The zero to 1650 program[/URL" target="_blank"> would be the rough equivalent of C25k.

Swimmers (those raised in the pool) consider 1650 yards to be a "swimmers mile." 1760 yards is the more traditional length of a mile, but for the purposes of developing endurance to cover a "mile," the difference won't mean much.

When you say you have swum in the past...as in competitive swimming on a team (high school, college)? Or are you talking about treading water and splashing around in the pool?

If you have swum competitively, you are 3/4 of the way there already since you have the technique programmed in your brain somewhere, you just need to get your aerobic conditioning back. Maybe some drill work to get the muscle memory back.

If you talking recreational swimming, some lessons or pointers from an experienced swimmer may be in order.

Good luck!

I'd suggest joining a masters team so you can get feedback from a coach on form and technique. No sense in swimming on your own all the time and reinforcing bad technique and making it into a habit that will be at best hard to break, at worst, injury causing.

As for lap/length, I'd rather think I'm doing 4 laps than 8 lengths for 200m... (Canada) I guess it's easier for my brain to double than to multiply by 4!

Jeni- I swam competitively in the summer only as a child (until I was 13), then I took a swimming class in college 10 years later (conditioning swimming class for exercise -- it was hard!!). Now, yet another 10 years later, I just started swimming and was amazed at how well I did. I never swam in high school either. Just get in the pool and start swimming and see how you do. You probably remember some drills, so throw some of those in. Get a kickboard, some fins (Zoomers), and a pull buoy, and you're set! I think you will be surprised at how far you can swim. I probably could have swam a mile the first time in the pool (slowly, but I could have done it).

Kelli