LONGline training – double 185m

At the end of September, and the beginning of October, Tom and Yuri got 500 meters of heavy webbing to their disposal to train their longlining skills to the extremes.nTuesday morning, 23rd of September; it’s time! Time to get up early, carry 45kg of longlining gear to Leijpark, Tilburg, shut mind off the mind, and train. 185 meters of double webbing was the mission of the day. It took us about one hour to set the line up, and then it was play-time.nnReport by YurinFilming by Yuri and Tom, edit by Jonas

Tuesday morning, 23rd of September; It’s time! Time to get up early, carry 45kg of longlining gear to Leijpark, Tilburg, clear the mind and train. 185 meters of double webbing (more than twice as hard as a 185m line, so comparable to a 450m normal line!!) was the mission of the day. nIt took us about one hour to set the line up and then it was play-time.nnStanding next to the line and giving it a big shake, I saw the vibration traveling to the other side and back, giving me a huge slapback. It was rather intimidating seeing (and feeling) the huge and powerful dynamics of this line. It weighs about 30kg in total. These 30kg you then have to control, with just your arms and core.nnI climbed up to the line (since it was 4 meters high), sat, got mentally ready, and stood up. First it’s like standing on a soft fence. You take two steps, and suddenly the whole fence starts to move. You try to stabilize by sending a control-shake, so that it would stop moving sideways. The shakes come back, it’s too heavy to hold, it starts oscillating more, and… nnBOOM!!! Suddenly you’re hanging under the line.

The beginning and the end of lines like these are the hardest. Heavy oscillations that don’t stop, because you have no room to move, but everything in front of you is moving and at the same time you’re 4 meters of the ground. This makes finally getting to a quarter feel very rewarding and safe. And then.. It’s time for sore muscles!nnSince it’s only the second time we rigged this huge line, you start to value the moments of complete balance and rest. Walking without shakes, without sideway movements, without any movements, but the slow controlled steps you take and the air you deeply inhalate. Then comes the moment you give a shake. Everything around you starts to move, the balance is gone, and the fight starts again. The shakes are so heavy, you have to clench your lower back to stay on the line no matter what. Then it becomes quiet again. Two steps. Repeat.nnAfter a session like this (four crossings of the entire line in total) you are totally drained, physically as much as mentally. The lower back and shoulders hurt, tiredness takes over, and you think about the wonderful bed that awaits you when you get home. This feeling of being totally empty is also a feeling of content for me. I have done everything I can today. Tomorrow however, is another day.