Counting laps

girlwithcurls2

I've been reading the "Did you swim today?" discussion and everybody knows how many laps they have done. When I swim, it's usually for 30-60 min, depending on how much time I have, and how well it's going. However, I have no idea how to keep track of how many laps I swim. I might start out counting, but I lose count because I'm not really thinking about that, I'm thinking about the million other little things having to do with technique. Does it matter? Just curious.

Macstraw

If your goal is to swim for a certain amount of time, then the only reason to count laps is to track your progress - to see if you're doing more yardage in the same amount of time. If that's not a concern to you, then it really doesn't matter. If you'd like to keep track you could break your workout up into sets, decide before you even get to the pool what sets you are going to do & as long as you keep track of which set you're in & how far into the set you are (much easier than keeping a running total) you'll know how much you did at the end of the workout. I have been told there's a counter you can hook on your finger (supposed to be small & unobtrusive) that you can hit the flipper on with your thumb at each turn & it'll keep the total for you. I've also seen people use those little clicker counters that bouncers use at a club to keep track of how many people entered or Little League coaches use to keep track of the # of pitches thrown......

NoelFigart1

I count in a few ways. I plan out how many yards I want to swim, and break it down in sets of strokes. So, I am rarely counting to more than eight, as no set of mine (at my present level of fitness) is over 200 yards.

I also use a watch. It's an Ironman triathlon (meaning, you can use it in the water) watch, and it cost about 30 bucks. It's my favorite training tool. Every time I complete 100 yards (4 lengths) I hit the lap counter. This tracks how long each interval of 100 takes. Since I know I take between 2:30 and 2:50 to swim 100 yards, if I lose count a little, I'll know how probable or improbable my guess is, so that helps approximate. (I never lose count within that 100 yards, so it works for me)

If you're swimming for general fitness, there is NO reason in the WORLD to track to that level. I'm training for a couple of events next summer and am in desperate need of increasing my speed. If I weren't, I simply would not care about that level of detail.

Bruceapple

I count my laps with a little finger counter called "sport count". Purchased it off the internet. got it here;
http://www.sportcount.com/products.php?category_id=1

AquaticQuests

Some also use a watch like the Garmin Swim which automatically tracks the laps covered. There was a thread on here some months back on it. It's abit pricey but those that use it say it's definitely worth the investment!

I break the session into sets like others here. Even if I don't stop after a set, mentally it is easier to keep track of a smaller number than start again. That said, sometimes I still do lose count and my simple Casio waterproof watch then helps me estimate (as Noel said) as the speed ordinarily shouldn't shift too significantly if you swim regularly!

But if you are swimming for fitness and weight loss and want to improve, then I would say counting is crucial! It's also a motivator. When I started out again, I created a log on MFP for number of lengths swum (and more recently for time taken to complete set distances).

It feels great to review it after a year, and see how far you've come, and gives you energy to get even better, and to improve your technique!

For the longest time I counted laps but only kept track of the time taken in a more general sense. Getting a more precise reading on time taken, has also worked as additional motivation.

Swimming can get monotonous and these little motivators do keep it interesting!

Macstraw

I should also say that I know how long each of my sets takes me to swim, so I can tell by the clock if I'm off on my count. As an aside, adding up the times my sets take to swim gives me the total time I post as to how long I swam - my total time in the water is anywhere between 2 hours & 2 hours, 20 minutes depending on which workout I'm doing & how long I rest between sets.....

gentlygently

I also lose count. I also get bored easily. But I do like to see my progress (increased length, speed, time in water etc) and also work out how I am doing if I have had a break (what that much slower?!). So I do routines based on pneumonics - which constantly change the stroke or drill i am doing . it keeps me entertained. And sometimes I do alphabet laps (girls names beginning with A, boys names for B, 3rd lap names beginning with C etc).

We are all different - just do whatever works for you.

To me, really only thing that actually matters is being reasonably fit.

The rest is just ways we find to keep ourselves challenged, focused, entertained, motivated etc....and good on people for finding out what makes them tick.

Roaringgael

I count sets. If I swim 40 laps its 4 sets of ten cause its easy to remember up to ten. I look at the clock after each set and that reminds me how many sets I've done - ie you get to know how long a set takes roughly. I often forget my number if I am day dreaming a lot but often can recall by just thinking back over the last couple of laps.

sheepotato

I completely zone out when I'm swimming and I always lose track of laps. I've tried to use the lane dividers as an abacus to keep track but if the pool is busy or I'm next to a particularly splashy person sometimes they get messed up. I swim with a HRM, so I good idea of the time and pace but can only make a guess at my lap count.

I wanted to just get a swimwatch so I could just swim and not need to think about it, but I got a pebble and the app only counted one lap the whole time. I returned it and got a poolmate but it arrived with a dead battery and I didn't feel like waiting 2+ weeks to have it replaced or chance damaging the seal by taking it a watch place to have the battery changed so I returned it too. I can't decide if I want to try a third time or find a different way to track laps. If I do I will likely go for a garmin this time because I'm in the US and don't want to deal with a UK company to replace the battery (poolmate.)

On the days I can get my husband to go with me, it's a little easier to tell which lap I am on because we will wave or smile when we are at the same end of the pool sometimes. That gives me a chance to come up for air and check if my buoys are still counting correctly. When I'm there alone I tend to ignore everything that's not directly in front of me in my lane.