Tracking laps with the Affirmation Alphabet
rosebarnalice
Posts: 3,488 Member
I found many years ago that if I tried to count laps with numbers, my mind wandered and I inevitably lost track, but that if I kept track with letters of the alphabet, I could focus on a word that begins with each letter, and was less likely to lose track.
Once through the alphabet (26)+ 10 laps on the kickboard is a mile; and twice through the alphabet is 52 laps or 2,600 yards--and that's a pretty darned good 75-minute workout for me.
This has evolved over time into what I call my "affirmation alphabet", where I focus on a word or words that have some positive aspect:
-- "Alert and Aware",
-- "Breath and Breathing",
-- "Calm and Centered",
-- "Driven and Determined",
-- "Exercise for Energy" . . . you get the picture.
It's great for the "bubble zone zen" aspect of swimming: a little mini-meditation on word or concept for two lengths of the pool!
But I've gotten into sort of a word rut lately and I'm looking for some new inspirations. Anybody got some inspirations for me?
Once through the alphabet (26)+ 10 laps on the kickboard is a mile; and twice through the alphabet is 52 laps or 2,600 yards--and that's a pretty darned good 75-minute workout for me.
This has evolved over time into what I call my "affirmation alphabet", where I focus on a word or words that have some positive aspect:
-- "Alert and Aware",
-- "Breath and Breathing",
-- "Calm and Centered",
-- "Driven and Determined",
-- "Exercise for Energy" . . . you get the picture.
It's great for the "bubble zone zen" aspect of swimming: a little mini-meditation on word or concept for two lengths of the pool!
But I've gotten into sort of a word rut lately and I'm looking for some new inspirations. Anybody got some inspirations for me?
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I love this! I was just thinking today that I need a new way of keeping track of laps; I was ok up to 4 but now I'm losing track and it's no bueno. Twice today I couldn't remember if I was on 4 or 5!
A - Alive, Active,
B - Beauty, Bliss, Balanced
C - Caring, Compassionate, Confident
D - Daring, Disciplined
E - Energetic, Effervescent, Eager, Effort
F - Faith, Flow, Flexible
G - Genial, Genuine, Generous, Grateful
H - Happy, Healthy, Helpful, Honest
I - Intelligent, Independent, Incredible, Intuitive
J - Joy
K - Kind, Knowledgable
L - Leadership, Lively, Loyal
M - Motivate, Metamorphosis, Meaningful
I'll do the other half of the alphabet later
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I love this idea. Of course, I still have to 'sing' the alphabet to find the next letter if I'm going through it slowly. I'd probably lose track faster that way.0
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I just use a finger ring style digital counter 0
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Fishgutzy, i just ordered one yesterday. I hope i like it!0
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One way of meditating/counting I've used is to make each lap a year of my life and think about where I was, what I was doing, people I met that year. Kinda interesting way of meditating. That only brings me to 56 laps. After that, I plan on what I'll be doing in the future, but even that doesn't work that well for 5 miles (176 laps).0
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Thanks, LauraRae2! And Fishgutzy, I tried a ring lap counter, and it drove me crazy!
There used to be a guy who would bring in a little bag of pennies and set them in a pile on the deck. At the end of each lap he'd slide one penny from the pile and make another little pile. I tried that system for a while, but I kept forgetting to slide the pennies when I flip-turned!0 -
I wish I had remembered this last night. It's the perfect system for someone like me! I'll try again tonight 0
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rosebarnalice wrote: »Thanks, LauraRae2! And Fishgutzy, I tried a ring lap counter, and it drove me crazy!
There used to be a guy who would bring in a little bag of pennies and set them in a pile on the deck. At the end of each lap he'd slide one penny from the pile and make another little pile. I tried that system for a while, but I kept forgetting to slide the pennies when I flip-turned!
I've thought of doing something like this to keep me from stopping to catch my breath on the turns ...except instead of stacks at the edge of the pool I was thinking of dropping and picking up pennies from the bottom of the pool ...0 -
stephenrhinton wrote: »
I've thought of doing something like this to keep me from stopping to catch my breath on the turns ...except instead of stacks at the edge of the pool I was thinking of dropping and picking up pennies from the bottom of the pool ...
I couldn't get rid of that break until I added in flip turns. Which are a pain in the butt to learn, and kind of embarrassing to practice if anyone is around, but worth it in the end.
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kida, that's my next goal but I haven't even attempted to practice yet because of the embarrassment factor. I need someone to teach me!0
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I'm too old to even consider flipping. Plus, the risk of a lasting permanent injury from a single missed flip that become an ankle hit to the wall. I don't just heal and get back to normal after an impact injury.Kida_Adeylne wrote: »
I couldn't get rid of that break until I added in flip turns. Which are a pain in the butt to learn, and kind of embarrassing to practice if anyone is around, but worth it in the end.
So I just avoid the risk.
My left foot still hurts some days from a single downward block strike to the side of my foot. And a forearm is a lot softer than a pool wall
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After breaking the middle toe on one foot and then the middle toe on the other foot 6 weeks later, I don't flip any more either.0
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kida, that's my next goal but I haven't even attempted to practice yet because of the embarrassment factor. I need someone to teach me!
I learned from youtube videos. GoSwim has some multi-step videos that I worked through. It's still pretty embarrassing when you start though. I like doing them but cannot manage it if I am using a pull buoy. Now THAT was funny looking!!0 -
One way of meditating/counting I've used is to make each lap a year of my life and think about where I was, what I was doing, people I met that year. Kinda interesting way of meditating. That only brings me to 56 laps. After that, I plan on what I'll be doing in the future, but even that doesn't work that well for 5 miles (176 laps).
176 laps = 176 years as Spock would say "Live long and Prosper"0 -
I was flipping throughout.
Then I upped the stroke rate and was too exhausted and breathless to do the flips.
Now I'm trying to bring the flips back in at this new rate. It ain't easy, but I'll need to do it eventually as the new challenge to aim for.
I flipped quite a number yesterday!
So hopefully by end year I'll be where I can flip through all 100 lengths! What a glorious day that will be!0 -
I do alphabets (eg people's names, or colours, or food, or affirmations)
I do pneunomics - eg FIt At Fifty is eg F for fast (all strokes), I for medley, and T is a 'top and tail sprint'.
I do meditation - eg I think on a problem and consider it from words beginning with A (be adventurous, is it making me angry) then B etc.
I also had a finger counter til it stopped.
I miss laps on all of them ... Or maybe I am just going slower than I hoped...0 -
I found that starting with a girl name down, boy name back, A-Z (well, let's be honest, A-T) worked well. Today, for a change, I thought up things I would like someone to bring me at Happy Hour. Twice, I could only think of one of my sisters' names. Oh, and earlier this week, I used A-Z for animals and places I'd like to visit. This is brilliant.0
