Splash!
Suddenly I can hear nothing but my own breath.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
It’s -15 below outside, but inside I’m sporting a swimsuit and splashing around in the pool. It takes a while but I finally get a good rhythm going and begin to zone out. I visualize my race and how this year I’ll actually really swim the whole thing. As I reach the end of my lane I’m suddenly snapped back to reality.
Crap, what lap am I on again?
Ugh…nothing ruins a great swim than losing track of my laps. I don’t swim a straight 500m, instead I opt for intervals so I always have to do swim math to keep track.
What’s swim math?
That’s when you have one triathlete a 25m pool and her training consists of 8×25, 4×50, 2×100 with a 3×75. If you have a 25m pool how many laps is that?
Yeah, it hurts my head just thinking about it. I can’t do normal math at 5:30 am let alone attempt swim math.
I’ve tried numerous ways of keeping track. Like rubber bands on my wrist, annoying and hard to manage with wet hands. I’ve tried using the tiles around the pool and move my water bottle down the tiles for each lap, which pretty much keeps me from entering “the zone”.
What is boils down to is I’m hoping I’m getting my laps and distance training, but I’m not absolutely sure because I lose count every single time.
Then one day {thanks to the internet and Twitter}, I came across Swimovate. They actually make swim watches that count your laps for you.
It seems too good to be true. Like a rainbow colored unicorn.
But let me tell you it IS true, and it works.
Here’s the deal
The PoolMate contains state of the art motion sensors that detect the motion of your arm, as well as the pause between laps. For this reason, it will not count your laps if just kicking. It is not a GPS. The unique software algorithms and digital signal processing techniques analyze the data and extract lap, stroke, distance, speed and calorie information automatically. This unique swimming watch uses state of the art accelerometers to measure wrist movement during a swim stroke in order to calculate the number of movements per session. The watch also calculates the total session time, average strokes per lap, speed, distance, calories and efficiency. The Pool-Mate swimming watch features a large memory that holds up to 400 swim logs for review during or after a swim session, and also includes a full digital watch with 12 or 24 hour format, alarm and backlight. Swimmers can easily time running, cycling, open water swims or triathlons using the PoolMate’s Chrono mode, with additional functionality added to allow for timing of rest periods. Using advanced digital signal processing and software algorithms developed by our expert team of engineers, the Pool Mate is able to pick out the stroke and lap information for all strokes, including the Front Crawl, Back Stroke, Breaststroke and Butterfly, making it a useful addition to every swimmer’s workout. The swimming lap counter watch works in all pools over 15 meters and doesn’t require individual calibration.
Some of that is science talk and since I can’t do swim math I’m not much on swim science either, but I can tell you this IT’S ACCURATE.
I put the PoolMate to the test during one of my toughest interval training sessions. 8×25, 4×100, a couple of 75m the usual, and it didn’t miss a lap.
Now I can finally get in “the zone” during my swim. Block out the excess noise, stress, swim math and just be a fish.
Want to be a fish too?
You can win your own PoolMate watch. Just complete the Rafflecopter to enter.
Winners will be chosen at random on Monday, February 10 at 8 am.
And for those or you that are hardcore swimmers and triathletes Swimovate has come out with a brand new swim watch The PoolMate Live.
It features all of the premium features of the PoolMate Heart Rate, but without the heart rate monitor. That includes settable vibrating alarms at certain times, distances, or laps; lap-by-lap data to your computer; a removable download clip for the watch; a user-changeable battery, and a new and improved display with bigger characters.
There are so many options! Soon no one will have to be tortured by swim math ever again.
*The Nitty Gritty: I was compensated with my own PoolMate watch to try in exchange for this review and giveaway. However, all opinions, dislike for swim math and love of swimming are my own.
My fav stroke is Free. Would love this watch.
Favorite stroke for speed- crawl, for movement- back
Kari recently posted..Examining Goals
This is very cool!!
Missed the part about favorite stroke. Mine is the backstroke.
I love free style. But butterfly was my favorite in HS.
I’m not much of a swimmer YET, but I really want to do a tri so I need to start! My fav is free style or back stroke! (found you from the Girls Gone Sporty FB page)
Kiley @ DVF recently posted..biking miles, burpees & a hills. {plus a giveaway}
I was a backstroker in high school, but I’m training for my first tri now and this would come in SO handy!
Desi @ A Northern Girl recently posted..January Recap & February Goals
I’m pretty bad with most strokes except freestyle, so I’m going to have to go with that as my favorite!
I always lose count of laps, especially when you throw 75s in there. I’d love a watch to count them for me. 🙂
Lauren @ mostlyirun recently posted..#onechange with vega one
I have looked at these watches and wondered about the performance. So glad to hear that it is working well for you. I would love to swim with one of these watches. Thanks for posting!
I would love to win this watch to help me perfect my swim!
My favorite stroke is freestyle. Training for my first International/Olympic Distance tri and would love some help from a watch!
Freestyle – distance!!!!!!
I am doing my first tri this summer, and I would love to win this to help with my training!!!
Lindsay @ Lindsay Weighs In recently posted..How To Eat Healthily & Keep Fit When Leading A Busy Life – Guest Post
Love free…love this watch
My favorite is free style….I love this watch! Thanks for the opportunity to enter this giveaway!
I have a love/hate relationship with swimming … and I loose track counting laps after 2 – REALLY.
My favorite stroke is freestyle.
My favorite stroke is freestyle, though in my first tri you would have sworn it was some combination of breaststroke and dog paddle. Ha!
My favorite stroke is the freestyle (or is that called the crawl?). It is definitely NOT the breast stroke or the back stroke, though I am working on those more since I found myself having to do them during my last tri when a guy tried to hold on to me in the middle of the water and I got spooked!
My favorite stroke is skulling, I know it isn’t really a stroke stroke but more of a drill. What can I say? I love the drills.
I only swim so I can participate in tri’s. My friend is convinced hat she will teach me to love it by this fall for my 70.3. I really only ‘know’ freestyle, but am taking lessons next month to learn more strokes.
My favorite stroke is freestyle.
I like breast and free!!
Freestyle! I always loose track of my laps. I looked into upgrading my Garmin to count my strokes but this product looks awesome!
ali jennings recently posted..Awesome Swim Workout
I like chillin in backstroke but I need to up my freestyle game.
Ashley @ Brocblog recently posted..Running Games
My favorite is freestyle!
Heidi @ love each step recently posted..photowalk wednesday, v. 4: home
Favorite stroke is free, really would like this watch
doggypaddle, because my dog looks so cute doing it, but I focus on freestyle.
Ben recently posted..What I did on my summer vacation
I actually really like the side stroke but I wouldn’t be caught dead doing it! So in that case, freestyle
I plain ol LOVE to swim. Reminds me of childhood, you can almost meditate when you get in a rhythm. I’m training for my first Ironman this year. This watch would rock my world!
I’d love one of these!!!
My fav swim stroke is freestyle, gets me to go long and lean with my arms and legs