Get elapsed time while TIMER samples pulses

[RodSTAR]

hi fellows,
this is a shorter and clearer way to expose my question:

Does any Interrupt or Timer variable let me capture elapsed time ?
[modified code taken from mister_e post]

Start: 
    TMR1L=0                  ' Clear Counter
    TMR1H=0                  ' Clear Counter      
                             ' 
    TMR1ON=1             ' START counter
      ...DO_THINGS       ' <----Do other things in unknown time while counting in background
      ...FOR..NEXT...LCDOUT.... ' ....things happen
      hserout pulseRATE 
    TMR1ON=0                 ' STOP counter
                             '
    CounterA.HIGHBYTE=TMR1H  ' Get results                          
    CounterA.LOWBYTE=TMR1L   ' 

    LapTIME = ELAPSED_TIME   ' Get ms <---- Something like this is what I wish... does it exist?
    'so I can do the following:
    pulseRATE = CounterA / LapTIME '  this would be heaven... :) [pseudocode]
    'pulseRATE is the pulse rate in this cycle.
    '
    '  Blah blah blah
    '
goto start

The idea is to handle a sort of variable (LapTIME) that handles the elapsed time(ms) while TMR1ON=1 (between START and STOP). to make accurate calculations like pulse rate, speed.. (for quadrature encoders)

well, that is it
thanks for your time
regards,

RodSTAR