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How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts?
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| General Discussion | Triathlon Talk » How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? | Rss Feed  |
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 2015-04-28 3:31 PM |
Regular  134   Oregon |  Subject: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts?it's not a problem with biking and running since I just go the whole time nonstop. but when I do my planned swim workouts there is no way I can just swim for 30-60 mins straight (If I could, I wouldn't probably need that training plan) So, do you guys count your whole time in the pool, or just the time spent actually swimming? so, let's say I rest 12-15 seconds on average every 2 minutes (10% downtime) and I was in the pool for a total of 40 minutes. would I count that as a 36 minute workout or a 40 minute workout? Also, let's say you are planned for a 40 minute workout but you end up resting 10% of the time, does that mean I should actually do a 44 minute workout? Also, in reading the free training plans on this site they usually say something like "before starting this plan you must have a base of 30 mins running 30 mins swimming and 40 mins biking" does that mean 30 mins of non-stop swimming? because that seems waaaay harder than the equivalent 30 mins running. I'm confused. please help. Edited by themissj1981 2015-04-28 3:33 PM |
| 2015-04-28 3:35 PM in reply to: themissj1981 |
1055 | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? Whole time. |
| 2015-04-28 3:43 PM in reply to: themissj1981 |
Pro 6191 | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? I count it / log it as total time in the water. Anything else really unnecessarily over-complicates things! |
| 2015-04-28 3:46 PM in reply to: themissj1981 |
Alpharetta, Georgia Bronze member | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? I only count the time I am swimming (same with biking and running). I use a simple Timex watch and just hit start when I start, and stop when I stop Everyone does it a little differently, so really whatever you're comfortable with. |
| 2015-04-28 3:48 PM in reply to: themissj1981 |
| Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? You're over thinking it. If you get in the pool at 5:05 and get out at 5:55, log :50, and log the sets you did, preferably with your splits for the main set (you can remember this or write it down if not). That way, you will know as you progress whether you are improving. I.e., 6 months ago you did 6 x 100 at a 1:40 sendoff, but now you are at a 1:30 sendoff holding 1:20s, or whatever. And don't just write down the total time and total yards and click "auto calculate" your pace. That's kind of meaningless in the grand scheme. You could have 200 yds of kick, 200 yds of drills, etc. that don't reflect your actual pace. the only way to monitor your pace (IMHO) is to write down the set and splits you swim. |
| 2015-04-28 4:18 PM in reply to: 0 |
Extreme Veteran 516 Olathe, KS | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? Originally posted by lisac957 I only count the time I am swimming (same with biking and running). I use a simple Timex watch and just hit start when I start, and stop when I stop Everyone does it a little differently, so really whatever you're comfortable with. Same here and same sentiment. However you feel you want to log it and in whatever way is meaningful to you is how you should do it. Its your log. I do the stop/start with my Timex watch because I want to get a true feeling of what my per 100 yards is. Also, if I were doing a track workout I wouldn't count the total time spent at the track for my running, only time spent running. Same goes for the pool. But that's me and it does it make it the best approach. Edited by Barkeep 2015-04-28 4:19 PM |
| 2015-04-28 5:53 PM in reply to: Barkeep |
Pro 6520 Bellingham, WA | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? There is no right answer. You can count your time however you want. As you can see there are pros and cons of each. Personally, I prefer to count minutes in motion. |
| 2015-04-28 6:08 PM in reply to: ChrisM |
Elite 7783 PEI, Canada | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? Originally posted by ChrisM You're over thinking it. If you get in the pool at 5:05 and get out at 5:55, log :50, and log the sets you did, preferably with your splits for the main set (you can remember this or write it down if not). That way, you will know as you progress whether you are improving. I.e., 6 months ago you did 6 x 100 at a 1:40 sendoff, but now you are at a 1:30 sendoff holding 1:20s, or whatever. And don't just write down the total time and total yards and click "auto calculate" your pace. That's kind of meaningless in the grand scheme. You could have 200 yds of kick, 200 yds of drills, etc. that don't reflect your actual pace. the only way to monitor your pace (IMHO) is to write down the set and splits you swim. This. Total time in the pool with details of what happened during that time. |
| 2015-04-28 6:36 PM in reply to: themissj1981 |
Master 8247 Eugene, Oregon Bronze member | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? Not sure about your plan but most people don't do most of their swimming non-stop. Except for the occasional continuous swim to dial in pacing or (for newer swimmers) build confidence, there's really more training benefit to breaking it up, which allows you to go at a somewhat faster pace, and probably to practice swimming with better form. I know some of the free plans just have minutes, but you can get plenty of specific workouts from various books and websites (my go-to one is [email protected]; if you have a USMS membership, you can also get them online from their website. My thought is that probably the "minutes" referred to are total minutes of swimming by an average triathlete swimmer (maybe calculate at 2 minutes/100m or 100y?). So a 30-minute swim is probably a total of 1500m, but that could be in sets of 100's, 200's, 