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How do you keep track of your swim laps?
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 2009-08-05 7:41 AM |
Expert  1118   , North Carolina |  Subject: How do you keep track of your swim laps?What method do you use to count your swim laps in a pool? I've been building laps using the ladder technique which has made it fairly easy to keep track. But I finally had the beginner swimmer's breakthrough this morning and I'm ready to press on to further distances and uninterrupted laps. I read about using letters of the alphabet rather than numbers and that helped; but I still lost track a couple of times this morning. The pool is 25 yards long. Thank you! |
| 2009-08-05 7:43 AM in reply to: #2328996 |
| Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? My watch. I hit it every time I get to that side. It's worth the $20 to get one that'll keep track of 100 laps too  |
| 2009-08-05 7:51 AM in reply to: #2328996 |
Elite 7783    PEI, Canada | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? I count by 100's and sneak a peak at the digital clock on the wall after every 100 to confirm that is really what I did. |
| 2009-08-05 7:54 AM in reply to: #2328996 |
Regular 89 lowell | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? I use a finger lap counter by SportCount. ( www.sportcount.com ) |
| 2009-08-05 7:57 AM in reply to: #2328996 |
Champion 5376 PA | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? There are a lot of cool ideas. I found that I only keep track of 5, 50yd laps at a time and then slide a ring on the lane rope. Once I have 6 rings (1500 yds) I only need 3 more laps! Woot! |
| 2009-08-05 7:58 AM in reply to: #2328996 |
| Expert 1099 Broadlands | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? A combination of the first two replies works for me, I count in 100's, so 4 lengths of the pool, after each 100 I hit the lap button on the watch, works pretty well for me, a quick glance at the lap I am on tells me how far I have gone so I don't have to think of anything other than doing the swimming and hitting the button after four lengths. |
| 2009-08-05 8:05 AM in reply to: #2328996 |
Regular 69 Jacksonville | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? I still lose count every time I'm in the pool. I don't have a technique you can use, I'm just glad I'm not the only one |
| 2009-08-05 8:10 AM in reply to: #2329027 |
Expert 1118 , North Carolina | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? jpitkin - 2009-08-05 7:54 AM I use a finger lap counter by SportCount. ( www.sportcount.com ) Cool... a gadget! So you are hitting it after each lap? Or after every 100 yards? Hmmm.. I see. I like that idea. I like to time my runs at a 1/4 mile track sometimes. I've been wearing 4 rubber bands on my wrist and moving one to the other side after each lap, then going back the other way for the next mile. But even that can get confusing if you go several miles! I like the idea of a lap counter. Edited by maria40nc 2009-08-05 8:13 AM |
| 2009-08-05 8:12 AM in reply to: #2328996 |
Champion 10157 Alabama | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? Wecome aboard. This is a common question and there are lots of techniques. I used to keep 10 pennies at the end of the pool and moved one penny every lap. Then one day one of the life guards decided to mess with me and moved some of my pennies causing me to swim extra laps! He got a good laugh out of that. After that I bought a watch with a lap counter. ~Mike |
| 2009-08-05 8:13 AM in reply to: #2328996 |
Pro 4608 Brooklyn, NY | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? I just count them. If you're following a workout you'll know how many sets of which distance you need, so you only have to count each set. I'm not sure why everyone finds this to be so hard, I guess I've never thought about it that much. If I lose count I go back to the previous number and then figure it out when I see my time. If you're a consistent swimmer you'll have a sense of how far you went based on your total time. |
| 2009-08-05 8:14 AM in reply to: #2328996 |
Veteran 300 Colfax, NC | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? I'll second the SportCount. It is so easy and gives nice feedback when your done. I got the one that gives average lap time, fastest and slowest. They also have one that records every lap time but I didn't think I really needed that much info. http://www.sportcount.com/ |
| 2009-08-05 8:14 AM in reply to: #2328996 |
Extreme Veteran 597 Fairfax | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? If I'm doing a longer set, I usually go uninterrupted (so hitting the lap button on my watch or sliding rings on the lane line doesn't work for me), I just count by 25's. Its much easier for me to say "150 at the turn, 175 and 200 on the return" in my head than it is for me to count 1, 2, 3, etc. Counting single digits are too easy to screw up for me, so I stick with the larger number increments. |
| 2009-08-05 8:16 AM in reply to: #2328996 |
Coach 10487 Boston, MA | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? maria40nc - 2009-08-05 7:41 AM What method do you use to count your swim laps in a pool? the wall clock and my brain I've been building laps using the ladder technique which has made it fairly easy to keep track. But I finally had the beginner swimmer's breakthrough this morning and I'm ready to press on to further distances and uninterrupted laps. I read about using letters of the alphabet rather than numbers and that helped; but I still lost track a couple of times this morning. The pool is 25 yards long. Thank you! If you swim enough it becomes 2nd nature to count laps and use the wall clock to figure it out if you lose count at some point. |
| 2009-08-05 8:25 AM in reply to: #2328996 |
Extreme Veteran 339 | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? I repeat the number I’m on over, and over, and over in my head and I don’t stop tell I start my next lap. In other words I count them.  If I happen to space off and forget what number I’m on I just go back to the number I remember saying last. It seems to work for me ok…  |
