That's not exactly a good thing.
I had my second rowing class today, and the teacher sent us out on the water. She said not to go past this set of trees about 100 yards out, and we'd stay in close to the dock. She would come out in a bigger boat with a motor and help us out. (We did not stay by the dock! We were all over the place! That poor lady was probably going crazy chasing down 4 new rowers all across the lake!)
I got in my shell and completely forgot the stroke! She reminded me, and I was off. Something felt off. Then something really felt off, and before I knew it I was in the water. It happened in such slow motion, now I almost feel like I jumped in on purpose. When the water catches the oar blade the wrong way it sucks in the oar- and the rower! While still in the water, I looked around to see if anyone had noticed me.
No one seemed to have noticed. The instructor was still on the dock getting her boat together. I considered holding onto the boat and letting her come rescue me, but instead I decided to impress her, so I lifted myself so I was laying perpendicular to the shell on top of it, and swung myself over. Situation under control. She came zipping up in her boat to make sure I was okay- I was...just had to get back into the hang of it.
It wasn't 10 minutes later before I was back in the water. It was just such a pretty day for a swim I couldn't help myself! haha Actually the water did feel really good, but I popped back in the boat and gave it another go. (That's how olympic athletes get where they are, right? They get back in the boat!)
Apparently there is a "correct" way to get back in the boat- my main priority was getting back in not necessarily doing it correctly! I'm learning that the most important rule of rowing is never never ever let go of your oars, especially when you're docking or flipped (well..any other time you HAVE to hold them because you're rowing). The oars sit in "oar locks" so they're not going anywhere too fast, but you still have to hold onto them. I couldn't reach the oar on the opposite side of the boat while I was in the water, so I just left it. You're supposed to hold both oars in your left hand, flat on the water (to increase your surface area on the water....skinny boat+oars spread out= wide surface area= greater stability). And somehow you're supposed to push yourself up in the boat while holding the oars flag on the water. My skills aren't quite there yet, but I got back in the boat!
I got all my flips out of my system before the high schoolers hit the water in singles and 4s (that's 4 rowers to a shell). Our instructor was yelling, "I HAVE 4 NEWBIES ON THE WATER! FIRST TIMERS! STAY CLEAR!" (Thanks....)
I made my way up one side of the lake (nearly missing a log that was sticking out of the water with a turtle perched on top), crossed, and started back down the other side. The high schoolers passed me, and their coach (in a motor boat) was yelling instructions at me. He said, "Find your rhythm- that's it! In 10 minutes you'll be a rower!"
Actually 10 minutes later I was stuck in the weeds with no witnesses around (only about 10 feet away from a cross sticking out of the water that had a name and date in memory of a drowner....great). It was really windy, so I was blown against the shore. I had one oar on the shore to hold myself steady and I had to use the other oar to turn myself around and finally, somehow, I slowly rowed off from shore.
Ten minutes after that I was trying not to run into my fellow beginner, Lynn, and just as she passed a 4 boat of high school girls was coming at me. Rowers row backwards, and you're supposed to look over your shoulder regularly. I called out, "BEHIND YOU! BEHIND YOU!" They slowed their boat JUST in time to keep from slamming into me! I said, "I'm so sorry, It's my first day, I don't know what to do!" They slowed and made their way around me.
Every now and then I'd find a good rhythm and I felt like a real rower watching the sun set over the lake and I started daydreaming about buying my own shell for my summer house in Minnesota (that I'll be buying in 20 years).
I didn't have to do the flip test at the end of the class because I had already proven that I could successfully get back into the boat- TWICE. When I was carrying my boat back to the house (which is where the real workout is) one of the high school girls asked me, "Did you flip?" I said, "Yeah...a couple times." She said, "I saw you." "Oh...thanks....?" What do you say to that? Lynne said I should've said, "Oh, well I'm a teacher, and I was just showing the students how to do it." hahaha
One of these days I'll start lookin' like a pro! (maybe?)
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