Woah! Fast.

So this weekend during LTS we were doing sit spins, and I was trying to pull up into a good scratch spin (since a two position spin is better than one, and I need to find some good spins for a bronze program) but kept finding myself off balance.  Carson told me the secret is to not open up my leg, but just pull it straight in.  He's right.  Holy crap- I don't think I've ever spun so fast in my life (and it did stay centered).  It was a little terrifying.  So now I have something new to practice.

I don't remember much else about skating.  The rowing program finally got their "starter package" together -beginning private/small group lessons on erg, in the rowing tank for sweep, and on the water for sculling, so I registered for that and took a swimming test.  Now I have to wait for the rowing coordinator to return my call to schedule the lessons. So far, communication has not been a strong suit of the program, so I'm a little worried (especially since I put money down.)

So here is my rant of the week- my swimming test.  You have to swim 200 yards and then tread for 20 minutes for the "advanced" test.  I did that.  The other option is a regular test- 100 yard swim and 5 minute float or tread.   The form also asks the lifeguard to write down whether you are a weak, intermediate, or advanced swimmer.  The lifeguard freaking wrote I was a weak swimmer!   I am so pissed, because I treaded water pretty much effortlessly.  If I took a perceived exertion test I could have easily sung songs while I was doing it, I could have treaded twice as long.  I got out of the water after the entire thing with NO fatigue.  This is why the lifeguard was asking me why we had to tread for so long and that's like "coast guard level requirements".  So, if I can do that- how the hell am I a weak swimmer?   He clearly wrote it based on my lap swimming- without a doubt, I'm slow.  However, I wasn't so bad that I was too tired to tread for 20 minutes right afterwards.  I could have done another 100 if I had to, though I wouldn't have liked to!  (Beyond that, I'm not sure. I've never even attempted to swim laps before.  It has never interested me.)  The lifeguard wasn't sure if he could even pass the test because it says "use any stroke"- and he says I didn't use any stroke.  Um?  WTH?  That is clearly intended to mean "can swim in any manner", but he said I did breaststroke arms (having watched breaststroke- no I didn't) while using a flutter kick. Kevin demonstrated for me that breaststroke requires a frog kick.  Dumb-ass lifeguard.  Is it common knowledge (if the Olympics aren't currently on) what kind of kicks go with what kind of arms?  I'd say pretty much only people who have been on swim teams know that kind of stuff, otherwise most people swim in a manner that is easiest.  I can do a basic freestyle and backstroke based on trying them when I was a kid (imitating others) but my standard method of swimming is sculling my arms while flutter kicking, which is what I did.  If I was being evaluated for a swim team- yes, I am a weak swimmer.  But if I am being evaluated for falling into the river without a life-jacket on, I am very firmly intermediate.  You could leave me there for a very very long time before I was in danger (unless I also got hit in the head with an oar...)