| 2009-08-05 8:29 AM in reply to: #2328996 |
| Extreme Veteran 1030 West Windsor, NJ | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? I just count in my head. Two things help me with this: (1) I basically count in sets of 10. So if I am swimmming 30 laps, I will do three sets of 10. It just seems easier that way, and oh yeah, I dont have to think "uggggh, I am only at 8 and I am headed all the way to 30". And (2) I dont just count "lap 1, lap 2" in my head, as that is easy to forget if you have a mind-fart in the middle. I generally count on my first lap..."lap 1 going for 2", on lap 2..."lap 2 going for 3". For whatever reason, its easier for me to keep track that way as its two numbers in my brain. I have no idea where,why or how I started doing that, but it seems to help me. |
| 2009-08-05 8:31 AM in reply to: #2328996 |
Champion 6503 NOVA - Ironic for an Endurance Athlete | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? I can't keep track. I just sample my lap times and do some math based on the amount of time that I was in the pool. |
| 2009-08-05 8:33 AM in reply to: #2329103 |
Extreme Veteran 417 Buford GA | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? mindymin21 - 2009-08-05 9:25 AM I repeat the number I’m on over, and over, and over in my head and I don’t stop tell I start my next lap. In other words I count them. If I happen to space off and forget what number I’m on I just go back to the number I remember saying last. It seems to work for me ok… Thats exactly what I have done since I was a kid. Was easier in practice with lots of people and everyone was counting vs now just by myself but I just repeat it over and over again. I need to keep repeating it during the flip turn too or ADD kicks in and I can't remember what I was just counting before I did my turn. |
| 2009-08-05 8:42 AM in reply to: #2328996 |
Expert 1118 , North Carolina | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? Wow... lot's of GREAT ideas. With less than a month of swimming under my belt, I'm still learning my pace times. And I still have to focus a lot on form and breathing. So I think that's why it's a bit harder for me to keep track "right now." That will soon change. Soon I'll have a consistent pace; and soon I will not have to concentrate so much on form. Time, time, time..... getting better takes time. But it AMAZES me how fast the body can adjust when you challenge it! I can't wait for this to become second nature!!! Edited by maria40nc 2009-08-05 8:43 AM |
| 2009-08-05 8:47 AM in reply to: #2328996 |
Veteran 245 In T1 looking for my Schwinn Huffy | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? If I lose track, I force myself to go back to the last number I know I did for sure...nothing focuses the mind like having to repeat laps...it's amazing how much better I am at counting now! |
| 2009-08-05 8:56 AM in reply to: #2328996 |
| Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? I'm a sportcount guy as well... With the ability to record 100 lap times at the push of my finger I don't lose count anymore... I get lost in my thoughts when swimming long distances and constantly lost count before... haha Edited by slickwilli2121 2009-08-05 8:56 AM |
| 2009-08-05 9:04 AM in reply to: #2329080 |
Champion 5376 PA | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? JorgeM - 2009-08-05 9:16 AM maria40nc - 2009-08-05 7:41 AM What method do you use to count your swim laps in a pool? the wall clock and my brain I've been building laps using the ladder technique which has made it fairly easy to keep track. But I finally had the beginner swimmer's breakthrough this morning and I'm ready to press on to further distances and uninterrupted laps. I read about using letters of the alphabet rather than numbers and that helped; but I still lost track a couple of times this morning. The pool is 25 yards long. Thank you! If you swim enough it becomes 2nd nature to count laps and use the wall clock to figure it out if you lose count at some point.My pool has no clock. LOL They have a small one on a table but the hands don't move. I looked at it last week and there is a corroded Duracell battery stuck in it. I think that since you are an experienced swimmer, you can probably relax and think of the counting. Like you mentioned, the stroke is 2nd nature to you. It's sort of tough as a newb because you are thinking about rotating hips, head down, are my legs up, do I look fat in these trunks, am I fat in my other trunks, omg I'm just fat... ouch.. the wall! What number am I on? etc. |
| 2009-08-05 9:10 AM in reply to: #2328996 |
Expert 1203 | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? I use the alphabet to count. I tend to think in 400 or 800 meter increments so in a 25 meter pool I know that "H" is 400 and "P" is 800. Then I start over. So Lap 1 down "Amy", 2 = "Brian", 3 = "Chris", etc. I just keep repeating the name in my head while I am swimming. It also helps if you use different and strange names for them. I might spend the first 25 meters trying to think of some strange name like "Abalonie" and then repeat it until I return. |
| 2009-08-05 9:12 AM in reply to: #2329027 |
Extreme Veteran 682 Canton, MI. via Detroit | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? jpitkin - 2009-08-05 7:54 AM I use a finger lap counter by SportCount. ( www.sportcount.com ) THAT IS SO COOL! When did they come out with those? |
| 2009-08-05 9:15 AM in reply to: #2328996 |
Master 3127 Sunny Southern Cal | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? I only track time. Distance is irrelevant. Honestly, I'm not sure time matters all that much either. |
| 2009-08-05 9:54 AM in reply to: #2328996 |
Veteran 126 | Subject: RE: How do you keep track of your swim laps? I prefer to do workouts with sets, so I just add the sets up when I'm done. However, when I occasionally do long periods of uninterrupted laps, I do tend to lose count because I get lost in my own thoughts. I like the idea of the finger lap counter. |
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