Contractions

[salibandy]

Hello everyone. My question is simple. How are they supposed to feel?

From my searches in the forums, contractions are supposed to be some kind of uncontrolled muscle spasm around the stomach area, yea?

I haven't had those before, at least I'm not sure. When I first started out, which wasn't too long ago, I never felt anything. But nowadays, when I feel out of breath, my throat tenses up and seems to send blood to my head, while at the same time seems to be trying to push air out of my mouth and nose. What's going on? This reaction seems to be taking a toll on my statics. Help?

[Smartpart]

It's hard to describe how they feel, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, but people feel them in different ways. They are somewhat controllable for a time period, but basically inevitable(sp). Personally, when my hold starts to feel uncomfortable and I have the urge to breathe, I can feel contractions coming. This is when I try to control them, and let tension build up, although it is uncomfortable, when the contractions finally just happen uncontrollably it relieves the pressure and gives me something else to think about, so they are almost good at that point. Basically to explain how they feel... hmm... uncontrollable diaphragm movements. It kind of does feel like they are forcing air out I guess. My guesses on why your static times are hurting, is because you haven't gotten used to the feeling. Is it affecting your dry, wet, or both static times?

[salibandy]

Well, I mostly do dry, so I guess it hurts the dry ones more. I get too cold too fast to do wet statics. Waiting for the new suit to arrive. =)

I thought I had gotten used to it. I set my pbs while having contractions, and when I first had them, they were like you said. First they felt uncomfortable, then they became sorta peaceful.

[Smartpart]

Hmmm... I'm going to have to pass this one on to someone more knowledgeable.... and the blood to the head and tenseness part... maybe you are tensing up. Sometimes its just not the time to hold even though you want to. Sometimes when I want to max I sike myself out even though my warmups were leading to a new pb...

[billieball]

Do a search on this forum on "contractions." There are many posts, and many debates concerning this phenomenon.
--Billie

[salibandy]

I have serached the forums, as I said in the first post. However I couldn't find what I was looking for. Maybe I'll just try searching again. Thanks.

[jome]

The simplest I can describe it it's like you're trying to involuntarily exhale, but your mouth is closed.

But as already pointed out, people experience them differently and some not at all. Also, it seems than contractions "develop" with training. For example when I think about it, I don't think I used to get clear contractions for a long time despite reaching 4-5 minute statics, but now I do get very clear contractions even after just 1 minute if I do a specific preparation. Unfortunately I didn't log my training back then so it's hard to say just from memory, but I'm pretty convinced I didn't use to get them...

I guess the best advice I can give is "you'll know it when you get it"

[salibandy]

It does actually feel like I'm trying to exhale, but I don't know why it's happening. It bugs me a lot, I waste too much energy trying to keep it in.

[SEDATE]

Me myself love constractions a lot i find out a way to live together .
As long as holding my breath i teached my body to supply Dopamine when first constraction came.. i had done it working on it sooo long...i can't explain how i could it?.
oneday:
i remember everythings... once i went to a very deep zone.. in there .. there were no constractions.. there were no need O2... But my mind covered the idea B/O
I mean ..Ahhha times as come...or something else ... Ahha you will get black out... and this idea whenever comes to my mind .my body strugle for O2 . i stop holding my breath... i start afraiding of '' dark zone'' ..
How you know Jome ? you say yourself that time has come to stop holding breath.. you count them?