Pace clock or watch in the pool?

[Mark.AU]

Anyway- besides personal preferences can anyone explain to me why there is some better training benefit from using the pace clock?

There is no training benefit whatsoever in using a pace clock over a watch - it's just pool snobbery.

Interesting point. 15 replies and some strong opinions but nobody has yet said why a watch is wrong (other than getting whacked with one).

my strong opinion isn't based on a training benefit, but rather that if you're training with a group, all doing the same workout, it's important that everyone is working from the same time. if people are using their own watches, they throw off the timing for the rest of the group and it disrupts the workout. if you want to use your watch when swimming on your own, that's fine with me.

I agree with scrummy.

I also agree with Mark (to some degree). Every sport has its snobbery, and usually triathletes bear the brunt of all that snobbery:
- "real" cyclists hate us and our aerobars, aero helmets, and for never wanting to draft on a group ride;
- "real" swimmers hate us because all we want to do is 800m+ sets and wear watches in the pool;
- "real" runners hate us and consistently want to remind us of the good old days when they trained in miles, when everyone who ran qualified for Boston, and the only gear required was a singlet and a pair of flappy shorts.

"Real" cyclists mostly dislike triathletes because generally they have terrible technique, can't hold a line, can't stay on a wheel, can't ride a pace-line, have no idea of group ride etiquette and think it's ok to ride on the TT bars in a group.

[Irongirl]

Wait, people using watches are hitting the lap buttons? Oy....as a pace clock user, that just seems foreign to me.

[eme]

Wait, people using watches are hitting the lap buttons? Oy....as a pace clock user, that just seems foreign to me.

For the most part, I only use the lap button to keep track of my laps (so I know if I have missed distance). I didn't "grow up" swimming, so keeping track of sets/total distance in my head doesn't work.

[Jwolf]

Wait, people using watches are hitting the lap buttons? Oy....as a pace clock user, that just seems foreign to me.

How is it different from keeping track of laps at a track?

I'm beginning to think that this is one of those issues like treadmill vs road, headphones vs not, Garmin vs run by feel. I say it all comes does to personal preference and what helps you personally get more out of your training.

[La]

Wait, people using watches are hitting the lap buttons? Oy....as a pace clock user, that just seems foreign to me.

For the most part, I only use the lap button to keep track of my laps (so I know if I have missed distance). I didn't "grow up" swimming, so keeping track of sets/total distance in my head doesn't work.

I think the difference is because when you are doing a coached swim you are following a specific workout plan/set, so there really isn't any "counting" required. You just swim the posted workout.

In the past, I've written up my own workout/sets, printed it off, and brought it to the pool with me. As long as I follow the plan, I don't have to count beyond the distance of each set (which, in most cases was never more than 800m at a time anyway, usually sets of 100-400m).

[eme]

Wait, people using watches are hitting the lap buttons? Oy....as a pace clock user, that just seems foreign to me.

For the most part, I only use the lap button to keep track of my laps (so I know if I have missed distance). I didn't "grow up" swimming, so keeping track of sets/total distance in my head doesn't work.

I think the difference is because when you are doing a coached swim you are following a specific workout plan/set, so there really isn't any "counting" required. You just swim the posted workout.

In the past, I've written up my own workout/sets, printed it off, and brought it to the pool with me. As long as I follow the plan, I don't have to count beyond the distance of each set (which, in most cases was never more than 800m at a time anyway, usually sets of 100-400m).

I have set workouts when I swim, but when I swim by myself I tend to day dream. The watch is just to make sure I keep on track. In a group swim, I don't need it as I just follow along with group sets.

Yeah, I am weird

[Mark.AU]

Wait, people using watches are hitting the lap buttons? Oy....as a pace clock user, that just seems foreign to me.

Yeah; on the rare occasions I swim in the pool I use the watch as a pace clock - just start it at the beginning of the set and glance at it at the end of the lap and start the next lap on the appropriate time. THe only time I would hit the lap button would be between sets.

[Jwolf]

To be clear I use the lap button of the watch when I take a rest between 100d or 50s or whatever- not at every end.

[AjaxRunner]

I use both the pool clock and a watch.

Watch knows automatically when I start swimming and when I stop swimming. Only hit start at the beginning of the swim and stop when I am ready to get out of the pool. This way I have an automatic log of distance swam, strokes per lap, rest periods taken etc. Data is saved automatically in my log and allows me to compare workouts.

Pool clock used for everything else.

[Annelizabeth]

Pressing the lap button cause I can not be bothered to count is wrong?

Good thing I do not care.