Best way to count laps? - Triathlon Week

boyd · 02-06-2006, 09:00 AM

I've been swimming for a about 1 1/2 years and this is a problem I've had for some time.
On my distance days I have problems keeping count of my laps. I've tried: moving the little round things holding up the ropes, but they move. I've tried putting a penny on the tiles at the end of the pool and moving it over the tiles, but I have to stop and take a couple of extra breathes. This makes me feel like I'm cheating. I've tried my watch, which seems to work best. I swim about 50 sec. per lap when swimming a 1500. Is there any kind of counter that you can tap and it shows the laps? What works for you? Forget remembering! I can't do that. I'm thinking of too many other things.
BOYD

sfricks · 02-06-2006, 09:29 AM

I use my Polar S720i. This HRM watch has a lap counter built in. It also, of course, shows HR, and when used with the Polar software, shows trends. HTH

themenace · 02-06-2006, 07:11 PM

I usually count 100s. 1,2,3,4=100,1,2,3,4,=200 etc. I know it's still counting but I get lost going to 60. I've actually started to just swim until I have to get out, in other words, by time.

Carpe Diem · 02-09-2006, 01:39 PM

Greetings boyd~
You are right in that counting isn't easy to sustain. I normally count a lap as up and back=1 (in a 50 meter pool 17 laps = 1700 meters) or ( in a 25 yard pool, 35 laps= 1750 yards). I have found that it is benificial not to count laps when swimming longer distances unless I'm swimming a time trial. I will typically swim a mile in 23 to 24 minutes...so most of the time on my longer swims I'll swim for 45 minutes. I will keep track of my stroke count every so often. I like to swim 100 x 4, 50 x 8 for speed followed by a cool down 500/1000 yards with a little breaststroke and kicking inbetween. This usually will take me a full hour and get me approx 5000 yards +-. As my event approaches I like to cut back on my longer swims and spend a little more time on doing sets of 5 x 200's, 10 x 100's, 10 x 50's cool down with 500/1000 yards. I may take an hour to complete this work-out also, but the intensity requires a few minutes rest between sets. So my recommendation is to go by the clock on the longer swims, count laps on the shorter set swims.

sean0965 · 02-21-2006, 04:25 PM

Hey Boyd,

I had the same question when I started swimming too. I've tried a bunch of different methods some of which were mentioned above. The only one that has really worked for me is counting backwards. For some reason I never loose track. I'll start at 72 (when swimming a mile) and count that in my head for a couple strokes and so on and so on. It feels like I'm making more progress as I count down rather than count up!

Good Luck

Sean