work out laps



S

Skipthomp48

Guest
Appreciate everyones help as I plunged back into swimming this winter. Only took one week off, but
skiied hard for six days that week. Suggestions re my time, endurance, stoke technique improvement
are greatly appreciated. More than anything, it is just nice to see where I am compared to the
experts, and experience my improvement over time.

Thinking about a masters group, just not sure if I am up to the schedule. The two closest are two
evenings 8-10 pm, plus Sat, (sat and sun in warm weather) Work and family schedules make that tough
as I usually have to work Saturdays. Also, that late in the evening I am pretty well "spent", then
find myself not being able to fall asleep till 1-2am. That then starts a cycle of sleep deprevation,
causing migranes, over eating, basically brain dead! I have been told (whether true or not) that a
morning work out is preferable. Opinions of the group please...I think these groups switch to am in
the summer months when they can swim outside. Maybe that is when I should consider. That said, I do
not want to be the slowest in the group either.

Comments on my work out please: I have worked with an instructor in the high school on this plan.
Would appreciate the critique, plus other alternatives. At the instructors advice I bought a pair of
tyr split fins for leg training. Here goes. Oh, 25 meter pool, 66 laps=mile. No flip turns,
generally no stopping except for equipment/costume (janet jackson fans)changes/malfunctions.

3 X 6freestyle, with one breast every 5 (slower, catch my breath) 18 2freestyle, as fast as I can
(my idea of a sprint!!!?) 2 20 with fins. 4-6 side flutter arms stretched out on side 20 4-6
backstroke flutter, arms at side 4-6 freestyle flutter/body rotation practice using kickboard 4-6
freestyle concentration of arm stroke technique. 2 X 1breast followed by 9 freestyle 20 2 freestyle
sprint 1 breast 2 freestyle sprint 1breast. 6
___
Total Laps 66

cool down, breast, back, and practice flip turns (ick!)

As stated earlier on a previous post this is a 47-51 minute program. A little less time at the turns
and I am sure I can achieve my first goal of 40 minutes. You folks at 30 or less, I question if this
old body (55) could ever catch you.

Couple of things come to mind.
1) Should I go beyond the mile. ie: rest after the mile and then put in another 20 thirty laps of
practice???. Thus, the workout now exeeding one hour.
2) Are you better to rest or keep swimming only slower??? I was told in high school it was better to
keep the sensation of the water flowing around your body, thus stay swimming. That is why I do a
slow breast stroke between sets, and not rest for 30-60 seconds.
3) If you do rest between sets, how long should it be?
4) In my so called sprints, my time is better, by my number of strokes only drops a couple. I am at
25-27. I have along way to go to acheive the 17 someone noted here. Maybe it that was for the 25
yd pool!!! At seventeen I am at about 2/3's of a lap in the 25meter pool. What should my stoke
count objective be for a 25 meter lap?

Thx for putting up with me...JP
 
II
> bought a pair of tyr split fins for leg training. Here goes. Oh, 25
meter
> pool, 66 laps=mile. No flip turns, generally no stopping except for equipment/costume (janet
> jackson fans)changes/malfunctions.

In my 25 meter pool, a mile is 32 laps. Even if you are counting each length of the pool as a "lap"
it seems that the total should be 64, not 66. Am I wrong about the distance or are you?

Pat
 
On Thu, 26 Feb 2004 18:43:54 -0600, "Pat"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>In my 25 meter pool, a mile is 32 laps. Even if you are counting each length of the pool as a "lap"
>it seems that the total should be 64, not
>66. Am I wrong about the distance or are you?

64 x 25m x 1.093 = 1748.8 yards, about twelve yards shy of a statute mile.

66 x 25m x 1.093 = 1803.45 yds, about 43 yards longer than a statute mile.

Donal Fagan AIA Donal@DonalO'Fagan.com (Anglicise the name to reply by e-mail)
 
"Skipthomp48"
> probably me.

Okay, I figured it out. 1 mile = 1609.344 meters. So it needs to be 32.186 laps for a mile. I guess
I have been slacking off by not swimming that extra 0.186 meters or 14 3/4 feet. I think people have
been just using the distance of 1650 meters as a mile to make it all come out even.

Now, I feel lazy! I always do an extra lap anyway--I just haven't been counting it in the time. :)

Pat
 
On Thu, 26 Feb 2004 21:06:05 -0800 (PST),
[email protected] (Steve Curtis) wrote:

64 x 25m x 1.093 = 1748.8 yards, about twelve yards shy of a statute mile. 66 x 25m x 1.093 =
1803.45 yds, about 43 yards longer than a statute mile.

