Update

This is my 101st blog post - feeling a little greedy on the internet space usage... :) Hope you're not too bored with my ramblings.

The latest is that I'm not allowed to compete at the world champs in Egypt since I do not have a team. I would require another NZ woman to attend and want to get in the water, plus pay their own entry etc. I'm coming to terms with it now and I'm sure that I'll make up for the lost trip next year when I can focus on my best events.

After getting really annoyed with the rather uncomfortable sensations I experience when wearing my monofin and the fact that I'm not going to Egypt, I vowed a few weeks ago to not wear it for a while - I kind of want to beat what I've done with the fin without fins. But, after some time off from it I've decided to really work on fixing up my crappy technique over the next few weeks to see what I can achieve for the next competition. Besides, the fin (attempt three) that I ordered from Leaderfins in October last year is due to arrive in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully there will be a little bubble wrap in the box this time and no great cracks through the blade. I've been using the first broken one on and off since it arrived (such enthusiasm) - we cut the corners off. Just as a note I haven't caught up without fins yet! I'll be working on trying not to arch my back so much, which stretches me through my chest and causes pretty enormous discomfort when fully packed and is the main reason that I abort dives (something that I really try not to do at all). I think part of the problem is that I'm so buoyant so my legs come up and then I over compensate with my arms and end up like a big U. Not mention that it's just not as natural a feeling or as easy as the no fins. :( There are no gravity/overcoming buoyancy issues with dynamics without fins. I also get quite tired when I have to fully pack for all technique dives - this is pretty important as I'm really comfortable when not fully packed but can't go anywhere near as far, it's quite a different experience. Maybe it's a matter of finding the happy medium. I'd quite like to crack the 200m (with a mono of course - trying to make this clearer after previous mis-interpretations, though DNF would be fab but give me a year or two for that one). I feel that I should be able to add about 10m going to a 50m pool (169 NZ record and 176m PB were done in 25m pool) due to my fairly poor turning skills, so then I only have to add about 10% to get to the end, which is just sticking with it through the discomfort and slightly improving technique - haven't really had any great issues with lactic as yet, maybe that's something I'll discover over the next 25m... With a bit of luck I'll learn to really enjoy having my feet tied together with a big fin. Wish me luck!