Dynamic Training @ Richmond

Thursday night i met with the Richmond Guy's & Girls again, this time to go through my dynamic safety brief with Mark Harris, all good stuff. I had no pre-conceptions of what i wanted to do this week in terms of distance, i just wanted to see what a 33mtr pool felt like and get used to the pool. It was taking me 4-5 kicks per length and the slope at the deep end was a little confusing the first time. I usually train in a 25mtr, constant depth pool, so you just follow the line and turn after 3 kicks. I found my goggles stuck to my face at the deep end and bashing my head on the way back as the slope goes back up to the shallow end! After the session i went to the deep end of the pool and realised i had been turning at the bottom of the pool which i why i felt my turns were feeling slightly strange? All in all i completed 9 x 66mtr swims which all felt fine and relatively easy, i do usually do an hour of static before i train in dynamic but it was good to go straight into the dynamics with no warm up's. Next session i will push between 3-4 lengths. It will be good to get to 132mtrs which is 1mtr short of P.B. Less turns to make as this would only be 4 lengths verses my normal 5 and a bit. Can't wait to get back next week!

This Weeks Training So Far....

I haven't been doing too much this week in terms of training, just going through contraction start times. These have been slightly worse than last week and i haven't pushed my statics at all. Thursday training at London Freedivers went well, Mark Harris took myself and a couple of other guys through all the safety stuff, it was good to see a couple of familiar faces up there also. The environment was just wanted i needed. I am so used to training under my own steam and need to get out of my comfort zone, train somewhere different and with different people. When i competed for the 1st time this year it was that exact same feeling i got when i trained at Richmond. Slightly nervous! Of what you may ask, i have no idea?

This week I'm doing my intro to Dynamic with Mark Harris again and cover off all the safety aspects of this discipline, this will be good for me.

6mins 05secs....

Another 6min static tonight, this is the first time i have ever done two consecutive 6min holds. Again no breath up, just nice slow full inhale/exhales. Contractions started a few seconds earlier this time but again the contractions were quite and manageable.

Hold 1 : 2mins 30sec (1st contraction)
2mins rest
Hold 2 : 3mins (1st contraction)
2mins rest
Hold 3 : 3mins 30sec (1st contraction) 4 packs
3mins rest
Hold 4 : 6mins 05secs (1st contraction at 3min 35sec) 4 packs

I took only 40 contractions this time, nice and slow. I also increased my rest to 3mins before the 4th and final hold. Very happy chappy tonight. This week i will be, for the first time, training with Mark Harris at Richmond (http://www.londonfreediving.org/) who have been so kind to let me train with them. For the first time i will be training in dynamic and static with people who know what they are doing. I have up to this point been training at my local pool with a great bunch of divers who give me generous time in the pool but from a safety point of view i never push my performances as i would never of wanted to give them a scare! Training at Richmond will allow me to push things slightly harder and help me improve. Thanks Mark!