I don't know, longest I've swam without stopping is 2 laps. was able to do it in like 32 seconds and was tired, but I think I can do better and go farther if I tried.
Thinking about signing up for a race this summer that has a 1.2 mile swim. Is this a bad idea if I've never really swam before?
What's the running equivalent of swimming 1 mile? If I run 60 MPW and have a sub-19:00 5k PB, should a 1.2 mile swim under 30 min be easy for me?
A 19:00 5k is a better performance than a 30-minute 1.2 mile swim (although if it's open water, currents, waves, and course inaccuracies can make a huge difference).
That said, the number of people who can swim 1.2 miles open water in 30 minutes **without any training** is miniscule. If you were on your high school water polo team and hung around a pool a lot as a kid, you might have a chance; otherwise you have more chance of needing to be pulled out of the water than of making it home in 30 minutes.
If you look at world records over short and medium distances, the conversion is about 4x. So a mile swim is about 4 miles of running. For slower paces this breaks down (I would find 2:00/100m way way easier than 5:00/km) but your technique probably isn't perfect. Technique is like 70% of swimming. With a 15-high 5k my threshold swim pace is about 1:25/100m but some triathletes I train with can keep up with me in the swim but run 22+ for 5k. They've swum for many years so their technique is way better than mine. Conversely some much faster runners would have to be pulled out of the water...
If this is a 70.3, the swim is not meant to be difficult. You'd better hit the pool because you'll have to swim in open water in a big messy pack and have 4-8hrs of racing afterwards. 1.2mi in a pool should be a piece of cake.
Thinking about signing up for a race this summer that has a 1.2 mile swim. Is this a bad idea if I've never really swam before?
What's the running equivalent of swimming 1 mile? If I run 60 MPW and have a sub-19:00 5k PB, should a 1.2 mile swim under 30 min be easy for me?
A 1.2 mile swim is not going to be easy for you. In fact I would be surprised that in open water you can break 45 minutes. I am 72, and reasonably fit. I swim with fins, 2,500 yards twice a week in just under an hour.
I don't know, longest I've swam without stopping is 2 laps. was able to do it in like 32 seconds and was tired, but I think I can do better and go farther if I tried.
Pretty sure the organizers of the race would recommend you sit this one out.
You should slow down and focus on getting into a smooth, relaxed rhythm that allows you to calmly take a deep breath. Once you feel comfortable there swimming 500-1000 yards you could start doing intervals of swimming about 10-15s faster per 100y with a short rest in between. From there you can keep building!!