Swimming Times Converting to Running times?

How old are you?

Those are times that would indicate potential success as a triathlete, if you're so inclined.

I'd work on the endurance end of the spectrum. I had 4:30 mile, 4:32 500 yd free times out of highschool. Anyone can learn to race the bike, especially the drafting stuff.

I'd think 4:40 500yd free and 4:15 mile out of high school would put you in the top 10 in any race eventually.

Sorry, off topic, but similar swim/run experiences.

I haven't done it in many yers, but most of my athletes cross training in Australia in the early 80's had a 4:1 ratio. 100m time = 400m run

Being the nature of the country, they were all very good swimmers. Current athlee uses the same ratio, but again she is an outstanding swimmer.

ray wrote:

I haven't done it in many yers, but most of my athletes cross training in Australia in the early 80's had a 4:1 ratio. 100m time = 400m run

He might have a 4:1 ratio too, assuming the times he gave are short course yards.

As far as swimming goes, you are MUCH better in the sprints than in the longer stuff. I am assuming that your 50 was shaved and tapered and the 200/500 almost certainly weren't. Is that correct?

Anyways, to kind of answer your question (these are obviously based soley on opinion):

Times in the 50y free and the 200m dash are typically very similar. For example, sub-22 means you have a good shot at being a solid D1 performer. Sub-21 makes you one of the elite high schoolers in the country. Sub-20 is ridiculous.

100y free times are about 3 seconds faster than 400m times at the "top HS level". Sub-44.0 in the 100y free makes you nationally elite (in High School) similarly to a sub-47 in the 400m dash. 45/48 are borderline national elites and would win the vast majority of state meet. 46/49 kids are still studs … This holds close to true all the way up to 48/51 or so. Obviously, a percentage would be a better conversion for all times, but adding 3 seconds is a quick and easy rule of thumb for the top kids.

For similar 200y free vs. 800m run "conversions", you can add about 13 seconds to the 200y free times. Sub-1:37 will win the state meet in just about every state as will a sub-1:50 800m kid.

For the 500y free and 1600m run, adding ~17 seconds to the 1600m time gives a good approximation for an "equivalent" 500y time. Sub 4:05 in the mile is nationally elite as is sub-4:22 in the 500y free. 4:13/4:30 will win in a lot of states, but not the very big ones. This continues to work even for the non-"elite" kids as a 4:30 1600m is pretty similar to a 4:47 500y free. These times make someone a state-qualifier type, but probably not a state-placer unless the state is small.

Anyways, using these totally random and opinion-based conversions show that you are definitely a better sprinter in the water than on land and you are much better at the longer stuff on land. You really want to bring that 500y free time WAAAYYYY down if are thinking about being competitive in tris. Your 50y time indicates that you definitely have talent in the pool.