Alright, im new to this site, Im not a usual swimmer but i recently got in the pool and feel in love. I quickly made friends at the local pool on-base. Im a United States Marine with hopes and dreams in Becoming a Reconnaissaince Marine. In other words Marines with Gills. They are like the SEAL's from the Navy and Pararescue from the Air Force. The guys at the pool quickly tought me how to swim "the right way" cross-over and *** stroke as well as the Side-stroke and other technics. i go to the pool everyday. My biggest problem is dealing with the underwater 25 meter swim. To become a Recon Marine i have to accomplish the following....
1) 500 meter swim with out touching the floor in under 17min.
2) 30 min. tread
3) Deep end Rifle retreaval and then treading water for 5 sec.
4) 5 min. water float by using trousers as floating devise
5) 25 Meter underwater swim (my problem)
I have no problem with any of the others but the 25 meter kills me only because i feel like my lungs are going to explode. is there any tips of any kind out there that can prepare me for my "indoc" or evaluation to see if im sea worthy and serve as a Recon Marine. Thanks for hearing me out. :banana:
Former Member
"Now this is interesting. I thought you could somehow 'expand' your lung capacity through training." Syd.
No, not within reasonable limits. If you had some lung disease, or post op from some huge surgery, you might do some respiratory execises to augment your lung capacity. But within physiological boundaries, your lung capacity is the one you were born with, it is genetic and hereditary. What you gain through exercise (swimming) is an overall increase in your cardiovascular capacity due to minute muscle changes, at cellular level, less fat, more mitochondria, more capillaries, better blood circulation and so forth. billy fanstone
The large breath in is not necessary for 25m underwater swim. The more air the harder to stay underwater. You stay under water by pulling and sculling actions that keep you underwater.
huh.......im going to try that. that makes sence the more air i have in my lungs im going to float to the top like i always do after like 10 meters, but that still doesnt help do to the fact that my lungs burn...Or is that all mental? and i need to get over it?
We used to practice just swimming 15 yards across our pool. It is done easily by pushing off the wall glide underwater one full *** stroke then leave the hands at the side and scull to keep the body underwater, with a few flutter kicks. We built it up so we could do 100yards underwater, but that is dangerous.
... the 25 meter kills me only because i feel like my lungs are going to explode. is there any tips of any kind out there that can prepare...
practice. try different things and find what works. do breathing exercises on land to improve your lung capacity. there are a number of yogic breathing exercises that can help. (that thread and this thread/post may help too).
what geochuck said is spot on.
...
wow im over wealmed with the amount of knowladge and help. To answer a couple questions, I usually start with the flutter kicks and i really dont know what it is i do but i start doing *** strocks and kicks really fast. and i notice i feel like im getting no where. and ill be doing this in full BDU (Camuflouge Utilities) or just Cammies. No boots. What technic do you guys recommend.
wow, 100 yards!!! thats insane. well just hearing that makes me more confident that if 100 yards can get accomplished by a human then 25 meters is only a quarter lengh of that. And BUD thanks for the threads. You guys have been alot of help in finding new ways to practice and train for my Indoc. When i ask Marines how to improve all they say is "SUCK IT UP" lol. So i have to resort to the internet for advise.
check out this underwater record thread. you may find some very useful tips there. your life may depend on it one day.
i googled it and found it here too.
166m w/o fins... so yeah... suck it up! :-p (just kidding)
i routinely go 25yds, but it is how i start every practice (i see how far i can go underwater to start). in a scy (25yd) pool i've made it back to the back stroke flags, but never made it the full 50yds.
try not to think about it too much. make it a meditation.
but then again...
pink elephants
the guru told his student to go home and practice his meditation. "but whatever you do", he said to the student just as he was leaving, "don't think about a pink elephant". of course when the student got home and tried to meditate, all he could think about was a pink elephant.
another favorite of mine that is similar goes:
Zen and the Art of Bicycle Riding
A Zen teacher saw five of his students returning from the market, riding their bicycles. When they arrived at the monastery and had dismounted, the teacher asked the students, "Why are you riding your bicycles?"
The first student replied, "The bicycle is carrying the sack of potatoes. I am glad that I do not have to carry them on my back!" The teacher praised the first student, "You are a smart boy! When you grow old, you will not walk hunched over like I do."
The second student replied, "I love to watch the trees and fields pass by as I roll down the path!" The teacher commended the second student, "Your eyes are open, and you see the world."
The third student replied, "When I ride my bicycle, I am content to chant nam myoho renge kyo." The teacher gave praise to the third student, "Your mind will roll with the ease of a newly trued wheel."
The fourth student replied, "Riding my bicycle, I live in harmony with all sentient beings." The teacher was pleased, and said to the fourth student, "You are riding on the golden path of non-harming."
The fifth student replied, "I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle." The teacher sat at the feet of the fifth student and said, "I am your student!"
