Back to the roots: static apnea

I haven't been writing lately, because I've really had nothing useful to write about. I was on a monofin clinic with Peter Pedersen in December last year and it was very good and inspirational. Since then, I've been mostly consentrating on monofin techniqe. I haven't really been diving as such, I decided to take the approach where I concentrate on technique and general fitness first, and only when a competition is near, I will start training apnea again.

Well, it turns out that was a good strategy. A little over a week ago, I started dry statics again as preparation for the competition on 21.1.2006. I had done some odd statics here and there, while in full training (almost daily joggin, gym, swimming or cross country skiing) and managed a good 7 minutes quite well (on I side note, I really do mean getting in shape. I've lost over 15 kilos of fat since last july and almost 10kg of that after Renens). Since I had now stopped all that, I expected my results to rise. But I wasn't expecting such a jump! On the first session some time last week, I immediately got a 7:37. Sure, I've done more a couple of times, but this was after a long break and usually the best times come after...Well, I was right again. On sunday, a new pb in water: 7:34. Then Mon and Tue, 7:40 and 7:47 dry. Then I rested for a couple of days, like I always do, starting statics again on the previous day before a competition.

Then on friday, the real bomb shell. On my first FRC warmup, I did 4 minutes and on the second 5 minutes. I knew at least now, that I was having a really strong day. Then on the first packing warmup 7 minutes. In warmup! I then settled down for about 5 minutes and concentrated, inhaled, packed...I have no clue how long it was until the first contraction (I've stopped looking at the watch at that point). All I know is that I was feeling relaxed and in control for a very long time. After about 40 contractions I sat up and looked at the watch. Just passing 8 minutes! I decided to hold on until 8:15, such in nice round number. And I did and I was still completely in control. I was still feeling the effects of the hypercapnia several minutes later, but I was grinning like a maniac :)

So, on saturday, I was feeling the pressure like usual. My competition performances have usually been ruined by being too nervous. But not this time. I knew exactly what I had to do. How I had to eat, the warmup schedule by the minute, what kind of suit to wear...These are all things I've made mistakes in, but not now. Plus I had the confidence of knowing, that physically, I could do 7 minutes even if something went slightly wrong.

I packed a little too much and ended up swallowing some air. I had a short episode of "cardio vagal problem". At this point I was a bit nervous. How much air did I swallow? Is it ruined? But then as I'm pondering this and trying to relax everything, out of the blue the first signal: 4 minutes. Already? I was still feeling like I had just started. My first contraction came at an amazing 5:30. Usually a sign of heavy hyperventilation, but I had not hyperventilated. Much less than usual...A 6:00 I was feeling so strong, I now knew I would reach 7 minutes no problem. So I just let my self drop even deeper into my mind and relaxed completely. 7 minutes passed, but I was still ok, so I kept going...Onto 7:34, which is exactly the same time as my training pb! If you could only have seen my face at that point! I had conquered the big 7 in competition and not only that, I had smashed my old competiton pb my almost a minute.

Next was dynamic, but I was feeling so exstatic I didn't really have the motivation to concentrate fully. I did some hasty warmups and 118m. Originally my goal was 125m, but not today, not with that preparation. But this was also a competition pb and it was comforting to know that even on a hideously bad dive, I can beat my old pb. I have no doubt I can reach over 125 meters this season...The dive was really ugly. I lost all my hard worked tecnique and swam like a...hmm, well some animal that swims really bad. On virtually every turn, I had problems with buoyancy and all the turns were far from fluent. But none of that mattered. I had just made a world class static result in competition and left with the feeling I could've done more...

It still continues to amaze me though, how bad my sta/dyn ratio is. Maybe I should stop swimming all together and just drift with the current for 7 minutes or something. Would propably get further that way. Something happens to my apnea when I start moving. And that's what I have to work on next, if I ever want to improve in DYN/CW disciplines...

