"Steph" wrote:
MW Smith wrote:
I think it isn't possible. The count is in your short term memory. If
you stop thinking about it, it goes away.

I disagree.
Yes the count is short term memory, but if it takes you 30 seconds to
cross the pool and you refresh the count in your head every 6 seconds or
so (5x) you won't forget and you can easily increment on the flip.

When people try to count laps versus lengths I can see it being more
difficult to not lose track (for me anyway)

I count the laps; counting lengths is too confusing because the numbers
change too quickly.

What I have found works is to have an image/concept for each number, and to
only count in single digits.

For the first laps (1, 11, 21, etc.), I think of a birthday candle.  You
know, like one candle on a cake.   The candle is lit, so that is my fire
lap.  I think of fire while I swim that lap, and it makes it easier to
remember.  It sounds corny, but it works.

By the time it comes to Zero (my hero), that is ten, and the end of that
decade.

To keep track of each decade, I don't really do anything yet.  Since I'm
only swimming a mile right now, there are only three decades, and that's
easy enough to remember.

Jon

MW Smith wrote:
I think it isn't possible. The count is in your short term memory. If
you stop thinking about it, it goes away.


I disagree.
Yes the count is short term memory, but if it takes you 30 seconds to
cross the pool and you refresh the count in your head every 6 seconds or
so (5x) you won't forget and you can easily increment on the flip.

When people try to count laps versus lengths I can see it being more
difficult to not lose track (for me anyway)

Steph wrote:
:: I prefer to count LENGTHS.
:: So if I swim up and back to my starting point that is two lengths.
:: Odd numbers are always away, and even numbers are always returning.
:: I find that as I come off the wall if I repeat the length # count
:: three or four times, sometimes chanting or singing it - I rarely
:: lose count.

No, Steph, up and back to a starting point is 1 lap. A length is from the
starting point to the end of the pool. A mile in a 25 meter pool is roughly
32 laps. A lap is defined as a circuit and always has been.

It's easier to remember the laps if you only have to go to 32 to make a
mile, after all.

Steph wrote:
:: I prefer to count LENGTHS.
:: So if I swim up and back to my starting point that is two lengths.
:: Odd numbers are always away, and even numbers are always returning.
:: I find that as I come off the wall if I repeat the length # count
:: three or four times, sometimes chanting or singing it - I rarely
:: lose count.

No, Steph, up and back to a starting point is 1 lap. A length is from
the starting point to the end of the pool. A mile in a 25 meter pool
is roughly 32 laps. A lap is defined as a circuit and always has
been.

It's easier to remember the laps if you only have to go to 32 to make
a mile, after all.

"Steph" wrote:
MW Smith wrote:
I think it isn't possible. The count is in your short term memory.
If you stop thinking about it, it goes away.


I disagree.
Yes the count is short term memory, but if it takes you 30 seconds to
cross the pool and you refresh the count in your head every 6 seconds
or so (5x) you won't forget and you can easily increment on the flip.

When people try to count laps versus lengths I can see it being more
difficult to not lose track (for me anyway)

I count the laps; counting lengths is too confusing because the
numbers change too quickly.

What I have found works is to have an image/concept for each number,
and to only count in single digits.

For the first laps (1, 11, 21, etc.), I think of a birthday candle.
You know, like one candle on a cake. The candle is lit, so that is
my fire lap. I think of fire while I swim that lap, and it makes it
easier to remember. It sounds corny, but it works.

By the time it comes to Zero (my hero), that is ten, and the end of
that decade.

To keep track of each decade, I don't really do anything yet. Since
I'm only swimming a mile right now, there are only three decades, and
that's easy enough to remember.

Jon

Thanks some good mental tips here, counting laps not lengths, only
counting even, reinforcing your count memory as you turn, averaging
laptime, interesting that somebody has a frailty in the 65-69 laps.
I also have this problem with counting a great pile of things- could
similarly lose track unless I'm focusing my entire brainpower on the
job- solution count into piles of ten.

MW Smith <clipper.sm... at (no spam) gmail.com> wrote in news:cd86d1d8-0698-4c26-842b-
15ccd336a... at (no spam) v19g2000yqn.googlegroups.com:





On Mar 20, 7:59 pm, zzapper <zzap... at (no spam) gmail.com> wrote:
On Mar 20, 1:03 pm, Madelaine <m... at (no spam) sei.cmu.edu> wrote:> Robert W.
McAd
ams wrote:
zzapper wrote:
Hi,
I can never seem to keep count of how many lengths I've swum
Any tips welcome

Has anyone developed a trick to mentally click a count?

zzapper

I think it isn't possible. The count is in your short term memory. If
you stop thinking about it, it goes away.

I disagree.
Yes the count is short term memory, but if it takes you 30 seconds to
cross the pool and you refresh the count in your head every 6 seconds or
so (5x) you won't forget and you can easily increment on the flip.

Has anyone developed a trick to mentally click a count?

I think it isn't possible. The count is in your short
term memory. If you stop thinking about it, it goes
away.

Hi,
I can never seem to keep count of how many lengths I've swum
Any tips welcome
Any one use a clicker etc

zzapper
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Ideas?