Learning from X-man

We joined the Y in April of 2012. I needed a pool with more than lunchtime, early morning and late night hours -- particularly one with childcare -- at the height of my restriction from using my feet for more than walking so that my peroneal tendons wouldn't rupture.

One day, X-man and I went to the pool where he was told that in order to go down the water slide, he would need to pass a swim test. He figured it would be like the one at the Aquatic Center in Urbana, where he had to be able to show he could swim across the small pool that the little kid slide dumps into. It's maybe 15' across.

But it wasn't. The Y swim test was 10 seconds of treading and the child must be able to swim about 25 yards without touching the side or bottom.

X-man tried. And he failed. And then he fell apart. He's in the middle of his third set of private swim lessons at the Y. Before that he took two sessions at CIRCE and before that he had group lessons at the Aquatic Center and at Sholem. And he always seems to stay in the same place at a level 2. Not because he has any fear of the water, but because swimming requires some sort of relaxation. You have to be able to be still to float. X-man has a hard time being still.

I'd ask him periodically and his instructor at the Y would ask him if he'd like to retake the swim test for the water slide. He'd always decline. "If I want to go down a slide, I'll just go to Urbana or Sholem."

But at a Y Night last night, they asked the kids there if they'd like to take the test. And he said, "Yes."

So when I went to pick him up, he had an orange rubber bracelet in his hands. I was so very proud of him. He swam the 25 yards and he did the 10 second tread. He told me that he was the slowest out of all the swimmers who took the test. I told him it didn't matter.  It was pretty awesome.

On that same note, I had it in my brain that I was going to go to the Armory today and try running after I tried yesterday, and had a pants malfunction... (too big at the waist means almost exposing your backside to the other walkers/runners). So after my Body Pump class, I came home. But now, I'm running around doing housework and avoiding.

I'm scared. I don't want it to hurt. I'm scared of how my body is going to feel when I start. But I know I need to break down and do it. At the same time, I'd like to take a lesson learned from X-man. You'll do it -- when you're ready -- and not a moment sooner.

Until then, I'm organizing like mad.