> Ah hah! Coming around to my way of thinking.

Why do you say that?

Donal Fagan AIA Donal@DonalO'Fagan.com (Anglicise the name to reply by e-mail)
 
On 27 Feb,
"Pat" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
> II
> > bought a pair of tyr split fins for leg training. Here goes. Oh, 25
> meter
> > pool, 66 laps=mile. No flip turns, generally no stopping except for equipment/costume (janet
> > jackson fans)changes/malfunctions.
>
> In my 25 meter pool, a mile is 32 laps. Even if you are counting each length of the pool as a
> "lap" it seems that the total should be 64, not 66. Am I wrong about the distance or are you?

One mile (1760yards) is 1609.3 metres which is 64lengths and 9.3 metres, or
64.4 lengths. I assume the quoted 66 lengths is for swimming for a distance badge where they have to
complete /at/ /least/ the distance.
--
BD add 1 to from address to reply [13435]
 
Pat wrote: I think people have been just using the
> distance of 1650 meters as a mile to make it all come out even.
I think you may be thinking of 1650 yards, which is a distance that is raced and is sometimes
(incorrectly) called the mile. 1500 meters is also a distance that is raced. Both are about the same
distance. This is something that has always bothered me. 1650 yards is not a mile, it is about 100
yards short of a mile, yet people still call that race "the
mile." I don't know who came up with this event, but it makes much more sense to me to swim 1750
yards, or 1600 meters. Does anyone know the origins of this event? 1650 Freestyler, Alex
 
On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 11:27:43 -0800 (PST),
[email protected] (Steve Curtis) wrote:

>Because of the debate between you and I in the other thread: "time for a one mile lap swim/workout
>structure" over what constitutes a "mile" in terms of yardage and number of pool lengths and my
>insistence for exactness and your insistence for approximation ...

Not insistence, just acceptance. I think it would be great to have an accurate chart, but I suspect
it would confuse more people than it would help.

Donal Fagan AIA Donal@DonalO'Fagan.com (Anglicise the name to reply by e-mail)
 
On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 13:08:27 -0800 (PST),
[email protected] (Steve Curtis) wrote:

>>I think it would be great to have an accurate chart, but I suspect it would confuse more people
>>than it would help.

> Not if someone had a calculator handy.

Wanted: Lifeguard, responsible for safety of swimmers, swimming lessons, cleaning pool deck,
obtaining water samples, etc. Lifeguard Certification and Water Safety Instructor (WSI)
Certification are preferred. Must have own calculator.

Donal Fagan AIA Donal@DonalO'Fagan.com (Anglicise the name to reply by e-mail)
 
you two need your own TV sitcom...this past exchange made me laugh out loud it was so funny...

"Steve Curtis" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:22323-403FD620-86@storefull-
3171.bay.webtv.net...
> >>Wanted: Lifeguard, responsible for safety of
> swimmers, swimming lessons, cleaning pool deck, obtaining water samples, etc. Lifeguard
> Certification and Water Safety Instructor (WSI) Certification are preferred. Must have own
> calculator.<<
>
> Where's your common sense? Bring your own, or how about another pool patron, the staff office,
> a coach, and/or yes, maybe even a lifeguard having a calculator available for those who wish
> to convert? Even some cell phones brought to pools have calculators, mine does. Or, if you
> prefer, and are living in the Dark Ages, bring a slide rule or an abacus. This isn't rocket
> science for Pete's sake.
>
> Steve Curtis
 
On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 15:43:28 -0800 (PST),
[email protected] (Steve Curtis) wrote:

> Where's your common sense?

When I swam mornings last fall, I used to see this guy swim a mile. There was something wrong with
his son. He'd leave the boy right at the edge and swim a pretty good pace. He just wanted to get his
swimming in, then drag his son in the water to howl and play ball.

Someone who is swimming, or water-walking, a mile for fitness, or to earn a badge, is not likely to
care about fractions of a length. If he/she cares about time, they'll swim some distance that fits
the pool, like 1500 or 2000. How's that for common sense?

Donal Fagan AIA Donal@DonalO'Fagan.com (Anglicise the name to reply by e-mail)
 
Steve Curtis wrote:
>>>Someone who is swimming, or water-walking, a mile for fitness, or to
>
> earn a badge, is not likely to care about fractions of a length.<<
>
>
> No argument with that. But, what about those swimmers (e.g. pool-training triathletes) that
> might care about the distances (in particular a mile) that they swim and the subsequent times
> for those distances. There are a few of them (albeit a minority) who train in the pool also,
> at least in some of the pools I've swam at.
>
> Steve Curtis
>

These arguments are the rhetorical equivalent of circle swimming...
 
