![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Hit the continuous 200 metres mark today in the pool.
Very pleased. That's the distance I need to pass the swimming portion of my diving exam.
Yes. I know. It's not very far. But given last week I struggled to swim half that continuously, I felt a certain sense of achievement.
The improvements come mostly from 1) staying as relaxed as possible throughout the stroke and 2) breathing properly.
Staying relaxed means I slip through the water, rather than fight my way against it. The only real power I'm applying is on the downwards pull of the arm.
Breathing properly: I realised I was holding my breath when my face was underwater, exhaling rapidly when I turned my head up and then having to gasp down air because I'd run out of time to breathe deeply. So tonight I focused on blowing a steady stream of bubbles out my nose while face down in the water, so that I could "drink" the air in when I turned my head, rather than taking a single quick gulp.
Result: much, much less of that awful "help I can't breathe!" feeling.
Note that I've never had a problem with breathing when snorkelling or scuba diving. But they both supply a nice steady flow of oxygen. It's only when I have to hold my breath I struggle.
I have my diving medical on Thursday. I'll be very curious to see the results of the lung capacity test.
Very pleased. That's the distance I need to pass the swimming portion of my diving exam.
Yes. I know. It's not very far. But given last week I struggled to swim half that continuously, I felt a certain sense of achievement.
The improvements come mostly from 1) staying as relaxed as possible throughout the stroke and 2) breathing properly.
Staying relaxed means I slip through the water, rather than fight my way against it. The only real power I'm applying is on the downwards pull of the arm.
Breathing properly: I realised I was holding my breath when my face was underwater, exhaling rapidly when I turned my head up and then having to gasp down air because I'd run out of time to breathe deeply. So tonight I focused on blowing a steady stream of bubbles out my nose while face down in the water, so that I could "drink" the air in when I turned my head, rather than taking a single quick gulp.
Result: much, much less of that awful "help I can't breathe!" feeling.
Note that I've never had a problem with breathing when snorkelling or scuba diving. But they both supply a nice steady flow of oxygen. It's only when I have to hold my breath I struggle.
I have my diving medical on Thursday. I'll be very curious to see the results of the lung capacity test.
