Getting lost in the pool, and on the track

I just try to concentrate and repeat the lap number I'm on in rhythm with my strokes. It also helps me to count lengths, not laps, because then if I forget a little bit, at least I can know whether I'm supposed to be on an odd or even number depending on which direction I'm swimming. I can swim a mile (70 lengths) this way with reasonable confidence of accuracy.

Running, I'm no help there. I tried to run 4 miles around my parents' subdivision, each loop a mile, and couldn't even count to four. I ended up running 5 loops according to the clock (I run at a very consistent pace so if I time myself, I can tell you to within a tenth of a mile how far I went just by looking at the time).

Without paying for anything, you can move the floats on the lane divider from one side of a gap to the other every 100 yards (assuming you can count to four). I do it by 5s so five from pool side to wall side, then wall side to pool side equals 1000yards. For intervals I do as others have said and hit the lap button after each interval.

Watch out with the moving the floats method, it's not foolproof. Sometimes the gap between the floats doesn't hold (seems to depend on how the lane lines are set up). It works at one pool I regularly loose and doesn't at the other, so YMMV. I've seem people do the same things with stuff on the pool deck as well - moving water bottles across, moving small stones across - anything small you can move from side to side.

No help with the track though...

I bought a Sport Count thumb counter thingie for the pool, and when I lost that, I upgraded to the PoolMate watch-type counter. Personally, it has helped me, because I like to compare my times.

When I am doing a long set, say 1500 meters, I'll go through the alphabet with each lap thinking of something with a, b, c, etc. Sometimes it'll be what I'm hungry for (apple, berries) or something I'm grateful for, if I'm feeling philosophical. I find this much easier to remember than numbers, but YMMV.

Or, for medium sets, I'll count to 5 or 6, then take a break, repeat.

If you run with an iPod, there is a stopwatch feature that I used to use to count laps on the track.

I use the Poolmate from Swimovate

It's so simple, and not only counts your laps, but stroke count, efficiency, keeps work out logs. 

Yup this does it for me.  I can usually gauge the "year" by time.  Easier in a 50 m pool though.

Another option, which I like to use in 25 m or yard pools, is to make a fraction for what portion of the swim you've done (like 1/54) and reduce the fractions during each lap (1/27, 1/19, 2/27 etc).  The math forces you to pay attention.  It works best when it's divisible by 2 and 3.

I count by yards/meters rather than laps (25 yds, 50 yds, 75 yds, etc).  Although I did a 1500m last week and still missed 200m if my splits were consistant.

When I swam on a team, there was a nice big pace clock I could use.  When doing sets of 100s or 200s or such, I adjust my time to make it easy to count.  For example I so 100 yds on 1:45 so every 4th one is back to the top of the clock.  It also helps you swim at a steady pace.

I am interested in the other things people mentioned, though.  More gear is always better, right?

Wow, never thought of using the alphabet or months instead of numbers, sounds like a great idea.

I went with the $30 option and bought a Timex Ironman watch. Depending on what I'm doing in the pool, I hit the lap button every 50 or 100 yards. When running a track, I hit it every lap.

I've also used the float divider thingies, but as another person said, it's not foolproof, especially if the person in the next lane decides to use it, or you're in the lane next to open swim and the kids don't know why you're doing it and they start flipping them back and forth.

Another cheap method for the track is to wear elastic bands on your wrist and move them from one wrist to the next with each lap or for every mile or something.

I have the Timex Ironman watch as well.  But, I still use another trick when I am working out should I leave the watch at home.  I have a large family.  Me, the wife, and soon to be 5 kids.  I use the 5 kids as my device to remember what '100' I am on.  I spend 100 meters thinking about each one of them, in order.  I focus on what they have going on in their lives, what I am proud about, issues I would like to work on, etc.   So, I know if I am thinking about my soon to be born son, that means I am near done with that set of 500meters.  It works for me, and it allows me to be appreciative of the family that supports me while I go through this training.  

- Adam

audiojan - 2012-07-23 1:50 PM ... and I though I had bad sense of direction! Never got lost in the pool or on the track though.

Bahahahahhahaha I am married to a man that needs a gps to find the bathroom, in our own house.

Seriously though, I am losing count because of all the tech stuff I am trying to remember in swimming. However, I guess I am not doing as badly as I thought, I finished 500 meters today in 21 minutes and I was hoping to finish the swim portion of my sprint in 20 minutes coming up in 6 weeks! I am stoked, let me tell ya.

Boy, I WISH I had access to a pool big enough to get lost in...

Here are several options, starting at free and working up to about $400...

Just count. When in doubt check your count against your usual time and it should keep you close.

Stack pennies or something on the deck.

Make a simple abacus type thing with a wire and two rows of beads.

Get a Timex IronMan or similar and tap the lap button once per length, per lap or per some other length that you can keep track of.

Buy a ring counter.

Buy a swimmers watch or a Forerunner 910xt.

I just count in my head....  BUT, as a backup, I go by time.  For example, if I lose track on the indoor track, I will time myself (running at the same pace, obviously) for 1-2 laps and then devide that into my total time I ran so far.  I might be a lap off at worst, but it's usually pretty close.

Again, as an example.  If I did the first 7 laps 8:30, I'm pretty sure at 17 min, I did 14.  It may read 16:50 or 17:10, but close enough to 12 to know my lap count.  If it's 16 or 18, I know I'm a lap up or down of what my count is.

^^This

Same thing works in the pool.