Counting laps?

[MomOnBike]

OK, what do you experts do?

I signed up for a "triathlon." That is, do a full triathlon over the course of one month. Should NOT be a problem. The problem comes with counting the laps. I have a really nice walking/running track and swimming pool at the gym that I'm planning on using, but it is so repetative that I lose count of the laps.

So, how do I keep track of the distance I walk/run & swim? Surely there are tricks.

The bike part is no problem. I wish Cateye made swim computers. . .

[Tri Girl]

I've heard many different methods, but the one I use is the alphabet. For each 50 I do it's one letter and I say all the things I can think of with that letter (apple, angel, angry, animals, abacus, then the next 50 is bears, babies, bubble gum, bumblebees etc). I know if I got to the letter H it's 400, if I get to Z it's 1300. Easy for me to keep track of.
My DH just counts in his head for each 50 (says over and over for each 50; 1,1,1,1,1, then the next one is 2,2,2,2,2, etc).

They also make really cool counters that go on your finger and for each lap you tap it with your thumb and it keeps track. Those cost about $30 and I'm cheap so I use the alphabet (it's free). http://www.sportcount.com/products.php

[HillSlugger]

+1 on the Sport Count

[alpinerabbit]

I do alphabet soup as described above. Even then I get confused now and then (does that mean I didn't learn my ABCs....??)

Alternatives I've thought about would be a golf counter with beads or hairbands on your waterbottle.

[rocknrollgirl]

I've heard many different methods, but the one I use is the alphabet. For each 50 I do it's one letter and I say all the things I can think of with that letter (apple, angel, angry, animals, abacus, then the next 50 is bears, babies, bubble gum, bumblebees etc). I know if I got to the letter H it's 400, if I get to Z it's 1300. Easy for me to keep track of.
My DH just counts in his head for each 50 (says over and over for each 50; 1,1,1,1,1, then the next one is 2,2,2,2,2, etc).

They also make really cool counters that go on your finger and for each lap you tap it with your thumb and it keeps track. Those cost about $30 and I'm cheap so I use the alphabet (it's free). http://www.sportcount.com/products.php

I do the 1,1,1,1, 2,2,2,2 thing too.

[roadie gal]

2+ on Sport Count. I can count up to ... 2... laps before I lose track no matter what trick I try.

I also like that it gives me lap time as well as total time and lap count.

[MomOnBike]

Thanks all. I knew you could help.

We went by our local Sheels (mega sports store) last night to get a Sport Count but they didn't have any. Where's my instant gratification when I need it? Until one comes in the mail, I think I'll either try the alphabet trick or moving hair bands from one wrist to another. I'm not going to time my laps, I sort of float from one end of the pool to the other, so that should work, I hope.

I also have the problem of being able to count laps to about, um, two. If I'm really paying attention. I fear the mechanical aid is necessary.

[colby]

Sometimes when I'm counting laps, I spend an entire lap figuring out what lap that was. Was that lap 28? Lap 29? Lap 27? Lap 30? Lap 20? Crap.

Sometimes it helps me to think about something to do with that number. 1, this is my first lap, the only lap I've done so far. 30, that's 50% of the way, 30 laps done and 30 laps to go. 10... that's... uh... how much percentage would 10 be? It's not 20%, that'd be 12 laps. Working out the math is one of my favorites. I repeat the number in my head at the other end of the pool as my feet hit the wall, then repeat the new number when I get back.
I figure if I'm doing enough laps, one or two is within the margin of error, but sometimes I check my watch to see if I'm about where I'd expect to be, too.

Doing intervals or mixing it up helps, too. "I'm going to do 6 50s with a 15 second rest, and 2 100s with a 30 second rest" - when you know you only have 6 or 2 or whatever to do, you count them better.