When I set up my spreadsheet 4 years ago, I didn't have luck getting the time format to work the way I wanted, so I did something different. It sounds like most of you are looking for a data warehouse, but I also wanted to have some analysis capabilities via excel's PivotTables.
To get the PivotTables to show up the way I wanted, by ascending time, I had to create a "total time in seconds" column. I have the time entered as text, and then have a bunch of hidden columns that break out the minutes and seconds (including the decimal) based on the text entry. Last, there's a column with a formula that adds them up into total seconds (a 5:05.05 500 is a 305.05). It is a pretty round-about way to get what I wanted, but I have the text "time" column in my PivotTable and don't really look at the total seconds column.
Yes, I basically use it as a database for our LMSC, while still allowing me to do calculations with the times. (Only recently have I ported my own swims to Excel.)
Jeff, you probably have it set up just the way you like it, but converting to seconds is much easier than that (its a one-step calculation); see how in
forums.usms.org/showthread.php
I guess there is a lot of :frustrated: about Excel and times...maybe someday I'll write up something and post it somewhere (not sure where)...
Jeff's job as Top Ten recorder and registrar is almost like having another full time job. Eek. :bolt: I actually don't think we have Potomac Valley LMSC records, although that would be unusual. I've never even seen them. I think Jeff must be refusing to keep them. lol
I'm not opposed to keeping track of my times if there was some easy way to do it. Although I'm quite fine with the fact that I can't remember any of my 50 evilstroke times.
Jim: Shame on you, wasting that math SAT and lapsing into early math alzheimers. My verbal score was higher and I am math hater. I don't think I can do middle school math anymore ...
All right, I just read Peg's post. You're all a serious bunch of geeks and nerds. :thhbbb:
Hey, I'm a chemistry professor, a certain amount of geekiness comes with the territory. (Yes, I actually teach students a 6-lesson Excel tutorial for statistical data analysis; believe it or not, Excel proficiency has helped some of them land their first job/promotion.)
Based on what I hear, I think Registrar is much harder than Top Ten; I certainly wouldn't want to trade.
And you don't keep LMSC records because yours would be so embarrasingly SLOW compared to ours...perfectly understandable.
Attached is a simple excel spreadsheet I use to track times & splits.
The first line is a sample data; the yellow highlights is entered while the green is calculated. Enter the date/stroke/distance and subtractive splits, and the cumulative split and final time is calculated. The final time is max from the cummulative splits, to save a little bit of typing. If you don't have splits, you can just enter the final time over the formula.
The time boxes use the custom format m:ss.00. Times must be entered x:xx.xx so excel will recognize them as times.
Former Member
They have a nice set up on floswimming. When you register with the site you can then go to floswimmer and post all the times on line.
Please look at the Hollidaysburg YMCA masters and you should see the times I have posted for this season.
Loren
Former Member
But the idea of avoiding the descending line to the boneyard is appealing.
Not, considering that you have (one -anyone-everyone- has) only two choices
1- (relatively slow) descending line to the boneyard
or
2- diving/jumping/crashing into the boneyard
:oldman::oldman:
Former Member
Just for information, both hy-tek and easyware use micosoft access to run their programs.
Former Member
Doesn't USMS have a results database that tracks all your meet times for you?
Only if the meet director submits them. We have that problem in my LMSC. Only the zones meets and one or two random others get sent to USMS database. Most just e-mail the results to us and we have to track our own.
