1st. years improvements and changes

[azapa]

I started this seriously about a year ago, before that I was a surfer and snorkeler. This is what I have found in one year of quite hard practice. I would love to hear what you think.

I dive about 10 times a month in 11 deg C ocean water, to about 20M
I pool train twice a week in a 25M pool, late in the evenings
I have never done tables (I find them boring)
I have never done static other than a few dry attempts. (got to 4:15 once)
I have started cycling to work :t 40 mins a day, but I am skinny and quite fit anyway.

November 2006
OCEAN: initial apneas 35 to 40 seconds, building slowly to 1:05 tops. Much exahstion and leg burn on surfacing. Depths of over 12M impossible due to EQ issues. Impossible to EQ with snorkel OUT.
POOL: 50M DNF, 65M DN

November 2007
OCEAN: initial apneas 45 to 55 seconds, building quickly to 1:30. No noticeable contractions, no leg burning, very relaxed surfacing.
Here is what I find very interesting:
a. have I got used to contractions to the point I don't feel them any more (they were never that strong) or have I delayed the point at which they start? Remember I don't do tables etc.
b. my "surface protocol" or state on arriving up top is very relaxed now, no leg burn, no exhale pre-surface, and initial surface exhale very controlled to the point I do a "half exhale" before I really start breathing. QUESTION: Am I simply not pushing it as much as when I started, but go up because it "feels like" I have been down long enough (a little laziness?)
c. I can now reach 25M easily, in a total dive of 1:00 to 1:10. With the same EQ technique (faulty). I think my ears and tubes etc are getting accustomed to the cycle, rather than my technique is improving?

POOL: Interesting point NO IMPROVEMENT AT ALL. I can do no more and no less than before. I still suck basically.
d. Why does this aspect not improve if I can now do relaxed 1:30 apneas in a rough and sometimes murky ocean? I really don't get it.

Comments welcome!

 

[monkeyhatfork]

cool idea for a thread, I have a few more months before I hit the one year mark but I'll post my stats then. As for the pool, could be a mental thing I think its easier to get bored or burn out in the pool with so much repetition, the ocean is a new experience each time you enter. I do 5-6day a week in pool and sometimes you get bored and your mind wanders. I found a local underwater hockey club and am going to start doing that once a week to hopefully inject a little more fun into the pool experience-though I do actually enjoy dynamics

 

[billieball]

Sounds like you're doing okay. I would be careful, however, with not exhaling prior to surfacing. I was taught via a formal course to exhale COMPLETELY approximately 6 feet from the surface (on the way up, of course). This way, once you are on the surface, the first thing you will be doing is inhaling. Recovery breaths are very important. I won't get into all the different methods--or the ones I was taught and seem to work for me--unless you're interested. Just, please...exhale before surfacing, and take a good, strong inhalation once at surface.
--Billie