..how do you do it?
every time I get to say, length 12 or 13, I forget where I was and give up.

is the best way to use a waterproof watch with lap counter? If so, how much does it affect the tumble?
any tips on the best watch to go for? ironman? g-shock?

silly question I know, but am training for first Triathlon and would like to get a much more accurate idea of distance covered whilst training.

Slimjim – I dunno if this helps – but I count backwards. Longest for me was for 10K in 33M. Its a lot easier counting down for some reason.

I do it in tens. So I do ten, reset the counter in my head and shout TWO! or however many tens I’ve done in my head. It seems to stay in there long enough until I get to the next ten. If I’m struggling I say the count as I’m swimming… “2 4″….”2 5″… “2 6” Like that where the first is the number of tens, second is the current count.

Of course, you might not be swimming fast enough. 😉

My mate swears by his garmin something or other…

I count 123 with the stroke on the first length, 2 2 3 on the second, etc. obviously breathing both sides on a 3 count, which you want to do if you don’t already.

Don’t just do massive long swims with no pauses either – do intervals or other things that will make you faster. Just plodding up the pool for ages doesn’t make you get any faster and is a really bad way to train.

Oh and unless you’re super good already (you might well be if you bother doing tumble turns), work on technique with something like the drills described on the swimsmooth website, or the total immersion books, technique makes way more difference to swimming speed than fitness and has massive advantages in triathlon as it potentially leaves you less knackered after the swim.

Time how long it takes for 10 lengths and use a watch to work it out from there – 5 mins for 10 lengths for example.

Or any watch with a big waterproof lap button on it – I use a polar hrm watch. Hit the lap button every 10 lengths.

Never have to count past 10.

10K in 33M? Are you sure? Sounds like running to me

I just count, I’m fairly good with numbers though. And you only need to count in to half the number you think as you generally do pairs of lengths (or I do, no point getting in one end and getting out at the other and walking back).

Why do you need to know? I can’t see how counting lengths improves the quality of your training and distracts you from concentrating on your stroke. Most pools have a pace clock, ask them to switch it on.

After many years I never really got it sorted so I have up and just went on timing

I could never keep count either, but I can recommend one of these finger lap counter/stop watches, easier to work than a wrist mounted number:

SportCount finger lap couter

Got our lass one of these, works well, no GPS…

http://www.fitsense.co.uk/category/swimming-watches.html?gclid=CILr9ZWJna8CFYsntAod50YVaA

I find swimming in sets and changing the numbers around helps me to keep count. say

6x front crawl
6x back stroke
6x breast stroke

then do three sets of 10 of each, then go back to six.. something like that.

Kev

Make your wife come and count for you. Get her to hold up cards telling you how far you’ve swum at regular intervals.

work on technique with something like the drills described on the swimsmooth website

nice site – thanks

If you weant a watch get a Garmin 910XT, will automatically count lengths for you as well as give you lots of other info such as stroke coutn and efficiency scores. Also has multisport mode so you can time your self over each triathlon discipline. Not cheap mind.

I count in fours. 2 “there and back”s is a good chunk to hold in your head.

32 lengths (50m) is a mile, so I think about 4s, 8s, 16s; half way there, half way through the second half…

haha
I thought that was just me, I get to about 15 and then just lose it LOL.

Edukator, durr, you need to know how many length ‘cos that’s the only thing people ask, and you look like a bit of a dummy when you say “err I lost count”

😆

Like this…

10K in 33M? Are you sure? Sounds like running to me

33m pool I assume, not 33 minutes…

There’s a watch that counts strokes per length and number of lengths and all that jazz, quite clever, forget the name though…

There’s a watch that counts strokes per length and number of lengths and all that jazz, quite clever, forget the name though…

Garmin 910XT (above) or Swimovate.

+1 for going on time or counting to smaller numbers.

i.e. 10 minutes warm up, 2+4+6+8+10+8+6+4+2 lengths as fast as you can sustain with 30seconds rest between them, 10 minutes cool down. or swap the middle bit for 5 minutes of this, 4 monutes of that, 3 minutes of the other, 5 minutes of somethign else, etc.

Yes I meant to say other/cheaper than the Garmin, must be the Swimovate.

Swimovates are about £100 IIRC.

I have 100 marbles in my right pocket and transfer one across to the left at each end. Easy.

I use a Swimovate pool mate and find it pretty useful. I used to lose track of lengths too but now just rely on the watch. It is simple to use and not too expensive, cheaper than the Garmin 910 certainly, but the Garmin has much better functionality. I also have a Garmin 310XT, but it doesn’t count pool lengths. I use the 310 for triathlon and find it really useful but can’t justify the upgrade to the 910. I do find the poolmate gets it wrong occasionally. I know because it shows an odd number of lenghts when I am back at the original end of the pool, so it must be an even number but I reckon it is far more accurate than the random numbers I used to count.

For some reason it is considerably easier to count it as metres than lengths (well assuming you are in a 25m or 50m pool)

Whenever people ask I always reply “quinze cents”, Emsz. If I admitted to more they might think I take my training seriously.

thanks guys, good advice!