On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 22:35:54 -0800 (PST),
[email protected] (Steve Curtis) wrote:

>No argument with that. But, what about those swimmers (e.g. pool-training triathletes) that might
>care about the distances (in particular a
>mile) that they swim and the subsequent times for those distances. There are a few of them (albeit
> a minority) who train in the pool also, at least in some of the pools I've swam at.

If there are enough to demand an accurate mile, it will happen.

Donal Fagan AIA Donal@DonalO'Fagan.com (Anglicise the name to reply by e-mail)
 
On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 10:16:02 -0800 (PST),
[email protected] (Steve Curtis) wrote:

>>>you two need your own TV sitcom...this past exchange
made me laugh out loud it was so funny...<<

> Yeah, "Malcolm in the Middle Lane."

I was thinking, "Two and Four-Tenths Men."

Donal Fagan AIA Donal@DonalO'Fagan.com (Anglicise the name to reply by e-mail)
 
"Pat" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> II
> > bought a pair of tyr split fins for leg training. Here goes. Oh, 25
> meter
> > pool, 66 laps=mile. No flip turns, generally no stopping except for equipment/costume (janet
> > jackson fans)changes/malfunctions.
>
> In my 25 meter pool, a mile is 32 laps. Even if you are counting each
length
> of the pool as a "lap" it seems that the total should be 64, not 66. Am I wrong about the distance
> or are you?
>
> Pat
>
You're just splitting laps, I mean hairs. Taking a colloquialism and looking for it's exact
mathematical meaning.
 
"Steve Curtis" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >>Someone who is swimming, or water-walking, a mile for fitness, or to
> earn a badge, is not likely to care about fractions of a length.<<
>
>
> No argument with that. But, what about those swimmers (e.g. pool-training triathletes) that
> might care about the distances (in particular a mile) that they swim and the subsequent times
> for those distances. There are a few of them (albeit a minority) who train in the pool also,
> at least in some of the pools I've swam at.
>
> Steve Curtis
>

I'd like to see an ocean course in which a triathlete or a swimmer ends up swimming an exact mile.
With all the zigzagging and losing direction that people do, I'd reckon 90% of them end up swimming
more than the few extra laps swimming a 1650 in the 25-yard pool will cause them. This includes how
tight around the buoys you make your turns, and how accurate they were positioned by the race
organizers, and whether the race organizers accounted for the turn radius etc...

It's like this, If you guys wanna talk exact distances, at least include all the factor that will
affect the distance, rather than taking 2 factors, neglecting 5 others, and think you have an
exact number.
 
Hey JP

you asked questions about your workouts and reveived a discussion over miles and meters. As european
I don't realy care about miles and I am happy that 1000m are 1000m or 40 laps.... :)

So let me tell you my opinion to your questions. (I'm not a swim pro, so that are just my opinions)

> You folks at 30 or less, I question if this old body (55) could ever catch you.

I am 40 now and swimming for 2 years regularly, in the lane next to me are sometimes the 15-18 year
old teenagers from the swimm club: I don't think I will ever be able to beat them (not even get
close).....

> 1) Should I go beyond the mile. ie: rest after the mile and then put in another 20 thirty laps of
> practice???. Thus, the workout now exeeding one hour.

I dont't think that the exact distcance you swim per workout is important. If you have a look at
trainingsplans from top athletes, you will see that the total distance is not fix and depends of
what the focus is in the training (I found sample (!)professionals(!) trainingsplans on http://www.usa-
swimming.org/programs/template.pl?opt=coaches&pubid=1331 ) The goal must be of course to be able to
extend the number of laps over the time.

> 2) Are you better to rest or keep swimming only slower??? I was told in high school it was better
> to keep the sensation of the water flowing around your body, thus stay swimming. That is why I
> do a slow breast stroke between sets, and not rest for 30-60 seconds.

I think its better to swimm faster and to rest

> 3) If you do rest between sets, how long should it be?

Try out what is comfortable for you (eg. 100m swimm 30 sec rest) and then over the weeks reduce the
rest time. If you bring down the rest time start with a new distance (200m with 45 sec rest at the
beginning)

> 4) In my so called sprints, my time is better, by my number of strokes only drops a couple. I am
> at 25-27. I have along way to go to acheive the 17 someone noted here. Maybe it that was for
> the 25 yd pool!!! At seventeen I > am at about 2/3's of a lap in the 25meter pool. What should
> my stoke count objective be for a 25 meter lap?

25-27 seems to me quite high. with some technique drills you should bring it down to 20 and maybe
below. (TI helped me here a lot)

Dani