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Am I the only person who...
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...has a lot of trouble counting laps in the pool. This morning's swim workout was a joke. Was that last set 900? 1000? 950? Damn, lost count again.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
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Re: Am I the only person who... [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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I start the clock, swim 200yds check the time and guesstimate based on time from that point on.
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Re: Am I the only person who... [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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I never have any trouble counting laps...but then I never swim them so it makes it all very easy. I suppose if I did swim them I would either have someone else do it for me or get one of those little finger counter thingys they sell in triathlete mag or something. But man that sounds like a lot of work.
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Re: Am I the only person who... [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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I feel your pain, I lost count this morning at around 30 lengths, decided that the pool was too freakin!@$# warm again anyway and just called it a morning. I have been thinking about this for about a month now and can't come up with a way to keep track of my laps that doesn't interupt my swim. We need a big button on the end of the lane that you can hit after each lap.

Jim S


Jim

**Note above poster works for a retailer selling bikes and related gear*
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Re: Am I the only person who... [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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Good, now I feel better.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
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Re: Am I the only person who... [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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I think that's pretty much the norm for everyone. Its easy to get lost especailly when your mind wanders or your are focused on your technique or stroke and not paying attention to the walls.

I use a stop watch on my wrist. If you know roughly the pace you swim at you can do the math. A 1:30 pace for example is a 7:30 min 500(yrds) and a 15:00 min 1000(yrds). If on your flip turn you glance at the watch and it shows 9:00, you know your at 600 yards.

Its not fool proof, but if you get lost on whether this is 900 or 1000, the watch can usually give you the answer, or is close enough to tell you that your not at a 1000 yards yet.

Just my opinion and what I do. Hope it helps.
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Re: Am I the only person who... [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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I have a small container w/ 20 pennies in it. Before I start my warmup I align the pennies in 4 rows of 5 pennies (each penny = 50y). It's not necessary to align them, I used to just put them in a pile before I kepot track of 250y times. Everytime I come back to that end, I finish the stroke, come out of the water, place a penny in the container and resume swimming (takes about 1-2 seconds). When one row is done, I hit the lap on my stopwatch (I keep track of 250y times).

Once all the pennies are in the container, it's 1000y. So then I take them out one at a time for every 50y. If I get them all out, it's 2000y.

It's very simple, quick, and accurate. The container w/ lid stays in my training bag. To some it's not a big deal, to me I want to know exactly how far swam and in exactly how much time. While I'm swimming i don't want to think about counting. I want to relax and go as fast and as consistent as I can.

=======================
-- Every morning brings opportunity;
Each evening offers judgement. --
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Re: Am I the only person who... [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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I have an idea for an underwater timer/lap counter...Sort of like a mat than hangs over the edge of the pool...You would hit is when you do a flip turn...Large LED display and such....Should come in at about $8,000. :)
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Re: Am I the only person who... [TriPA] [ In reply to ]
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So none of you actually use that silly little lap counter thingy that goes on your finger while you swim??? Really??? Is there some kind of hydrodynamic disadvantage to wearing one? Are they too heavy and effect your stroke on that side? Strikes me as being a bit of a no brainer (since when you're swimming who really wants to use their brain anyway). I always kind of thought it to be a silly but simple idea for counting laps. Shrugs...then heads to the basement to mourn over the purchase of his 404 clinchers (I wish someone had told me sooner:-()
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Re: Am I the only person who... [Kentiger] [ In reply to ]
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I guestimate by time. I even sometimes forget how many sets Ive done so I use the lane rope dividers and push it down a little bit and after each set pull one back while I'm resting.
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Re: Am I the only person who... [TripleThreat] [ In reply to ]
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Dude,

No offense but that sounds amateurish - have you ever seen anyone else at the pool with a big bag of pennies? Wasting (resting) 1-2 secs every 50? Get a waterproof watch and use it as a guide.
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Re: Am I the only person who... [TriPA] [ In reply to ]
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I use the lane dividers that have enough slack in them as a floating abacus. I push all the floats toward the center of the pool so there's about a foot of open wire from the floats to the pool wall. One float disc moved toward the wall for every hundred or two hundred yds, then I don't have to worry about counting above 4. Doesn't work very easily if you're a flip turner, but it helps with keeping track of the laps.
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Re: Am I the only person who... [Jeff_Mdot] [ In reply to ]
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I have an easy method for keeping track. I breath on the right for a 100 and then breath on the left for a 100. I start my workouts breathing right so they are the odd 100s and left is the even. Best of all your learning to breath on both sides, thus during a triathlon you will be very comfortable breathing to which ever side is most appropriate for the course. I usually do a main set of 1,600 and counting hasn't been an issue since doing this. I think in terms of 4 400s with breathing on the right for 2 100s and on the left for 2 100s for each 400 set.
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Re: Am I the only person who... [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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I do my alphabet laps. Lap 1 is A, lap 2 is B, etc. Depending on my mood, it's sometimes cycling night (A is Alessio, B is Beloki, C is Chiapucci, etc.) Sometimes it's French words, sometimes cities or countries, sometimes triathlon. Keeps me entertained anyway.

