week ending 18 June

One week until we leave and the WC will be all over in three! I've been taking it easy after my struggles at the competition a week ago. Here's what I've been up to:

• Tuesday - one long dynamic i nthe evening, about 95m
• Wednesday - no training, but did lung function tests. More on that later when the official results come through. My lung weren't as big as I'd anticipated... I also learnt that whatever I'm doing to pack isn't working so I'm giving up (it'll give me another 20s or so breath hold). I actually got more in not packing (though there are possible factors involved that would create discrepancies, I'm not getting more from "packing", so it's really not beneficial).
• Thursday - 4 x 75-80m swims
• Friday - rest!
• Saturday - very comfortable long dynamic 114m (PB no fins!) followed by 3 x 80m - felt really good. I'm really enjoying Porirua 25m pool - it feels really fast and is a good depth so you don't feel squeezed at the ends. 25m is sooo much nicer to do no-fins in than 33.3m like Freyberg where we normally train.
• Sunday - long dynamic 106m (there were a few distractions at the pool which didn't help) followed by 2 or 3 75m swims.
• Monday - long CO2 tables dry - 3:30s. It was a bit of a struggle (first one was worst - my heart was racing and I was pretty uncomfortable). I should have taken a photo of where I was. I was on a business tip to Taupo and had some time to kill, so sat in the car (fairly uncomfortable) in the sun, looking out to the lake, on a crisp winter's day (otherwise I would have laid on the grass - bit chilly). It was very beautiful - most of the trees still have their autumn leaves and the lake was completely flat (could have gone for a dive if I'd had my super thick wet-suit with me). I actually got hot in the car despite the windows being down a little. That CO2 build up again - doesn't keep my feet warm though - I think they've been cold for the past 2.5 weeks since winter officially commenced perfectly on time. The flight home was awesome (apart from the fact that I think it was our plane that gavin didn't check the landing gear for before it's belly landing in Blenheim, and we were in this mini plan that didn't have an Air NZ tail, and I was wedged in the back between two Japanese guys, who both fell asleep - at least they weren't fat). There was a fantastic red sunset above the clouds, the clouds were a big level blanket right across NZ and you could just see the snow covered mountains in the central plateau popping through the top of them, and then Mount Taranki off in the distance, also peaking through the clouds. Very stunning, when I could see it past the cuddly tired Japanese guy (it was very tight - our shoulders wouldn't all fit across the back of the seat at once).

We depart for Europe on Saturday (not long now!), so I'm going to be stuck doing dry statics for over a week until we get to Maribor! Not really looking forward to that. Awefully excited about the holiday though - never been to Europe. Bit stressed out still wrt work, planning, training, etc. I'm looking forward to being able to sleep in and relax (I'm sure my heart rate will fall away with some r&r). Does anyone know of freedivers any in Vienna?