens and the guy can barely walk for a few minutes straight without tripping over himself.

Based on this experience I'd say a 6 minute mile at best.

Most swimmers would laugh at runners as they flounder around in a pool doing poor versions of different strokes, what's your point?

Wow. Reading comprehension issues? Or did this hit home for you?

The question asked how fast phelps could run a mile. Using the two closest examples in my life I gave me prediction.

The question wasn't about runners swimming. so my question is, what is your point?

Consider This wrote:

ecin wrote:

Elite swimmers are some of the most unathletic people outside of the pool. One guy I work with who swam in college can't run without his legs making this weird pigeon footed circular motion (used in a swimming stroke I would guess). And, a friend of mines brother won bronze in athens and the guy can barely walk for a few minutes straight without tripping over himself.

Based on this experience I'd say a 6 minute mile at best.

There was a guy on my XC team in college who had been a multiple time state champion in swimming in a fairly competitive state. He gave it up because he stopped liking it, and was a 23-high 8k XC guy in college.

Are you implying that I suggested this was true of all swimmers? Because I wasn't. Not to mention state high school champion and Olympic medalist isn't exactly the same. No matter the state.

khjkhjk wrote:

A high school swimmer in my state switched over to track his senior year and pulled a 4:16 by the end of the season.

im sure phelps could get well under 5 no specific training.

Did you ever consider the idea that he was a runner trying to be a swimmer?

Phelps is a freak of nature suited for swimming. His inseam is 32"

6:00

So I have some actual data. There is a Navy Seals Challenge where swimmers do a 500 yard swim, 10 minutes rest, 2 mins each of sit ups, pull ups, and push ups with two minutes between each, then ten minutes rest and then a mile and a half run. Here is the data for the every Big Ten swimmer. http://www.usaswimming.org/_Rainbow/Documents/6a874505-9ed3-4f9e-9880-1305a217e7e1/big_ten.pdf If you google it you can more swimmers' data but I wouldn't trust the distance measurements for them. My D1 swim team does a 1600 time trial for our first morning practice in the fall. Last year I was the fastest in 4:59, then number two was in 5:16, an most everyone was under 6 minutes.

He can run an 9:29 mile all out. Then he will need to get hooked up to the oxygen tanks.

Alan Webb was a swimmer before becoming an elite runner.

Phelps right now, unquestionably, is an elite aerobic engine. But a decent time in the mile still requires some neuromuscular training. Given eight weeks of running training, patiently warding off injury, Phelps could likely break 5:00 in the mile, IMO.

Sciatica Road wrote:

Given eight weeks of running training, patiently warding off injury, Phelps could likely break 5:00 in the mile, IMO.

Now this is assuming he had the incentive, and I was coaching him...the first day, we would go to the track, and I'd have him warm-up, then time him over a mile to see where we are coming from; he'd probably run somewhere between a 6:40 to 7:00 mile that first day. From there, we would work to get him below 5:00 eight weeks later. That first week, I would have him doing three-a-days of jogging, with extensive rolling, stretching, sports massage between runs, educating him on form.

He breaks 6:00 without run training, but not 5:00. Seriously, have you ever run in a corporate challenge 5K? just about any 20 something non-runner with a bit of athleticism runs the first mile in 6:00 (then blows up).

Thank you all for making LetsRun what it is...one of the most retarded message boards around, despite how great it is, sometimes.

He is one of, if not the the greatest swimmer of all time. his VO2 max is ridiculous and im sure that he would have no problem breaking 5.. i would say 4:50 at slowest.

Sub-6 for the Mile or in other words, faster than Colin Cowherd!