i used those techniques without planning on it just doing what i could to keep myslef under control and failed

There were no real "Control Questions" asked. We went over the questions before he hooked me up, then he hooked me up and asked me the questions already read to me. He didn’t perform any kind of modifications to equipment before hooking me up. He didn’t ask me to think of a number between 3 and 8 and answer no to each time he asked what # I picked. There was only one question he asked that did not relate directly to what I was being tested for. I have analyzed that question, and although it COULD be considered to be a control question, it seems odd that he asked it near the end of the first go round of questions, and that it was the only 'out of place' question that he asked me during the test. I really don’t want to say what that question was because I plan on going back to the same 'tester' (what a joke) for my next polygraph and if by chance he sees that one question, he might know Im refering to him. But no control questions were asked of me that are listed in the Lie Behind the Lie in a pre-test while I was hooked up. Because there were no control questions, I did not make use of the tongue biting technique (but I was ready to).

What about using other countermeasures, such as biting the tongue on control questions. Are you saying he did not ask you any control questions whatsoever?

Im currently on probation for a very minor sex offense and a few weeks ago had to take my "sex history" polygraph which the results would go to both my PO and therapist. I went in and it turns out my polygrapher is a former Fed who has been doing this for over 25 years both with the government and now on his own. I went to this particular one because he had been recommended by all the other guys in my "group" sessions. I walked in and started filling out all the paperwork. I was dressed nice - collared shirt, nice pair of jeans - and the polygrapher immediately started acting like we were the best of friends by laughing and making jokes about day to day stuff. I went along with it, even though I knew his whole purpose was to make me feel "at ease" with him before the test. Into his office we go and he starts making more small talk with me before finally asking me if I know how the machine works. Of course I respond "No, not really". So he goes on to tell me that the machine does not really measure if a person is lying, but it measures their 'fear' of getting caught in a lie. He goes on to tell me how each thing works - blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, resistance to electrical voltage (??? Don’t remember reading about this before but I think it was to measure perspiration as he ran his fingers along the bottom of my fingers before attaching the devices) and then he starts telling me the questions he'll ask. Since this is a 'sex history' polygraph, I didn’t think I had anything to worry about since I had been honest and truthful in my relating of my past. The questions were all pretty normal except 1 which may or may not have been a control question. The odd thing was that there were really no control questions such as the one listed in "The Lie Behind…" before the test started.
However, there were 2 questions that were relevant to me.
One of those was 
"Do you plan to answer all of these questions honestly"
The other was
"Have you purposely withheld information from your therapist or probation officer that you knew you were obligated to tell?"
The questions were told to me before I was hooked up.
I knew then that I would have to try the breathing technique in order to pass. For 2 reasons. One, I had stayed out over 3 hours past my court mandated curfew one night about 3 weeks before this polygraph and did not advise my P.O. about the incident. The other is that I had recently seen a thumbnail of a topless girl while doing a search for something completely unrelated to porn on the internet approx 1 week before my polygraph, however it would have been the 3rd time this has happened since being put on probation so I also did not tell my P.O. about that incident.
I was then hooked up to the devices,  thinking to myself that if he says something to me the first time through the questions that I will go ahead and admit the incidents because they are rather trivial violations.
When I sit down in the 'hot seat' I make sure that Im as comfortable as I can get instead of sitting stiffly at attention. I tilt my head a little to the side to be comfortable and then I find that spot on the wall to focus on. I then start breathing normally and keep myself concentrated on keeping the same breathing rythym that I am at during the whole test. I then start thinking to myself what a joke this guy is, and how the whole concept is built on nothing but scare tactics. I also go over in my mind his advising me that the machine detects the FEAR of getting caught in a lie as opposed to actually detecting a LIE. As the test begins, I start to phase out the world and listen not to the questions themselves, but to the ques in the questions so I'll know if I need to say Yes or No , meanwhile Im breathing normal, and concentrating on my one little spot on the wall. I think there were a total of 9 questions asked. After each question, I wait until I inhale fully before answering on my exhale and when I do answer, I answer both Yes and No in the same tone of voice. I put no more or less importance on the 2 questions most relevant to me (those I listed above) than I did on any of the other questions. The 9 questions are asked once and then Im asked to be still for 60 seconds. 
  The 9 questions are then asked again but in a different order. 
Again, I pay little attention to the questions, but only on what I need to answer yes and what I need to answer no. Still staring at the spot on the wall, still keeping the same normal breathing rate, still blanking out the rest of the world in my head and still thinking how stupid this whole thing really is (the polygraph test - and the lie behind it). He then tells me that he's done and comes over and takes the devices off me. I tell him that going thru that was a little bit nerve wracking since I've never had to take one before and I try to be congenial with him. He nods his head while looking for any LIES I might have told that show up on his machine.
He takes about 4 minutes before looking up at me and says "Congratulations - you passed"
And that my friends is how I passed my first polygraph !