Back Progress

A much better day - wore my back brace for the day and finally got my arse into work, movement is improving hour by hour. I even managed to stand from a laying position in under 5mins!! Slowed down now on the drugs and I'm managing the pain fine. Done a series of breath holds tonight which all went very easy - 3min holds with 50sec rests x 5 taking very little contractions in each hold. I cant wait to get back in the water this Friday, take it nice and easy and I'll be fine for competition in March. Fingers crossed.

Almost 5wks Off Training...........

Apart from two small 20min breathing sessions i have done nothing at all in the way of training and have really enjoyed the rest, the weight is going back on almost to the same as it was before i went to Dahab. Well enough is enough and today after a busy Bank Holiday Weekend i have managed to get my arse in gear and start again. Co2 tables were enjoyable and contractions seemed fine. I started off with simple and easy 2min holds and brought the rest time from 2mins down in 15sec increment's all the way down to 15secs rest and another 2min hold. Contractions on the last few started at around a minute! I gave myself a 2min rest at the end and went straight into a Crazy Table which i took up to 3min 30sec. All in all happy with giving my lungs a small stretch.

Double Tables day 1

As promised, today was day one of double Co2 tables, Although i was on 2min 45sec tables before i am now doing 2min tables but timing from 1min rest and reducing down in 10sec increment's.

Both sets felt o.k, tomorrow i will do the same and then bring the hold time up by 15secs after.

I've just packed my dive bag up and bubble wrapped both my mono-fins up. My sponsor clothing is back from the printers and look great, really happy with how they came out. Without my sponsors i couldn't do these things. Thank you AD2000 services, nYne Lounge, The Beckenham, Bar Lorca & Breeze for your help in financing me to chase my dreams.

World Team Selection

The list of applicants came through on e mail from the BFA for the UK Team which will go to Japan yesterday and i was in the mix. 3 males and 3 female places up for grabs. I was placed in third. A little un-sure of being in front of Sam Still (ex world champion in STA) and still current NR holder in static with an amazing 8min 19sec.

The World Championships are a team event and the UK has to send it's very best to Japan, Sam is also a much deeper freediver than i but has not been ranked since 2005. The applicants still have a number of competitions before the worlds and i will be competing in Dahab in march and then in Liverpool also in March. This will give me exposure to all three disciplines required for Japan.

The team will be officially selected on May 01st.

The BFA have set up a forum thread on the BFA site so we can all start to talk to each other which is a great idea.

This weeks training...well just still going with the Co2 tables and i finally got myself down to the pool last night. Statics were not great and i cut myself well short at 4mins as i didn't want to come out disappointed or negative in any way. I then done a nice 125mtr dynamic which felt hard but rewarding. Lactic acid was high in my legs and the recovery took some time when i surfaced. It was good to get wet again.

Tonight i just carried on with my 2min 45sec Co2 tables, seemed a little harder tonight? Tired!

Tables...

As promised i moved my Co2 tables up to 2min 45sec tonight, felt absolutely fine, I'll carry on with them this week and next week bring them up to 3min holds. Taking the contractions felt fine, nice and slow, nice and comfortable, really feel I'm getting used to them now. They feel different than before, manageable, I'm no longer impressed with them (as my friend Eric once said)

Here is a example of the Co2 table i'm using this week.

Table example :

2min rest

2min 45sec hold

1min 30sec rest

2min 45sec hold

1min rest

2min 45sec hold

30sec rest

2min 45sec hold

recovery breath x3 then hold again for 2min 45sec