Average time to swim 1250 meters? - Answers

I started up swimming at 50 to get a cardiovascular workout and also to not put my joints at risk... a swim coach told me that 30 mins in the pool works off far more calories than a 'typical' 1 hour gym workout. I started at 37mins to do 50x25M (1250M) and that was 10 months ago. Not being used to it, I started with breaststroke and put in 1 freestyle length every 2 or 3. It took about 4 months to get the freestyle breathing efficient... head turn alternately every 3 strokes. Sounds odd but it was a struggle to avoid disrupting the free and rhythmic natural breathing flow. Over the months of going 1-3 times a week, my times got better and the proportion of freestyle lengths increased. At 4 months I started to complete the whole 1250M freestyle... and although tiring, freestyle being the faster stroke, my times got better. I got to around 35 mins for a long time (I didn't bother counting the lengths... just did 35 minutes). Then at about 6 months in I counted the lengths and found I was doing about 63-65 lengths. Good progress. In the last few months I invested in a speedo aquacoach watch which counts the laps automatically... and my times have got better and better.... I'm really beginning to feel I am cutting through the water now (rather than the 'brick going sideways' when I started). My latest time was 26'43" last week. I'm still not that fast and am amazed by the many who leave me for dead and lap me... but my own progress and fitness has made me really much fitter and healthier... I hope this helps you to continue and progress to whatever goals you have set in life!