It was a very nice and succesfull competition!
41 people from many different associations participated in the 25m pool.
I was feeling not rested, due to a lack of sleep the night before. I went to bed, slept very light/superficial from 24:00 to 03:30 when I got awake. I guess it was the tension and the unfarmiliar short bed.
Anyway I got there with Rik Rösken by car and train, thanks to Rik's dad and Phillipe West at arround 12:00.
They say that for freediving one does not need so much equipment and lift so much weight. Well not this time for me, I carried 2 suits, 9KG weightbelts, towels, 2L drinks, airmatras, and also some extra shoes and some clothing because I left on a bike.
In all I weight a 103 KG, where without clothes I weight 68 KG!
As the competition was starting everybody sought a nice spot to concentrate. I practised my breathing muscles by blowing up the big matras by hand.
I'm a outgoing guy who likes to talk to everyone, but I need to try to focus on performance first. This time I did not have any coach, a test for selfdiscipline.
The first part is the usual Static.
I set out to do just a decent performance, I wanted to save my energy for the next part, Dynamic. Preperation went bad, the lack of sleep hinderd greatly in focussing.
My performance was like it, only 5:15 and comming up with a blue face like I would have done a 6:30. Since I didn't take this first part very serious, I made a few movements as I saw the UW camera filming
The Second part, the part were I put my sights upon, was Dynamic.
I was planning on improving the Dutch Dynamic without fins record, 91m.
I knew that It was going to be very tough, as the tiredness came over me, and I started to jaw. I also noticed the deep end of the pool had a difficult edge.
I dressed up warm and took much of the preperationtime to get some extra rest I needed so badly. I set my countdown on my watch, becaus I was affraid I would sleep through. And I nearly did fell asleep.
When I got up I thought that this competition was into ruins and I wouldn't stand a change in this state of exhaustian to improve the 91m, and the announced 80m was also becomming a big questionmark.
I put on my old, secondhand, too tight, 4,5mm smoothskinn freedive suit on with lot's of soap. I enterd the water a bit early, because I needed to check out the edge at the deep end.
Then the Official top came insight, and tried hard to find some focus in those last 7 minutes. Swim relaxed, stay at level, good stoke, good turns, come up in time.
I packed 9 times, and of I went. I followed the bottom, and though I was planning on staying on that depth in the deeperpart of the pool, I sank on to the deep bottom and the weightbeld shifted from my hips to my middle. But no time for emotions, just turn and swim. Right after the 50m the contractions started, can be seen pretty good on the UW video!
At 75m I landed with my feed on the banked part of the afformentioned difficult edge, a second bad turn. But again no room for emotions, just swim! I focused a little more and checked my feelings as I made the final stokes. I was comming up from the pit and just a feet over the bottom of the shallow part. As I got up I was feeling I just came up on the edge of LMC. I was really releaved when the Jury, Phillipe Desiter told me my performance was ok. I wasn't counting on this end, I was surpriced, I couldn't believe I pulled it off against al the things that went wrong this time, And after a small minuted the chear came out, I've done it, 93m!
Raphael Staquet was next, and I almost forgot to clear his lane!
From Rik I heard that My overall ranking was going to be pretty good, despite my off-par performance today. While the beamer was playing the UW video's, everyone was eating the sandwiches and enjoying the exelent homemade soup and sharing their experiences with eachother.
To my surprice I ended 2nd in Static and also second in the overall competition.
To view all the results:
http://www.demanta.be/apnee/apnee.asp
Thank you Bruno and al the others for such a great competition, and the warm reception.
I want to express an extra thanks to Dirk Wouters, who helped me with Static and dynamic, Thanks!
Love, peace and water!
Carlos.
