Iron Pol

 
The Last to Know 11/14/2007
 

In the past month, I've discovered a couple of co-workers are no longer with our company.  Generally, these discoveries were made when I sought out those individuals for help with a task or to give them information.  In one case, the guy had been gone for nearly a month.  I guess when it comes to the grapevine, I'm a victim of scorched earth technique.

For this morning's swim workout, I decided to do a time trial.  (No, this isn't horribly ADD, there will be a connection).  My lane partner was Coach Curt, who helped train the kids in our youth triathlon program.  As I finished the time trial, he asked what the format was, "Did you do 10x100, or something else?"  That led to the following conversation.

IP - Well, I did 40 lengths, whatever the exact distance is.

CC, looking at me rather oddly - Oh, is this pool short?

IP - The staff says it's 72 lengths to a mile.  That's about 24.4 yards per length.

CC - Actually, most pools are either 72 lengths to a mile, or 36 if it's a 50 yard pool.  It's the closest thing they can use so you start and stop at the same end.

IP - Blink.  Blink.

IP - Well, the Neenah pool says it's 66 lengths to a mile.

CC - They're using a competitive mile, which for some reason is actually 1650 yards.

IP - Blink.  Blink.  So, I've been shorting myself significant yardage on every swim?

CC - Why is that?

IP - Because I've been using 72 lengths to a mile, 1760 yards to a mile, so 24.4 yards to one length.  I do the math to figure out how far I swim for each interval.

CC - No, I'm sure you can safely use 25 yards per length.  If it's off, it won't be by more than an inch or two.

IP - Blink.  Blink.

In the end, our little conversation reveals several minor details.  First, I have completed SIGNIFICANTLY more yardage this year than I have logged.  Coach Curt pointed out that I can take a few days off, as I have several thousand yards in the bank.  Second, I may be just a bit obsessive when it comes to math.  Am I the only person in the world who has been calculating yardage out based on 1760 yds/72 lengths?

Perhaps an alternative title would be, "Yes, Iron Pol is Just THAT Naive."

 


Comments

Triseverence

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 11:34:12

Blink, Blink......I have been counting down and back as one.

The Neenah pool is longer......huh?

 

bigun

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 17:43:46

I too, always count down and back as one. I HAVE to know the length of the pool always, as I just don't think to go out and swim "a mile" but rather a certain even # of yards or meters. All that extra "guzinta's" would make my head explode.

 

monica

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:41:36

i'm so thoroughly lost.....

so did the ironman swim feel short to you??

either way, i say take days off!!!

 

Al Zinzindorf

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 04:59:36

Man I am really lost, I will have to ask my 7th grade daughter who is on the Y swim team to explain this one.

 

John K

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 06:29:35

Makes me want to bring a tape measure to the pool... I'm logging a lot of yards lately, maybe more than I think.

 

Al Zinzindorf

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 12:20:58

While swimming yesterday morning I thought of a solution to figuring out how long the pool really is in yards of course. Just count the number of 1" tile squares on the bottom of the pool and "guzinta's" by 36 and that should give you total yards.

Wow that was easy how about a tax question or something hard.

 



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