Psychology

[Reynard]

What does it feel like to hold ones breath for 5 minutes?
Can people say how they feel after 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes, last 30 seconds, last 10 seconds? Thanks.

Also how do you feel about extending your personal best? How do you know that an extended time will not lead to a blackout?

"A man has gotta know his limits." (Clint Eastwood)

 

[quasimoto]

i'll tell you how it feels for me when i set a pb (current pb 5:43).

For the first two minutes i have no urge to breathe at all. At first i even feel like my lungs arent all the way full (due to hyperventilation), and slowly they start feeling more and more full, until it snas me out of my daydream, usually at about 2:30 or so. From then on, i feel pressure building up in my chest, starting towards a contraction, and it starts being a little uncomfortable. If i dont resist the contraction urge at all, then i will get a very weak contraction around 2:45-2:50, but i usually resist until i strt getting a suffocating feeling all over me, and then relax and get a solid first contraction at 3:15 or so. Then i just try to relax and find a mental peace, and go with the contractions. They dont really get bad until a bit after 4 minutes, and usually by 4:30 i need to sit up to take the contractions easier, as they are coming faster and harder.(Another thing is i get very very hot at the end of statics, so i always take my shirt off before hand and get my room very cool) At about 5:00 to 5:15, it reaches a 'peak difficulty' for me, where the urge to breathe is the greatest. if i can resist the urge then, i can push to a BO if i want to, because it gets a little easier from then on. i have to stand up unfortunately, i have never been able to do over 5:00 without standing up to take the contractions. I know if i could relax i would have more 02, but the contractions get too strong. At the end of the static, around 5:30-5:45, i sit down and wait for the feeling that im out of oxygen, usually feeling faint or my vision going a little 'off'. then i do a controlled breath out, and a few hook breaths if i felt like i pushed myself a bit too far. Also, right when i breathe out, i feel a ruch of happiness if it was a good static, and i cant stop smiling for a few seconds, its almost overwhelming.
let me know if i skipped anything
rory

 

[Absolute]

I have read about some people not getting contractions. Whats up with that? I don't think that I do. Just the increase of pressure in the chest as you explained and the urge to breath. PB of 4:30. But I am a newbie so thanks for the help.
Jay

 

[jome]

Reynard,

It's next to useless to ask someone how they feel at 5 minutes, because at different levels of progression you feel different. For example, I used to feel like I was going to die, when I first passed 3 minutes. Now, at around 4 minutes I start to feel for the first time that I might actually want to breathe. At around 5, a few contractions behind me and I would very much like to breathe, but it doesn't develop into an "urge" until 5:30-6:00.

But that does not mean that it's comparable to anyone else or that you should feel the same. Everyone has a different approach and different sensations.

Jay, I think if you're a newbie and not getting contractions at 4:30, it's very likely you're one of those people...

Some claim in the beginning that they don't get them, but in reality, they've just not done long enough statics. But I would say that 4:30 should be long enough for any newbie, unless you're hyperventilating lots (which is not good).

 

[Merlin]

I have read about some people not getting contractions. Whats up with that? I don't think that I do. Just the increase of pressure in the chest as you explained and the urge to breath. PB of 4:30. But I am a newbie so thanks for the help.
Jay

I never get contractions either, no matter if it is a negative or not (with non-hyperventilation). It is good and bad, good because you dont lose your concentration, but bad because it is hard to know your limits. I blacked out once doing a wet static and didnt even see it coming, so be twice as careful when you are training (aka get a buddy).

 

[Absolute]

Roger that. I assume when you do a wet static you set a time and let you buddy know what you are going to go for. I have yet to do a wet static to the max yet but I get 4:30 dry pretty easy. Are your wet static times longer than your dry's?

 

[SanSan]

If U are going for a wet static be sure to have a competent buddy with U. Than agree on the signals U will give to say that ur OK. The signals usualy start about a minute before the announced time (depends on the time u announced). The next signal is 30sec later, than on the announced time. After that U should signal every 15 sec. This usualy looks something like ur buddy slightly tapping u at the time and U giving an OK sign in return.

To answer ur other Q. My dry static are longer than my wet, but i think its because i don't have regular acces to the pool...