300's, 500's, a "ladder" of different distances, etc. Some of it could even be kicking, pulling, or strokes other than freestyle. Personally I record swim time in the following way to be consistent with how I record biking and running: I start a watch whenever I swim, and stop it whenever I stop for recovery between intervals. So my watch records total time spent swimming, not time at the wall. My bike computer only records time when my bike is moving, and I would normally stop my run watch if I stopped (say, to cross a street or stretch), so it's the same idea--time spent moving. If I'm interested in pace, I check the pace clock. Normally I'd just record the average time range for a set: For example--15 X 100m @ 1:55 in 1:35-1:38. The 1:55 means I was leaving the wall every 1:55, the 1:35-1:38 was the range of my 100m splits for the set. Sorry if this repeats what others have said. We're having major Internet issues here and I'm only able to load the original post and sometimes the first few responses. Hope this is useful! |
| 2015-04-28 6:52 PM in reply to: themissj1981 |
Extreme Veteran 1332 | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? All my training time for me is moving time only. This is true whether I am swimming, biking or running. Since I use a garmin swim, it's super easy anyways, I just hit the pause button at the end of my sets, unpause it to keep going, and it gives a detailed log of my sets, rest intervals etc. With that being said, if I wanted I could easily see the total times of my workouts as well. Thanks technology! I'd rather have an idea of my total time and distance moving to compare from week to week, since time resting on the side of the pool, or sitting at the coffee shop isn't time I'm doing work, but at the end of the day, all that really matters is that you have a consistent system that works for you and your goals, and you can follow your progress. |
| 2015-04-28 8:05 PM in reply to: themissj1981 |
| 225 | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? I just count yards :P I do masters workouts, or some kind of structured workout. That means I don't really think about time after. |
| 2015-04-29 6:53 AM in reply to: bigevilgrape |
Member 1748 Exton, PA | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? I always count yards, time does not mean anything if your not swimming. |
| 2015-04-29 7:14 AM in reply to: #5111542 |
| 595 | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? I log minutes swimming only, but plan all my workouts by distance. I note all the details about my sets. Find what makes sense for you. If you are time crunched than total time in pool maybe better. |
| 2015-04-29 7:26 AM in reply to: axteraa |
| Master 10208 Northern IL | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? Originally posted by axteraa Originally posted by ChrisM You're over thinking it. If you get in the pool at 5:05 and get out at 5:55, log :50, and log the sets you did, preferably with your splits for the main set (you can remember this or write it down if not). That way, you will know as you progress whether you are improving. I.e., 6 months ago you did 6 x 100 at a 1:40 sendoff, but now you are at a 1:30 sendoff holding 1:20s, or whatever. And don't just write down the total time and total yards and click "auto calculate" your pace. That's kind of meaningless in the grand scheme. You could have 200 yds of kick, 200 yds of drills, etc. that don't reflect your actual pace. the only way to monitor your pace (IMHO) is to write down the set and splits you swim. This. Total time in the pool with details of what happened during that time. Definitely. Be sure to note the details. That is what's really telling you what's going on. What you do in the workout matters. A lot. |
| 2015-04-29 7:27 AM in reply to: #5111683 |
| Member 354 | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? Another one here for logging moving minutes only. Not sure why people think its too much hassle. |
| 2015-04-29 7:32 AM in reply to: mike761 |
| Master 10208 Northern IL | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? Originally posted by mike761 I always count yards, time does not mean anything if your not swimming. Well, yes and no. A 2,500 yd workout wouldn't be quite the same for someone who leaves at 2:00-2:30/100 vs one who is at 1:20. So to get about the same thing the yardage would be given a bit differently so that the time spent would be more similar. Might be what was meant, but not sure how many would realize that. |
| 2015-04-29 7:33 AM in reply to: danimal123 |
| Master 10208 Northern IL | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? Originally posted by danimal123 Another one here for logging moving minutes only. Not sure why people think its too much hassle. Moving takes more button presses than start and finish.  |
| 2015-04-29 7:41 AM in reply to: brigby1 |
| 928 | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? As others have said, I just log the whole time of the workout but keep track of individual sets and rest time (which is the more important data). The 910xt watch makes this much easier. As long as you are tracking with a consistent system that allows you to see your progress, then it doesn't really matter what you do. Similar to a track workout, but in that case the total time does include "moving" during rest times since I'm walking or jogging. But the important data is the speed/time of the intervals (work and rest). |
| 2015-04-29 7:41 AM in reply to: ziggie204 |
New user 273 Manassas, Virginia | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? Originally posted by ziggie204 x2Whole time. |
| 2015-04-29 7:51 AM in reply to: ChrisM |
