counting laps while swimming

mewthree <[email hidden]> schrieb:

Quoted message said:

i finf it hard to remember how many laps i have done because of my short
term memory problem being dyslexic. is there a way for me to count laps.

I've the same problem. There are several watches which offers a lap
counting function. But unfortunately not all are water resitant enough
for swimming - especially pressing buttons under water. There are some
models from Timex (the shock resitant ironman models which are water
resitant up to 200m) which are difficult to get here in germany or are
very expensive here (maybe you are more lucky in your country). Casio
also offers a watch especially designed for triathlon training which
is around 80 Euros here in germany (to expensive for me).

Speedo sold a 'stroke counter' with integrated lap counter. It counts
strokes with an electrical sensor every time your wrist enters the
water. I don't know if they still sell them.

Another possibility is to estimate the numbers of laps with the pace
clock (if you are swimming in a pool). You have to determine the
average time you need for a lap. You can do this with the pace clock
or a water resitant watch without a lap counter. There is a FAQ
somewhere how to use a pace clock for nearly every timekeeping task
during swimming.

If anyone knows a cheap, sufficient water resitant watch with a lap
counter or a cheap source for the timex shock resitant models in
germany, i would be grateful🙂

Greets,

Marco

mewthree said:

i finf it hard to remember how many laps i have done because of my short
term memory problem being dyslexic. is there a way for me to count laps.

I had a team mate with this problem. She would put a hair band
(ponytail thing) on her hand and move it from digit-to-digit during
flip turns. She didn't move it on every lap, but in sets that were
short enough to remember.

I have never tried it, but it would seem to take some dexterity. Some
baseball umpires also do this to keep track of balls & strikes. Also,
American football referees often use the whistle strap to remember the
correct "down". You are not alone.

rsquared

I used to have the same problem and the solution turned out to be pretty
simple...

Everytime your left arm enters the water you count the number for that
length - so on length 1 you swim down the length counting 1, 1, 1, 1, 1
etc... then when you turn 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 etc - what this does is totally
reinforce what length you are on - so even if you forget half way down the
pool chances are when you turn it will come back to you what the last length
number was...

this is the only method I've found that works for me but even in sprint
races in a pool when you are under pressure it works flawlessly!!

give it a try and let me know how you go.

cheers

K.

"mewthree" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

i finf it hard to remember how many laps i have done because of my short
term memory problem being dyslexic. is there a way for me to count laps.

I had this problem also. I realized that I would get confused because
sometimes I would be thinking "6" for the lap that I was preparing to
complete and other times I would think "5" for the completed laps. Then
I would lose track of which convention I was using. Adding to that
number when I touched the wall left me hopelessly confused.

Now I only think about how many times I have touched the opposite wall.
This clarifies the convention and I don't get confused.

Implicit in this is that I keep track of laps (two lengths) not single
lengths.

I always lose count. I keep tabs with the chrono function on my watch
(also has lap counter but punching that button every lap is a pain).
After warm-up I know roughly how long it'll take to do a 500: if I lose
track of counting laps the watch helps me estimate how far I've gone
Eric

mewthree said:

i finf it hard to remember how many laps i have done because of my short
term memory problem being dyslexic. is there a way for me to count laps.

"mewthree" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

i finf it hard to remember how many laps i have done because of my
short term memory problem being dyslexic. is there a way for me to
count laps.

I found a few ways to handle this.

First I count Lengths, so each time I touch a wall I increment the
number, this has the benefit that I KNOW going one direction should be
an EVEN number and going the other should always be an ODD.

Next I am committed to erring on the "safe side" when I do lose count.
translated this means if I passed length 67 and suddenly forget where I
am, I *think* it should be 68,69 or maybe 70 depending which direction I
am going -- but becuase I lost count I give myself a "penalty" and go
back to number 67 (the last length I was SURE OF). This gives a certain
amount of incentive to _not_ lose count 🙂

I also try to count in intervals I can grasp; typically groups of 6,
10, 18, 20, 36, or 72 --- YMMV I count lengths, but am only really
interested in US Miles; unfortunately doing the conversion in my head
while swimming is not a good idea. So I break it up into 1 mile, 1/2
mile, 1/4 mile, etc.

