.jpg)
Liverpool on Sunday didn't go very well for me, not my year! The comp was set up by Steve Millard and was an awesome comp. The way it was set up, run and delivered was a credit to him and all involved. I had done no static or dynamic training for this but felt o.k to compete and found myself with little nerves which was a great comfort after the nerves i suffered on my first competition. I had targeted myself with around 5mins in static and wanted to have a go at 150mtr in dynamic giving the pool was 50mtr and i wouldn't have to turn so much as my previous 133mtrs in Camberwell last year.I entered the water 25mins before my O/T time and went through 3 easy warm up's and then got myself ready for the last hold. I went through the hold o.k and contractions started and around 3mins 30secs. I started counting them and got my first tap at 4mins and then one every 15secs. After 4min 30sec i found that the taps were quicker than anticipated and felt something was wrong, i let a little air out and thought I'd push to 5mins then come up, I'd be happy with the 5mins in a comp. As i lifted i found myself in the arms of both safety divers and had a go at them for touching me, classic stuff. "what you touching me for, i was recovering my samba". I wasn't, i had blacked out after a small samba/hypoxia Doh!
I felt terrible for pushing too hard and putting myself & others in that position, big learning curve this year. I was not allowed to enter the dynamic session after by the Doctor which was the right choice of which i had no issues with, there was no way i was going to take it easy on my dynamic as i really wanted my first 150mtr swim and would of ended up on the bottom of the pool.
On my way home i called to see how the rest of the comp went and was over the moon to hear what the mighty Dave King had done. Dave had set a new comp P.B of 6mins 58sec in static and then he hit a new NR in dynamic with a huge 217mtr!!! I believe there was some very emotional people including myself on the M6 at the time. Massive well done to Dave, it must of been awesome to watch. Dave is one of the most humble people i have met in freediving and he's accomplishments are a testament to him and his approach to this sport.
It was also great to see Emma Farrell again, Emma taught me on my first course in freediving at Deeper Blue.
On the drive home i thought over and over what went wrong and weighed myself when i got home. I had lost a 12lbs. Some due to Dahab belly bugs and some down to dieting two days before the comp. As i said lots to learn but glad to make the mistakes now and move on from them. As for Japan, well i think my first stab at a worlds can wait for another year.
2 comments:
Chris,
I think your blog is great for new and old alike. You have shown great courage by not embellishing your achievements in any way. In my own diving i have found the mouthfill tricky and going beyond 150m a definite psychological barrier. These are the limits that we all must pass, and while the difference in numerical terms may be small, in athletic and mental terms they are huge. I wish you all the best for the future and think that the lessons you have learned over the last month will stand you in good stead. You are not alone I think - I too have experienced the same barriers as has Liv, Dave and many others. In the words of a great master "inch by inch is a cinch - yard by yard is bloody hard!"
Be seeing you in the green at the Double Dip. I will be defending my title - are you the one to take it?
Cheers Stuart, been a bit down in the dumps to be honest. I've trained myself on my own for so long now which is how i want things to stay but being around great athlete's like you and others that i have been privileged enough to meet over the last 12mths has also shown me that i also have a lot to learn. My progression has been quick but maybe too quick. Time to strip it back and start my plan again from the most basic elements of training. I know this will be good for me and my long term development. Thanks for your kind words, they mean a lot mate! See you in the green. I will be challenging you, i promise.
Post a Comment