8 weeks to go....

The last couple of weeks have been about getting my back fixed, I'm pleased to say its well on the mend now. Good week of mixed tables, Co2 as well as o2 plus some other tables to keep it interesting! I tired a couple of warm up statics to trial some new stuff which seemed okay but when i tried them in the pool last night i was 30secs short on each hold? The idea is to only take around 20 contractions during the last hold in the comp and also in training and i finished at 4min 30sec last night, all week 20 contractions were taking me to 5mins. Maybe a little tired?

The acid test was the dynamic session for my lower back, most of the strength comes from the lower back during dynamics and its has to flex a fair amount, it felt fine although i only completed 100mtrs which felt very easy. I'm really aiming for 150mtr which would be a great result and new P.B for me - here's to hoping! (best laid plans and all that!) I'd also like to aim for my first 5min static in a comp, very different from training times but I'd be chuffed all the same. I haven't been close to 6mins static for a long time but my training is very different now and hopefully better in the long term?

Diet was 40% veggie and did make a difference, felt much lighter on my feet and it always clears my chest (yes still puffing away on a fag) I'll increase the diet to about 60% veg in 4weeks time and then make some changes depending on my craving for some red meaty stuff before the comp.

3 Weeks and Counting Down

Quick update, training last week went really well. I stopped the Co2 & O2 tables and used crazy tables all week instead. I went to the pool on Friday and aimed at a one off, no warm up dynamic with fin performance. It's a 33mtr pool so 4 lengths would be almost P.B for me. I took my time in terms of stretching and completed a very quick crazy table at pool side which only lasted 3mins. I started at the deep end so i would end up in the shallow end and Tim my safety partner (who is coming along nicely with bi-fins at the moment) would meet me on my last length. After 99mtrs i felt really comfortable but surprised i wasn't really feeling any discomfort so popped up just short of P.B. When i surfaced i felt fresh and took a coupe of recovery breaths and felt fine. A really happy moment as this was me back on track to a fairly decent performance.

I still haven't done a max out static yet and i still haven't done a static in the water since 7mths ago, it will be interesting entering a comp without doing any wet statics but as i said when i started training again, I'm only here to get white cards this year and I'm keeping the numbers, distances and depths secondary.

Back in the Underwater Studio's on Friday where me a Tim will be doing O's & X's underwater and maybe Rubix Cube, should take the mind of the contractions!

Another Update....

This week has been going okay so far, no work for a week is giving me loads of time to concentrate on my training. Gym sessions in the morning are going well, i bought a power-lung so i can now throw away the straw I've been using (not the same one i hasten to add!!). The power-lung makes breathing in or out as hard as you like as its fully adjustable and i find it great to use when using the rowing machine or x trainer. After 5 mins your body feels fairly deprived of O2 and the urge to spit it out of your mouth becomes greater and greater! All fun stuff, honest.

Co2 tables look like this at the moment.....
1min initial rest
2min 30sec hold
rest for 2min
2min 30sec hold
rest for 1min 45sec
2min 30sec hold
rest for 1min 30sec and so on down to 30sec rest and into the last hold of 2min 30sec.

O2 tables look like this at the moment.....
1min initial rest
1min 15sec hold
45sec rest
1min 30 hold
45sec rest
1min 45sec hold
45sec rest
2min hold and so on up to 3min hold.

Both feel about right for now although i feel i get more out of the O2 tables? Not sure why but I've never done too many O2 tables before but they feel like they give my body more to think about. Diet is also changing now, Mrs H bought a great smoothie maker today and i had my first Carrot, Curly Kale, Banana, Cucumber, Spinach, Celery, Blueberry, Apple, Lime & Millions of nuts and crushed ice smoothie!!! Yum Yum!!! I used a high alkaline diet last year which i proved to have great results from, although I'm not going completely veggie i will be having these morning and afternoon which will hopefully give me the stuff i need to get me through.

Unfortunately the pool session for tonight was canceled but I'm off to the film studios on Friday with Basildon Sub-Aqua club which is a deep tank used for errrr films! Just going to use it for lots of FRC dives and some Co2 tolerance training.

More of the same tomorrow...