Pipe mask

Today we had a luxurious 2 hours a the pool, so I did some static first. With the 1.5mm suit, which is not really optimum for static, I managed 6:45 which was ok. I then proceeded to dynamic hoping that the static would serve as good warmup. Well, not really. I did make a new pb of 2:33, beating the old one I guess by a whole second again, but it didn't feel any better than without a static first. In fact worse...

I then did a few dives with stereofins. 100m in something like 2:20, then 85m in 1:30 or something irrelevant.

I build a pipemask yesterday. I've been meaning to make one for ages, but just haven't had the time. It worked better than I expected. My biggest worry has always been that if the pipe slips out of my mouth, the mask will flood with water. But in fact, this one does not. The whole for the tube is located near my forehead, so if I dive down without even placing the tube in my mouth, as the mask squeezes against my head, it seals the hole! Pretty cool accidental design flaw :) So I can use it just like normal goggles in the pool. Don't even have to put the tube in my mouth. But if I want to equalize it, it's easy using the tube. Too bad I can't take it for real testing in deep water, because it's so damn cold...

Quickies

2:17/110m
2:45/130m
3:07/150m

I was feeling very acidic today. Very early and heavy breathing relfex. Perhaps eating all those carbs last night? Or just training a lot...

Anyway, the last one was ok...

3:20

Cool, so I was able to improve, to 3:20. Now 3:30 doesn't seem that far away at all...That's the way it goes.

Today was much more optimum than yesterday. Empty stomach, no exercise before etc.

I did some FRC statics prior to walking. 3:30 and 4:15

Then:
2:50/110m (going really slow)
3:20/143m (still really slow)

What can I say. It felt absolutely horrible, but no samba. I continued with the "low ventilation" approach, on the final walk taking 5 deep breaths before starting (which is clear hyperventilation, but much less than usual)

A whole second...

Allright, apnea walks today:

2:33/130m
2:45/150m
3:10/144m

So beat my pb by a whole second. This was so close though, that I don't see how I could ever beat that. This was gym day etc, so maybe under optimum conditions I can squeeze in a second or two, but it's very hard to imagine ever passing 3:30

I was experimenting with hyperventilating less. It's something I always have to conciously come back to. I know my best results have always been made with very little ventilation, but I still catch my self taking those 5-10 deep breaths before a start, especially after having resuming training after a while.

Today I did just normal, neutral breathing (watching tv to keep me distracted from breathing). Then before the start 2 deep breaths on the first, 3 on the second and finally 5 on the last...Sure the urge to breathe came earlier, but it didn't really seem to have at least any negative effect on the final result.

Samba challenge

I had a small cold/flu thingy and took some time off from all physical training. Today I was feeling ok again, so I tried to do the same old routine in the pool.

On the first attempt, I used my small crapfins. I dove something like 80-90 meters in 2:31 and had a small samba.

Not discouraged by that, I tried the another one with the monofin. Slightly faster this time. 100m in 2:02 and another samba.

I then wanted to do one "normal" dynamic. I dove 100m in normal speed, no idea about the time, and again samba.

Now then now then...I'm actually pretty pissed at my self. Not because I had a samba, that's to be expected when trying to find your max time. But that I pushed 3 sambas in one session. Not much of an example to others. Also, after recovering from a cold, perhaps a wiser way would have been starting slowly building up again, and not rushing for a pb right away.

Oh well...At least I was feeling physically ok and strong, so I can start excercise again (I haven't been writing about it, but I've been doing quite a bit of physical fitness trainig too).

New pb, 3:09

I did my normal series of 3 walks again. After the last one, I for some reason decided to try a static. It was horrible and I could barely fight to 5 minutes.

I then remembered that on cw dives, a short static makes a huge difference for me in tolerating the breathing reflex, so I thought I'll try walking again. This time I walked as slowly and relaxed as possible. I reached a time of 3:09. It felt horrible, but there was no samba, so I expect that under right conditions, I can still do more.

2:28/150m (no packing)
2:45/156m
3:00/143m
3:09/137m

The distance of the last one is of course horrible, but that is not my goal currently...