Counting lengths
nivagh
Posts: 595
in General Chat
[8|]
Surely I can't be the only person who can't count...
I have real difficulty remembering how many lengths I have done. How do people keep count (lame question I know but it's starting to get annoying!!)
Surely I can't be the only person who can't count...
I have real difficulty remembering how many lengths I have done. How do people keep count (lame question I know but it's starting to get annoying!!)
0
Comments
This could quite possibly be bad advice but if im just swimming ill do an hour / 90mins and forget about counting.
If im counting 400m ill set off up and back and count that as one on touching the wall. Then I only have to count to 8!
800m. 1 to 8 twice.
Might work for you, I still forget!
G
Yes I have the same problem....
But also I get to the point where I forget my stroke count and am not looking at where the end of the pool is and then swim straight into it.....OUCH.....
[:)][:)][:)][:)][:)]
If in any doubt i take lengths off,so at least i'm doing more than i think.[:D]
Wow! Impressed (and more than a little reassured) that I'm not alone in this!!
I have a drills oriented solution that I thought up this morning - start off with fists, and stick one finger out every two lengths - that's 250m.
Wouldn't recommend doing that in a race though! [:D]
Dave
http://fastnuisance.files.wordpress.com/2006/10/counting2.jpg
It wasnt cheap but it was well worth it.
Hope it helps [:D]
If im doing say a straight 1500 or more, ill do it in blocks of 20 ie every 500m then hit the lap button.
Also for the longer stuff i know what i should be hitting for 400, 800, 1500 and 2k so as longs as my times are within 15-20s of this time it is quite accurate.
So if im doing a steady 2k ill lap every 500m, count to 20, and depending on effort level i know i should be hitting 500 on 8mins and 1k on around 15:30 as i continually practise negative splitting. Then 2k around the 30:30 mark.
If all else fails then i do extra lengths and work out averages from there, then i know if i have done extra from the times.
I couldn't remember if I'd done 14 or 16 - didn't want to get disqualified, so did 2 more.
My mate told me later I did 18 in all! Doh![:@]
Everyone is different so good luck.....
I have recently joined my local Tri cub and after discussing this every issue, a couple of the members have told me they are in the process of launching a product that will solve this very problem, see there website: http://www.swimovate.com/index.html but basically their watch will count and display the following (completely automatically much like the popular running and cycling computers):
Laps,
Strokes,
Speed,
Distance,
Calories
and much more.
Existing lap counters are still manual and require the swimmer to press a button, or the like, at the end of each lap. These products are completely automatic- the swimmer simply presses a button to start and that's all. The watches work with all strokes- Breaststroke, Front crawl, Back crawl, Butterfly all abilities all sizes of pool without calibration.
I believe that the Watches will be launched soon. I've already preordered one...
Scotty
Saw these advertised a few years ago but they never seemed to make it onto the open market.Probably need a device the size of a Garmin gps to make them work.
This also has a hidden advantage as you are effectively banishing junk laps. Not only is it good to vary the pace frequently (which helps you to avoid getting stuck in a pace rut, which limits your ability to consistently lower lap times), but this is also anaerobic threshold training, which will in itself help you to go faster for longer.
When swimming time trials I tend to play mind games, concentrating on one particular point of the stroke for 100m then changing to another aspect for the next 100m and so on. In this way you subconciously keep a track of the laps (especially if you decide what you will concentrate on for each 100m before hand), you are also focused on stroke mechanics at a time when you most need them to be perfect.
I'm really done with all that counting stuff, annoyed by it,gets the focus of the real importance.
Hope it's any good!
Took it for a spin in the pool yesterday evening.
It filled in all my expectations, I'd recommend it to anyone who hates that lenght-counting obligation.
I didn't have to bother anymore about it, I automatically forgot to count and focussed on the important stuff.
On the other hand that, means I'll have to get better at swimming soon[&:]
Thanks people,
of to run now!!!
http://www.totallysport.co.uk/sb-product-category-3030053-product-9060.htm
all it takes is a tap of the watch face on each turn/glide