| Member 587 | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? Originally posted by ChrisM You're over thinking it. If you get in the pool at 5:05 and get out at 5:55, log :50, and log the sets you did, preferably with your splits for the main set (you can remember this or write it down if not). That way, you will know as you progress whether you are improving. I.e., 6 months ago you did 6 x 100 at a 1:40 sendoff, but now you are at a 1:30 sendoff holding 1:20s, or whatever. And don't just write down the total time and total yards and click "auto calculate" your pace. That's kind of meaningless in the grand scheme. You could have 200 yds of kick, 200 yds of drills, etc. that don't reflect your actual pace. the only way to monitor your pace (IMHO) is to write down the set and splits you swim. This. I think it was another of your posts that you wrote that you swim with a group? So you are already following a structured workout, correct? If you want to record the time, just note as posted above. |
| 2015-04-29 8:56 AM in reply to: ChrisM |
Master 3888 Overland Park, KS | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? Originally posted by ChrisM You're over thinking it. If you get in the pool at 5:05 and get out at 5:55, log :50, and log the sets you did, preferably with your splits for the main set (you can remember this or write it down if not). That way, you will know as you progress whether you are improving. I.e., 6 months ago you did 6 x 100 at a 1:40 sendoff, but now you are at a 1:30 sendoff holding 1:20s, or whatever. And don't just write down the total time and total yards and click "auto calculate" your pace. That's kind of meaningless in the grand scheme. You could have 200 yds of kick, 200 yds of drills, etc. that don't reflect your actual pace. the only way to monitor your pace (IMHO) is to write down the set and splits you swim. Agree with Chris here. What I do is log some or all of the workout structure i.e. warmup, main set, 5x100 @ 1:30 etc. so there's a record of what I did. It's your workout log so do as you like. If a plan calls for 30 minutes of swimming I'd try and swim all of that 30 minutes so my time in the pool would be 35-40 minutes depending on structure. But that's how I would do it. |
| 2015-04-29 9:19 AM in reply to: reecealan |
Veteran 1127 Shawnee | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? I'll divert from the group a bit. I try to record time swimming-not total time. One of the most common problems that people have in the pool is taking too long of breaks. Doing swim intervals is fine, but generally, the breaks are too long. I am now using a Garmin Fenix 3 which makes my breaks much clearer/visible to me. If you're swimming with a group, it's less of an issue because they are sending away on set intervals. But when you're swimming alone or with a partner, it's very very easier to dink around for 2-3 minutes between intervals. If I am using a plan that calls for XX minutes of swimming, I do a rough calculation of what my pace should be and do a distance set based on that time. For ease of calculation, I'll use 2:00/100. If the plan calls for 30 minutes of swimming, I'll make sure I do 1500 distance. If this takes me 35-40 minutes total (with breaks/drills, etc), fine. I know I got my work in. I'm almost always very pressed for time, so doing it this way forces me to complete my yardage and also limit my breaks. At the pool that I use, I always observe people spending more time at the end of the lanes chatting it up. These people spend the same amount of time in the water as I, but swim half the yardage. It's not (only) because I'm a faster swimmer. They are always taking long breaks! It sound like reecealan does sort of the same thing. |
| 2015-04-29 9:33 AM in reply to: dprocket |
| 928 | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? But when you're swimming alone or with a partner, it's very very easier to dink around for 2-3 minutes between intervals. ?? 2-3 minutes between intervals? Those must be longer intervals than I think. |
| 2015-04-29 9:55 AM in reply to: 0 |
| Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? Originally posted by dprocketI'll divert from the group a bit. I try to record time swimming-not total time. One of the most common problems that people have in the pool is taking too long of breaks. Doing swim intervals is fine, but generally, the breaks are too long. I am now using a Garmin Fenix 3 which makes my breaks much clearer/visible to me. If you're swimming with a group, it's less of an issue because they are sending away on set intervals. But when you're swimming alone or with a partner, it's very very easier to dink around for 2-3 minutes between intervals.If I am using a plan that calls for XX minutes of swimming, I do a rough calculation of what my pace should be and do a distance set based on that time. For ease of calculation, I'll use 2:00/100. If the plan calls for 30 minutes of swimming, I'll make sure I do 1500 distance. If this takes me 35-40 minutes total (with breaks/drills, etc), fine. I know I got my work in. I'm almost always very pressed for time, so doing it this way forces me to complete my yardage and also limit my breaks. At the pool that I use, I always observe people spending more time at the end of the lanes chatting it up. These people spend the same amount of time in the water as I, but swim half the yardage. It's not (only) because I'm a faster swimmer. They are always taking long breaks!It sound like reecealan does sort of the same thing. Well that is a bigger problem than just how someone records a time. Thats not a workout, that's social hour. I log the entire time and list specific sets and, depending on the workout, am doing 3200 to 4000 in an hour. Not much resting going on saying I swam 3 hours this week means absolutely nothing. Saying I swam 11,000 yds tells me a lot more (but not all of it, as I would still need to know distances and splits) I don't think logging actual time is a hassle (logging all splits for all the sets is more of a hassle and I do that) I just think its totally irrelevant for my goals. Ymmv |
| 2015-04-29 10:01 AM in reply to: danimal123 |
Elite 7783 PEI, Canada | Subject: RE: How do you "count" your minutes in swim training workouts? Originally posted by danimal123 Another one here for logging moving minutes only. Not sure why people think its too much hassle. I don't wear a watch - calculating moving time would be a hassle. |
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