I try to say the length number multiple times as I push off the wall, I
usually will speak it (under water) outloud with the stroke leading to a
breath (on the exhale) 4-5 times. This takes me nearly across the pool
and I ready to alternate from odd to even or vice-versa.

Most importantly, I try to keep my head in the game. Staring at the
good-looking swimmer next to me is a sure fire way to wonder if I just
said 26 or 28.

Again, YMMV - but I do the above with a very minimum amount of time with
my head above the water. My typical workout these days is about 1 hr 10
minutes and covers 2.5 miles distance. That is 180 lengths of a 25 yard
pool ! I break it up into something like 72 (free)
18 (pull)
36 (kick)
18 (pull)
9x4 (sets, free/IM/etc.)

it varies day to day ;-)

Try this:

http://www.kiefer.com/Kiefer/productr.asp?pf%5Fid=610200&gift=False&HSLB=Fal
se&mscssid=08FD7322D772D4DB49970F22BE03E4BB

Kiefer has other models/styles...just do a search on "lap counter".

Cheers!

Gary

"mewthree" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

i finf it hard to remember how many laps i have done because of my short
term memory problem being dyslexic. is there a way for me to count laps.

I know some people count using letters.. ie lap 1 = A, lap 2 = B, etc,
etc. Then -while they are swimming each lap - they try and think of
words (or animals or fruits or whatever) that start with that letter!!

They swear by it. I tried it, and felt a bit silly..... But it did
work!! I usually just count numbers and try and remember, though...

Absent Husband

mewthree said:

i finf it hard to remember how many laps i have done because of my short
term memory problem being dyslexic. is there a way for me to count laps.

I still forget, and error on the strict side (ie, if I am on lap 15 or
16, I choose 15).

My way of keeping track is to not keep track of all lengths/laps. What I
do instead is keep track of what drill I am on and how many total laps I
need to do for each drill. For example, if I use a 137 meter length (275
meter lap) pool to swim 1500 meters I would count:
1 lap warm up
4 laps fast swim
1 lap kick board
1 lap pull buoy
4 laps continuous swim
1 cool down.

I sometimes switch between pools of different laps a few times a week.
This can mean it is harder to count laps because I have to calculate the
new lap or length between pools. Sometimes I would keep the same laps
which gives me a shorter or longer distance when I switch pools.

OK,

For under 10 bucks, just buy a lap ticker that attaches to your finger.
Every time you come to the wall, just squeeze it and it will register
another number, just like an odometer. They're cheap little plastic things
that are simple and easy to use. They're designed specifically for lap
counting. I forgot who sold them, but do a search on the net for swimming
stores and you'll find one that carries these little guys.

Alo

"mewthree" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

i finf it hard to remember how many laps i have done because of my short
term memory problem being dyslexic. is there a way for me to count laps.

"Keith Wilkinson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I used to have the same problem and the solution turned out to be pretty
simple...

Everytime your left arm enters the water you count the number for that
length - so on length 1 you swim down the length counting 1, 1, 1, 1, 1
etc... then when you turn 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 etc - what this does is totally
reinforce what length you are on - so even if you forget half way down the
pool chances are when you turn it will come back to you what the last
length
number was...

this is the only method I've found that works for me but even in sprint
races in a pool when you are under pressure it works flawlessly!!

give it a try and let me know how you go.

cheers

K.

when even that system got too complicated for me (my mind wanders a lot
while swimming) i started linking the number of the length i was swimming to
my breathing pattern. So, for the 1st length, I'd breath whenever I wanted;
for the second, I'd breath every time (or at least most times) when my right
arm was forward; the 3rd, I'd alternate breathing sides; 4th, every other
time my right arm was forward; 5th, alternate sides w/an extra stroke btwn
breathing... I usually do this in a 10-length set, where lenght 9 is a
slow, easy swim breathing when I want & 10 is a sprint, also breathing when
I want. But you can do it in any number of lenghts, or laps, that you want.

This might be the solution for you:

http://www.sportcount.com/