Cool thread.
I find myself quickly closing in on 40- less than 6 months away
. This is a huge number for me since my own father died at 39. I know it's just a number, but still a freaky number for me. I know don't feel old, but I want to make sure I'm around for a long time to enjoy my kids.
As far as diving goes, my diving used to revolve around the deep-air/ mixed gas/wreck diving ventures. I now have very little interest in that since it's all about money and a strong back to carry all that crap around- plus, all the wrecks are now cover in mussles and you can't even see the details anymore. I've seen all the stuff I care to and will occasionaly dive deep if there's a job to do- like the plane we raised this past summer from 150'.
I would much rather be free to "play" in the water these days. That means 10 minutes to suit up and jump in to get 8 hours of water time vs. 4 hours of planning/mixing/gearing-up for 20-30 minutes of bottom time- I also have a whole lot more money in my pocket at the end of the day.
My big thrill right now is getting my daughter going on snorkeling. She's 2 1/2 and loves the water- you should see the 'happy dance' she does after swim lessons. She has the mask thing almost down and I have it on good advice that Santa is bringing her a pair of fins that actually fit, as well as a super small snorkel- in pink.
I hope to have her up and running by time the lakes warm up next summer. Having to rely on dive buddies and been a pretty fruitless endvoure so I've decided to train my own- "You want your allowence, then get that suit on and grab my speargun!" That means more to me than any competition.
For personal training I switch around all the time depending upon when I get bored with something. Last year I was into long distance running. I was training for the local marathon, and raced a couple of half's in the process, when my son was born and wrecked my training a couple of weeks before the big race. Running 18 miles in a day really screwed up my underwater hockey game so I haven't gone back to that. I did switch to 4 mile runs and weight lifiting the end fo the summer and then switched that over running and swimming. Add in kayaking with my kids one night a week which then turns into underwater hockey one night a week when the weather turns and you have a base of what I do.
A couple of months ago I decided to really put an effort in with this monofin stuff. I started out doing a mile, and worked up to 2 miles, at a time in the monofin with a front-mounted snorkel. I don't know that I can dive any deeper, or further, than before but my feet can handle the abuse a lot better right now.
I like the idea of having a goal to try and perfect something and then keep hacking away at it- and in my case "hacking" is probably the best word to use.
I never have to have the perfect kick, but having something to work on keeps me interested.
Recently, I have added in some under water stuff, just 25's and 50's, to warm up with before I do my longer swims in my hockey fins or monofin. I can't seem to get in the habit of running or lifting at all right now. I have no trouble jumping int the pool and going for a swim since it 'almost' feels like diving. Like Eric, we have just gotten dumped on with snow I and started XC-skiing at night with the dog in the woods by my house. It gets me outside doing something until the lakes thaw.
One thing that intersted me in freedivng was that you could actually get better at it as you aged- maybe because of a slowing metabolism? I know that it may not help for constant ballast, but it should help for static and aspetto. At least that's what I'm planning on.
Sorry for the long post.
Jon
