I have been asked, on more than one occasion, “how do you keep track of all the laps you swim.” For those that do not swim, they do not realize that we do sets. When that is the case, it is easy. But what about when the sets are something like: 5 x 2,000? Well…I count. I break down those two thousands in my head as I swim. I might count the first 40 laps for the first 1,000 then for the next one, I count 10 x 100s. If I am doing a straight swim…say 8,000, I make it a game. I may break it up and for the first 1,000 I count 40, the second 1,000 I may count 2 x 500s the third, 4 x 250s etc.
It is interesting to me how the same yardage can feel so different when broken up different ways in my head. The 1,000 straight may feel like an eternity whereas 4 x 250s feels like half the distance. I usually cannot think or daydream when I swim. This is another misconception by non-swimmers. I have tried to let my mind wander during my long pool swims. The only thing those wanderings ever got me were just made, but still too short flip turns, and a smack into the wall (literally I really did swim into the wall one time). So counting is better for me. And what if I miscount or forget what number I am on? Well…I always add laps, I never assume that I already did them. This can be problematic in a 50 meter pool but most times I am able to rectify the situation by a quick glance at the minute clock.
Long open water swims are different. My mind can wander when I am not concentrating on shifting pace. If I know I have 1/2 hour of the same speed, then I can push play on that mix tape I made in my mind. I may think about something that happened or I may think about nothing. Sometimes I just watch my arms moving through the water and listen to the muffled sounds. Sometimes it feels like a dream. One thing I can never think about or imagine, is the end. For me, in every swim that I have done, even when I see the shore, I cannot imagine the end until I am experiencing it.