Great roll practice last night.

In our Memphis Whitewater community we've actually got several opportunities for pool practices. There is a class that teaches new paddlers to roll at one pool, and then there's a pool practice for those who can already roll. But newbies and experienced paddlers are really welcome at either location. For a place with little to no whitewater in the area, we've got a strong paddling group.

Anyway, this was only my second time in a boat since October, and the first time I've tried to roll. When we went out on the Loosahatchie a few weeks ago, I felt wobbly and unstable (basically like I had lost 20 pounds and hadn't been in my boat for two months), so I didn't roll. Last night, I felt I had to. I'm down 25 pounds now (yay me!) so I was still apprehensive when I first slid into the pool, but after paddling around for a few minutes, I got down to it. My husband said it was the most rolls and the best rolls he's ever seen me do. I didn't miss a single one, or even come close to not making them. It went a long way to boosting my confidence. Now I need to start practicing rolling without being set up first; I need to flip myself over with my paddle in unusual positions, since that seems to be when I flip over on the river. I never seem to be conveniently set up when I flip. *hmm* I also need to get out on an easy river, probably the Loosa again or the Spring (after all, it isn't redneck season on the Spring yet), and just find a good spot in current to roll again and again.

I've hit a couple of combat rolls before, but I seem to have a mental block on them now. Now, when I flip, I'm either so pissed at myself for screwing up that I just bail and pop my skirt, or I overthink my roll. You know, "OK, I'm upside-down. Dang. Guess I need to set up. Are my hands high enough out of the water? OK, now I need to rotate my wrists. OK, now I need to sweep." Meanwhile, I've drifted into a heavier part of the rapid, and thus I miss my roll when I try, so I bail anyway. I need to get to the point where the roll is so second-nature that I don't even think about it. My husband says he has to consciously make himself wait on his roll until his boat has settled, because his roll was so second-nature he'd start trying to roll before he was completely flipped over, so he'd miss his first attempt. Now he waits (not long; no reason to brain yourself on a rock), and his rolls are almost always successful first attempts.

I just get so frustrated when I flip over, because I feel like a failure. I know everyone flips, and I know "everyone is just between swims," but it still makes me feel like I've messed up somehow. I just need to get that out of my head.

Nice to spend some quality time in my boat, in a nice warm pool, with people who enjoy the same hobby we do. Good way to spend the evening...even if I did get to bed late because of it (damn my 4 a.m. wake-up time!).