How do you log your swim hours?

I log total time including breaks and distance. I don't waste much time resting so the extra time doesn't affect my total time by more than a few minutes. When swim training I care about distance and time in terms of avg x 100 yards, the rest is just extra info.

For all my workouts I only log active time, no rests or breaks. If I make a pit stop on the bike I don't count that, for example. Yes, in races the clock is running constantly but the entire point (at least for me) of logging training is so I can look back and get a sense of my pace and effort, and if it included striking up a conversation with someone in the pool, I'd never really have an accurate point of reference.

And to your second question, I log all three by distance and time. But everyone chooses to do this differently based on their plan and approach.



Edited by LazyMarathoner 2009-07-20 8:06 PM

I should clarify, I log the distance for all of my I am training for what I can do in that prescribed time.  The pool is the only place that I don't stop the clock for breaks since it is all during a Masters class.

I include my rest breaks in the total time of my workout, but rarely am i ever resting more than 15 seconds, so like jorge, it doesn't affect my total time that much.  if i stop to chat for 10 mins, then i'll just guess and take that time out.  I usually can remember most of my times during the main sets, so i will often put that next to it when i'm typing the workouts.

Thanks everyone!  I log the breaks but not conversations, so that seems consistent.  Excuse the typos above, I was so tired last night, I am amazed it was not more disjointed!

I only log the amount of time I spend training - not resting or between sets.
I do think it is inflating your times to log "total time in the pool," but that's just my opinion.

I would think, that even in a Master's Class, you could hit start or stop on your watch.

I'm pretty anal about my swim paces so I guess I just don't want to see them diluted by any breaks or rests that might be in my training plan for that day.

How else will you know if you're improving your pace?

Easy.   Keep track of your splits during the workout.   For me, it doesn't make sense to track say 3,000 yards in 48:30 or whatever, because every workout is different. Some times it takes 55 of actual swimming, sometimes 45.  Some sets are sprints, some are pace, some are ez/drills, some are warmup, some are kicking, some are warmdown.  so the total yds/actual time from one swim to another is irrelevant (to me) since the pace is noot relevant to whether I am working or not.  I keep track of all my splits in the set and record them.  Through experience, I know where my fitness is if I am swimming a 500 (or any distance, really) in X:XX vs. X:XX                  ETA to the OP.  Just do whatever works for you so that you can track your progress.  Personally, I recommend keeping track of progress within sets, as the total/actual time doesn't take into account different speeds/sets and won't tell you much.  IMO only 

Edited by ChrisM 2009-07-21 10:02 AM

That's why I log exact times PLUS exact workouts, so I will know looking back if I had sprints, kick drills or whatever. But I still don't understand why I would want to log time resting between sets... maybe it's just me.

Most people on this thread say they don't do that for running or biking (clock stops when you stop)... why for swimming then?

[Sorry for the formatting, google chrome sucks]     EZ there.  All the bolding and capitalization seem to imply you're arguing this.  I am not here to argue about it, do whatever suits you.  OK, so I looked at July 16.  Yeah, you logged the workout, but I don't see splits.  Your warmup was 400.   How fast were each of the 3 200s?   the 4 100s?   Personally, I don't see how you can track the progression of your 200 or 100 time if you don't record it.   You've got an overall pace of 1:56,but that includes warmup and warmdown, so in my opinion only, that's not indicative of your true pace (which is faster).   If it works for you, that's all that counts.  For the record, I don't have  BT calculate the overall pace since that number means nothing to me.    And I track yearly swim by yardage not time oor pace, so putting in 1:00 for masters class isn't an inflation of any number that's relevant.        Anyway, just offering the OP my perspective on the issue and encourage him to try all the methods to see what works for him

Sigh.
Not trying to argue, just answering the OPs question on what I personally do.
And also trying to figure out the justification for people logging rest time in one sport but not the other two.

I usually log the total time in the pool, unless something happens that causes a big break,

when I was swimming with the masters group, I'd look at the clock on the wall and it was usually 5:10  I was usually finished with my last set around 6:15 - 6:20 so I'd log that time,,  1hr 5 min usually rounding down.

Even though there are 5-15 sec break at the end of the sets, I consider them part of the workout.  If I goofed off and took a couple of min, subtract a couple of min at the end...  but usually I'd just write in 1hr or 1:15 since depending on the distance thats about what it worked out

Other sports I often just use the clock in the garage when run, so I'm not too concerned with any short breaks I got waiting for traffic lights,  I figure AND I'M NOT TRYING TO ARGUE just trying to explain my thinking,, that the little breaks I get at stoplights biking/running help me to keep my pace up, just like that break while swimming. (especially while biking if I"m sprinting from stoplight to stoplight)    Plus if it shows that I have a slower avg.. when then I can live with that.  Just like I'll include my 3-5 min cool down of walking after running in my time. 

Again .. I'm  not saying it's the best way, the only way or anything like that.. it's just the gary way...

I asked the question because it just occurred to me that I am logging it differently than the other sports.  I do log yardage and I time my sets (which is why I can't also time the overall workout).  The timing of my sets helps me determine if my pace is improving, etc and I note that sort of information in my personal log (I don't use BT).  For a given week / month / year I will total time and total yardage, but I don't calculate an average hundred pace from that information.

Curiousity killed the cat, I guess ... thank God I am a dog person

I only track the time I spend swimming.

Usually I just average it out to what I know I swim 100 yards/100 meters in- depending on the pool.

I log breaks also. Point is, I don't train less because of it, effort is effort. A few minutes here and there, who gives?

I do log some paces and splits for future references.