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
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Re: Am I the only person who... [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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I just use "time in pool"....usually I use a sun dial.
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Re: Am I the only person who... [Jeff_Mdot] [ In reply to ]
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At this point, I'm making due. I guess I could take the credit card and buy everything I "need" to train, but it doesn't really seem worth it. This sport seems set up for people that are willing to buy whatever to avoid looking "amateurish". That's their choice. [$30 for a "counting ring" doesn't sem worth it to me. What looks worse? Using pennies or wearing a counties ring? They're both silly to me]

I'm brand new to tri-training, started swimming in november. Counting laps wasn't an issue then b/c could only swim a 50y. Then I went to 500y, then 700y, then 1000y, then 1500y is no problem. I'm finally getting to the point where I know how long it takes to swim a 250y, and could estimate. I didn't start out with that knowledge. In reality the container is like 3 inches long and altogether takes up about 4in x 4in. If someone were nosey, they'd see it, if not they'd never notice [While I swim, it's a guy rehabbing his back w/ therapist, and 4 old ladies in an arthritis class]

Cut a newbie a break wouldya? =) [I'd likely make fun of someone using pennies to count laps too. I know it's silly. I won't do it forever]

=======================
-- Every morning brings opportunity;
Each evening offers judgement. --
Last edited by: TripleThreat: Feb 23, 04 8:57
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Re: Am I the only person who... [ironclm] [ In reply to ]
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That is a very good idea. I'll try that today. Hopefully, I won't sing a kiddies song, "A is for apple, B is for bear, ....."

Seriously, good idea. BTW, I checked out your blogsite the other day. Cool stuff. Hope you're feeling better.

=======================
-- Every morning brings opportunity;
Each evening offers judgement. --
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Re: Am I the only person who... [TripleThreat] [ In reply to ]
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I leave my watch at the starting end. After every lap I allign it to match the appropriate number on the clock (1:00 then 2:00, etc.). I'm just starting so it works for me because I'm not doing flip turns and usually need a short rest anyway.
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Re: Am I the only person who... [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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what a bizarre thread. Why are youse guys swimming these massive distances, instead of short-rest intervals ? Once a month I swim a 1650yd time trial, all the rest of the time the furthest I'll ever go is 400yd and that usually as a warmup. Calculating average 100 time for a 10x100 on 1:40 (or any other of a large set of interval workouts) allows me to predict my 1650yd time within 15sec..

If you really want to swim those kinds of unbroken distances, time is a better measure than laps. Coins in buckets, moving floats on the lane dividers - I thought these were jokes at first..

"It is a good feeling for old men who have begun to fear failure, any sort of failure, to set a schedule for exercise and stick to it. If an aging man can run a distance of three miles, for instance, he knows that whatever his other failures may be, he is not completely wasted away." Romain Gary, SI interview
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Re: Am I the only person who... [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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I go exclusively by time and not laps. Probably bassakward ... but then I'm also the worlds worst swimmer so what do I care? I train to survive the swim ...muddle through the bike ... and stumble through the run! Good fun.

*****
"In case of flood climb to safety"
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Re: Am I the only person who... [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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Tom, Not to sound like a "downer", but does it make that much difference? Especially at that distance. if you think you are short, swim another lap, if too long, stop.

I can't imagine too many swim courses being exactly right.

Kind of like my buddy this weekend on our ride, all of our computers were a little off, you know, one said 58 miles, anoter 60.5, etc. So in his log, it was 60 miles.

I don't think missing a 50 is going to kill you ;) But I'll be doing that extra 50!

Mike


TheBikeRacer.com
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Re: Am I the only person who... [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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Yes, the greater the effort (and length) of the swim, the more the brain refuses to do computation or other simple tasks. Before I start a set, what I do is this: take the no. of 100s of yards of the set, double that no., and use that as the no. of LAPS (NOT lengths) to swim.

Examples: Swim a 400. So double the 4 of the 400 = 8 "laps". So the set is done when you return to the starting side of the pool 8 times (easier to count for me than 16 lengths--a smaller no., plus you only have to add a lap every two lengths instead of every one).

Or, swim a 300. So double the 3 of the 300 = 6 "laps". So the set is done when you return to the starting side of the pool 6 times.

Or, swim a 750. So double the 7.5 of the 750 = 15 "laps". So the set is done when you return to the starting side of the pool 7 times.

Or, swim a 1000. So double the 10 of the 1000 = 20 "laps". So the set is done when you return to the starting side of the pool 20 times.

Etc. ...





Where would you want to swim ?
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Re: Am I the only person who... [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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Tom,

I think that this must be some sort of genetic pre-programmed talent. I'm not the dumbest guy around (even though others may think so since I still race on tubies) but I can't count laps to save my life. I mean, I can't swim 200s with out losing track. Now, a guy a swim with can count everything to any number and never lose track - and he isn't THAT much smarter than me.

So, I have just given up counting laps - heck, I'd even forget if I moved one of the pennies. I just swim by time, even in intervals, unless I'm swimming with someone else who is a "counter."

David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.
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Re: Am I the only person who... [david] [ In reply to ]
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LOL. I usually do fine counting laps, until one length I count strokes or count breaths, and then I'm screwed. Then, I practically drown trying to remember if it was 250y or 300y?

why count laps? I'm new ... I still record everything. Experience in strength-training and sports-conditioning tells me that as time goes on meticulous record keeping and constant progress-monitoring becomes a chore and interferes with motivation, etc. Right now, it's kind of fun to measure progress after every workout, and compare 250y pace times from month to month. I'm still at the level where I can take 2min off my 2000y swim each month [total time still sucks, so I celebrate the litle victories].

=======================
-- Every morning brings opportunity;
Each evening offers judgement. --
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Re: Am I the only person who... [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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I tipically lose count around 3 laps.

The way I keep track is that I time my 500's with my watch. When I'm just over 9 min I know I've done 10 laps.

jaretj
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