Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Problem with Swimming

This time when I have a problem, it has nothing to do with any of my joints or muscles; no worries!

I learned something at the pool today that blew my mind. Let me crunch some numbers for you.

1 mile is 1600 meters, you could call it 1.6k if you want to (maybe thats what they would call it in Canada, but you'll never hear me say "I just ran 12 kilometers eh?" (Take that Canadian!) ) Everybody knows this (or does now). Junior high kids know this.

Also, at one point you all knew that a mile is also 1760 yards. I remember this because in The Perfect Mile, they sometimes measured a track in yards and it was 440 yards. 440 yards times 4 is 1760 yards. A mile is 1760 yards no matter how you dice it. No matter freaking what.

Unless you're swimming in a pool (open water is different).

In a pool, they call 1650 yards a mile. Thats weird, because I call 1650 yards 0.9375 miles. I don't get it. Anybody have some answers for me? Are swimmers just slackers and 93% of a mile is good enough?

Anyhoo, thats the end of that rant. I'm still calling 1750 yards a mile because I'm no slacker!


After my first time out on the bike post-injury, I was a little worried today when I woke up. I thought maybe I'd over done it, just by going out there. Maybe I'd put my feet on the floor and feel pain shoot through my knee.

Nope. No shooting pain.

Walking felt 100% fine today, and I did a lot of it, about 7 miles, since I had to be all over campus. Then tonight, swimming was fine. Swimming normally, without the pull buoy. Even swimming intervals. Shoulder felt good too. Hells yes!

I'm taking it easy tomorrow, biking Thursday, and swimming Friday. This weekend will be played by ear a little bit, but I'm planning to up the distance on the bike by a few miles; nothing huge. If that goes good, I get to ease back into what I really miss: running.

Thats all I got today. Glad you guys like the new design and aren't going to shun me, except for our (not-so!) favorite cheese head!

6 comments:

Nancy said...

I have noticed these weird (not real) conversions myself and only gotten more confused. And, I'm a swimmer from waaaaay back. I have no idea how all this evolved. I suppose the problem is that much of the rest of the world is in meters and we are still in yards?! Still, it's just math people. I don't really get it.

Marcy said...

Ummmmm Doug that's a lot of numbers right there. Let's keep to the basics of what I know, k? Cookie Monster counting cookies on Sesame Street :P

Jess said...

Ok, Doug, you lost me at the word "meters." You need to dumb down the numbers business here and keep in mind that some readers are English professors. We read. We don't do distance equations.

nwgdc said...

I have lifted the shun. We are on speaking terms again, but only because you chose the same background color of both me and the Marathon Dude. Very soothing.

Run For Life said...

I always wondered about that, too. It's a puzzling thing, EH?! :P

Anonymous said...

I know this is an old post, but it still pops up high in the google search. In case anyone is still wondering why a swimming mile is only 1650 yards, read this. Long story short-Because it's the closest equivalent distance to the 1500m swim used in international competition.

http://theswimmerscircle.com/blog/2010/04/25/tsc-mysteries-why-is-a-swimming-mile-only-1650-yards/