What's a "lap" anyway?

[cjsmith]

If a "lap" is out and back, then I did ten laps this morning. My arms are pathetic. I hope to ramp up slowly.

Before 8AM, there are three swim lanes: slow, medium, and fast. This morning I learned I am solidly medium. I held my place with the guys in that lane just fine.

Comments

[mama-hogswatch.livejournal.com]

Well, I swim about 16 laps, so I don't really consider ten pathetic at all.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Ten's pretty good for a total nonswimmer like me. (I'm, er I WAS, a RUNNER darnit.) But my arms! They're the most useless pieces of flesh outside a paralysis clinic. My legs and my heart/lungs could happily have doubled this morning's workout without complaint, but my arms are limp little noodles whining about how they shouldn't ever have to do any work and the world owes them a living.

Heh. I tend to joke that my feet, if you judge by pain and function, are eighty years old. Clearly my arms are sullen teenagers. :-)

[mama-hogswatch.livejournal.com]

I swim because my legs hate me and I can't run!

Though, if you've not been doing any strength training, then yes, you're GOING to be sore at first. But a 500 is nothing to sneeze at starting out!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Wow, what a coincidence: that's why I swim now too! (Well, with me it's the feet.)

Agreed, I've been doing no strength training at all since... (mumble too many years ago mumble). Do people say "a 500" for swimming 500 yards?

[mama-hogswatch.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Or meters...

I used to be on a swim team when I was little.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

That sounds like it could be fun. I took lots of lessons but was never on a team. I used to be able to do all the different kinds of strokes, dead man's float, and all that stuff they make you do for swim lessons. Now I can't remember a bit of it! :-)

[genderfur.livejournal.com]

a. what happens after 8am?

b. does your pool have kickboards? One of those would let you get the cardio & leg exercise while taking a lot of load off your arms.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

At 8 the slow lane closes and all the slows get put with the mediums. Then there's not much you can do but dogpaddle, what with the crowding.

Yes, we do have kickboards! I used a kickboard for a couple of my laps today. Those are great inventions.