Preparing for DIRF

[Far_X]

I can't believe it has been three weeks since I last went to the pool. After my swim, I slowed my breathing, tried to remove the excess CO2 from my lungs and then set off for the swimming on one breath. I kept my movements slow and deliberate with most of the strength coming from my arms with the breast stroke and frog kicks. Totally different to how I tried last time. I tried a few times and I reached 20 metres and two occasions - the second time I didn't take a deep enough breath and I was thinking about that all the way through the swim. I could see the end of the pool getting closer and I fought the need to breathe but finally succumbed. Having my diving mask on helped as it was easy to keep my mouth closed but I could feel involuntary flexing of lungs trying to grab air through my nose - I wonder what would have happened had I been wearing goggles. I may not have made 20 metres. Is using a diving mask acceptable for the test or does the 7 ccl of air that is extracted from the mask make the swim null and void?

 

[large_diver]

Having taken the class with Bob....you can use a mask or swim goggles.

One thing I noticed from your original post...the first time you tried the underwater swim, you had just finished a 2km workout. Your results will be much better if you try it BEFORE the workout..;-)

I'll also echo others' comments about relaxing. The more relaxed I am, the farther I glide on my underwater strokes, the better the results.

I saw someone had posted something above about no flip turns...why in the heck would those be prohibited? Swimming laps with flip turns is HARDER than with open turns.....

 

[Far_X]

Well, I would like to try it at the beginning of my workout except that it is always a mad dash for lanes first thing in the mornings. By the time I finish, just over an hour later, I usually have the lane to myself and can practice that. I have worked it out that if I grab the outer lane, then people are less likely to share due to the lane being narrower, my wide stroke and the freaky looking mask, snorkel and swimming fins...LOL. Of course, I can't always get that lane!!

 

[Far_X]

I guess everyone has finished reading this for good now but I would like to say that I slowly swam one whole length on one breath!!!! I couldn't believe that I reached the end as I was taking it one more stroke at a time once I got past two thirds. Once you go on to the second length, have you earned the right for a push off then?

 

[jumsted65]

OK. I'm a little late catching up here. If anyone's still reading, here's my two cents.

For the underwater swim, my instructor recommended a gentle push off from the wall, as if standing from a chair. That helps to avoid tensing up. It's important, as stated above, to be relaxed, glide, etc.

Easier said than done I tried the swim 3 times without success, listening to my instructor's coaching the whole time, getting more and more frustrated. His final advice that "it's all in your head" and "exhale when you feel you need to breathe, then fight through that first wave of convulsions...if you blackout, that's what the lifeguard is for." Do or die time. I focused, and made it 75 ft. on the 4th try. He made us do 75ft, despite the standard being 50ft. I'm glad he pushed us. Felt really good.

As for the 300 yd. swim, piece of cake. Don't even sweat it. I finished in 9 mins, taking it slooooooowwwwww.

 

[large_diver]

A few additional follow-ups regarding the underwater swim.

As others have said, make sure you are gliding a fairly long way before taking another stroke. Preparing for the next stroke underwater tends to slow you down, so you want to maximize the amount of glide you get from each stroke before killing your momentum to take another. Also, look down at the bottom of the pool while you glide -- more aero-dynamic.

As an example, I usually take about 5 underwater strokes (1 stroke = a pull/kick/glide motion similar to breast stroke) to go 25 yards underwater. Granted, I get above average distance out of my strokes since I am tall, but the basic message is that fewer strokes with long glides is important.