Much has been written here about counting strokes and I am an advocate of doing this as long as it does not become the sole focus. And the reason I am mentioning this is I know how many strokes I take regardless of the pace or distance. And this was developed through, probably, thousands of miles in the pool. This is not rocket-science, it is a skill that has been developed. I know if I am taking 11 strokes per 25, or 12 or 13 or 14 because my body feels it.
If a swimmer swims enough, they are able to become "in tune" with such skills. Another such skill is knowing how fast one is traveling without looking at the clock. For those swimmers who spend a lot of time on pacing, they know how fast they are traveling within a second or two. For instance, I can tell if I am swimming a 2:35 200 free, or a 2:43.
These developed skills can prove mighty handy to a swimmer during a workout and in a race.
I have spoken to many swimmers who do this, so I am not alone. And, I am sure there are some of you here, too. This is the kind of skill that is developed similar to a person who is blind or deaf and they develop another sense to help them adjust to their lives around them.
Has anyone here experienced this? It is quite a joy when it happens and a very big surprise also.
Donna
Parents
Former Member
Yippee, I knew there were swimmers here who can do this. Now, the stroke counting thing isn't just knowing that one arm is 11 and one arm is 12 and so forth. What it is is how it feels as you are swimming.
I think the knowing what speed a swimmer is traveling might come about more for those who spend a lot of time pacing; cruising, medium, fast, etc.
I make it a game, too, when I finish a swim and before I look at the clock, I guess a number. And then when I look at the clock, I am almost on target.
I also did this for the one mile swim here on our island. I had my husband start the stopwatch, I swam the distance, and he'd ask me how fast I thought I'd swam it in. This last year I told him 22:38. And he said, NO. I was crushed; it was a 22:16. So what this means is I really pay attention to how I feel when I travel.
There was one exception to this skill: When I swam my fastest 800m free back in the mid-90s. I shaved 2 minutes off my time so when I looked at the electronic timer, I thought it was wrong. But what I did experience during that swim was this: I knew something better was going to happen because of how powerful it felt.
These kinds of skills are pretty cool!!!
Donna
Yippee, I knew there were swimmers here who can do this. Now, the stroke counting thing isn't just knowing that one arm is 11 and one arm is 12 and so forth. What it is is how it feels as you are swimming.
I think the knowing what speed a swimmer is traveling might come about more for those who spend a lot of time pacing; cruising, medium, fast, etc.
I make it a game, too, when I finish a swim and before I look at the clock, I guess a number. And then when I look at the clock, I am almost on target.
I also did this for the one mile swim here on our island. I had my husband start the stopwatch, I swam the distance, and he'd ask me how fast I thought I'd swam it in. This last year I told him 22:38. And he said, NO. I was crushed; it was a 22:16. So what this means is I really pay attention to how I feel when I travel.
There was one exception to this skill: When I swam my fastest 800m free back in the mid-90s. I shaved 2 minutes off my time so when I looked at the electronic timer, I thought it was wrong. But what I did experience during that swim was this: I knew something better was going to happen because of how powerful it felt.
These kinds of skills are pretty cool!!!
Donna
