I love the water. I was a competitive swimmer for about seven years. I spent many long summer hours in the backyard pool with my siblings, playing "Silent Marco Polo." (Basically, calling out "Marco!" and answering "Polo!" made things too easy in a small pool, so we just hunted and caught each other listening to the sounds of the water moving.)
Swimming is my athletic saving grace. I have lame-o monocular vision, so trying to catch and hit spherical objects is tough, y'all. Also, running...nope. I get all burning in the throat and lungs and it's not pretty. Yes, I do get that feeling as well while swimming laps, but I dunno. In the water, it just doesn't feel like I'm going to collapse and die afterward. And as soon as they invent something as super fun as swim fins for running, then maybe I'll try it out.
Besides, water reacts in a much more entertaining way while I'm expending energy. The splashing! That fun dum-dum-dum that your feet make while kicking. The plip-plop. The splish-splash. Lovely! I spent a fantastic evening this summer after a walk, lying on the deck of the pool in my apartment complex with my feet dangling in the water and staring up at the sky. I think I entertained myself for at least an hour making splashy noises in the water. Ah.
Swimming makes me feel powerful. Swimming makes me feel graceful (something I did not start to achieve on land until I took fencing). Swimming makes me feel peaceful. It's so nice and quiet down there, where I can just focus on breathing, and stretching and making that flip turn as smooth as possible.
If you need me, I'll be at the bottom of the diving well. At least until I have to come up for air.
Showing posts with label Aquatics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aquatics. Show all posts
Friday, December 10, 2010
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
In which I root for the underdog
Today was the first day of my annual waterfront lifeguarding course and perhaps for the first time ever since I became a Lifeguarding Instructor (LGI), all my students passed the prerequisite skills. It was inspiring, really.
On the first day of class, potential lifeguard candidates are required to undergo a pre-course session that tests whether they have the skills and comfort in the water to endure the demands of the class. Those that have been competitive swimmers usually find this to be a breeze, but it's pretty grueling for everyone else, especially those with less-accomplished stroke technique. I've seen people literally make themselves sick attempting to complete it. In fact, when I was originally trained, I finished the 500 meter swim--in a backyard pool that was less than 25 meters which meant I had to do about 40 laps instead of the usual 20--only to climb out and throw up all over the deck. (Although, in my defense, I was just recovering from a long-term illness.)
What's so inspiring in all of this is watching the swimmers who are less sure of themselves stick it out and finish the tests, despite the pain and exhaustion. Determination and the ability to push past discomfort and get the job done are valuable traits in a lifeguard, particularly when someone's life may be on the line.
This morning, I had one girl, in particular, who barely squeaked into the course. But man, she wanted it and when the chips were down, she got the job done. It's going to be a great week.
On the first day of class, potential lifeguard candidates are required to undergo a pre-course session that tests whether they have the skills and comfort in the water to endure the demands of the class. Those that have been competitive swimmers usually find this to be a breeze, but it's pretty grueling for everyone else, especially those with less-accomplished stroke technique. I've seen people literally make themselves sick attempting to complete it. In fact, when I was originally trained, I finished the 500 meter swim--in a backyard pool that was less than 25 meters which meant I had to do about 40 laps instead of the usual 20--only to climb out and throw up all over the deck. (Although, in my defense, I was just recovering from a long-term illness.)
What's so inspiring in all of this is watching the swimmers who are less sure of themselves stick it out and finish the tests, despite the pain and exhaustion. Determination and the ability to push past discomfort and get the job done are valuable traits in a lifeguard, particularly when someone's life may be on the line.
This morning, I had one girl, in particular, who barely squeaked into the course. But man, she wanted it and when the chips were down, she got the job done. It's going to be a great week.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
In which I contemplate your death
Ah, summer. It reminds me of a song we used to sing in Primary when I was a kid:
(Well, okay. I can't really remember the words, but they went something like this.)
Oh, what do you do in the summertime when all the trees are green? Do you sit by a stream or lazily dream or watch as the clouds float by? Is that what you do? So do I!
I sit by the pool and a) ruin people's fun, b) keep them from killing themselves or someone they love or c) both.
Yes, a lifeguard's lot is not a happy one. Despite the impression that "Baywatch" may have given you, being a lifeguard is actually a pretty dull job most of the time. It involves a level of attention that has to be high enough to notice what's going on in your area, but not so focused that you cease taking in the whole picture.
Consequently, guards come up with various ways of keeping their minds active while on duty. One of the methods that's actually suggested in the literature is to imagine rescue scenarios involving the people currently under your watch.
That 70-ish lap swimmer breathing hard at the end of each lap? Heart attack.
That irritating frat boy who keeps diving headfirst into shallow water no matter how many times you tell him not to? TWEEET!!! Broken neck.
That snot-nosed kid who likes to float motionless at the surface for an excruciating amount of time? Drowning.
Doing this sort of thing not only helps you constantly review your skills, but it keeps your attention at just about the right level.
But things have taken a bit of a morbid turn in my case.
Since I'm also an instructor for various training courses, I have to review skills in my head almost constantly just to keep them all straight. This has lead me to imagine emergency scenarios almost everywhere. At school. At church. On road trips.
So, I guess what I'm asking is: Does this make me paranoid? Or just a little unbalanced?
(Well, okay. I can't really remember the words, but they went something like this.)
Oh, what do you do in the summertime when all the trees are green? Do you sit by a stream or lazily dream or watch as the clouds float by? Is that what you do? So do I!
I sit by the pool and a) ruin people's fun, b) keep them from killing themselves or someone they love or c) both.
Yes, a lifeguard's lot is not a happy one. Despite the impression that "Baywatch" may have given you, being a lifeguard is actually a pretty dull job most of the time. It involves a level of attention that has to be high enough to notice what's going on in your area, but not so focused that you cease taking in the whole picture.
Consequently, guards come up with various ways of keeping their minds active while on duty. One of the methods that's actually suggested in the literature is to imagine rescue scenarios involving the people currently under your watch.
That 70-ish lap swimmer breathing hard at the end of each lap? Heart attack.
That irritating frat boy who keeps diving headfirst into shallow water no matter how many times you tell him not to? TWEEET!!! Broken neck.
That snot-nosed kid who likes to float motionless at the surface for an excruciating amount of time? Drowning.
Doing this sort of thing not only helps you constantly review your skills, but it keeps your attention at just about the right level.
But things have taken a bit of a morbid turn in my case.
Since I'm also an instructor for various training courses, I have to review skills in my head almost constantly just to keep them all straight. This has lead me to imagine emergency scenarios almost everywhere. At school. At church. On road trips.
So, I guess what I'm asking is: Does this make me paranoid? Or just a little unbalanced?
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