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Swimming Adventures in Buckeye Land
By Julia S. | November 18, 2012
No matter how long you’ve been at Ohio State, there is a first time for everything.
I’ve been meaning to go swimming at the RPAC Aquatic Center for a while now. I mean, I can’t swim, like at all. Technically, I know all the strokes—I’m just not good at them. To quote my swim instructor from when I was a kid: “Julia is very… buoyant.” Apparently that was the most positive comment she could give about me to my parents. I’ll take it.
But I really like swimming, so I decided this past week to hit up one of OSU’s 5 pools for the first time and do something different for a workout.
…So that went well! (Half-sarcasm.)
First of all, like I said, we have 5 pools, and there are all these different schedules for them. Thus, I was already nervous of getting the hours wrong and accidentally party crashing on a swim class or OSU’s swim team or something. I awkwardly hovered outside the door to the natatorium Friday morning (as opposed to the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion, which houses our Olympic-sized competition pool and diving well).
Pretty sweet, no?
Finally someone else walked in, so I figured it was safe for me to go in as well.
So I made it to the pool, check. But then there’s these lane signs for slow, medium, and fast, which, I’m sure is standard at most places, but like I know what that means. I would have assumed I should go in the slow lane, figuring that regardless of whatever relative scale of speed this was based off of, I was still at the bottom. But the slow lane looked full (I guess?) so I opted for medium.
Oh, I had no idea what circle swimming was, so this older guy in my lane had to tell me what to do.
And I swam in a ballet leotard because I don’t own a one-piece swimsuit. So I’m sure that looked really cute.
And I didn’t think about the fact that I was wearing contacts (but no goggles) until I was underwater.
And remember that part where I said I was bad at swimming? No kidding. I had to stop and rest for like 2 minutes after every half-lap. My triceps are still sore. I have this not-so-irrational fear that the lifeguard was secretly laughing at me as I pretended to know how to swim freestyle with real-people technique.
But it was still pretty fun. I’m willing to embarrass myself for the sake of a workout. I’m totally going to go back, and I have my fingers crossed that it will get easier. At the very least, it was a nice change of pace from my usual elliptical-ing.
Rude Awakening: It looks like we’re going to lose the Blood Battle to Michigan, again. That would be the 5th year in a row! By the time I graduate, I want OSU to win this thing! It’s such a good cause, too.
Pleasant Surprise: I can’t believe Mirror Lake Jump is just around the corner again!! There’s nothing better than jumping into a nasty freezing lake in order to beat that school up north.
I get excited just looking at photos like this!
In firm friendship,
Julia Rose S.
Pool: http://www.teamunify.com/SubTabGeneric.jsp?team=ohossc&_stabid_=20148
Mirror Lake: http://phantasmdesigns.typepad.com/don_hubers_art_blog/2010/11/mirror-lake-jump.html
Topics: Campus Life, Julia S., Personal Events, Recreation, Why Ohio State? | Comments Off
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