Keegan Williams's Blog

No, I am not talking about my arms

On Sunday after watching Docherty rip it up at the Sydney World Cup I headed down to the pool full of motivation and feeling pretty good about the day. I had a scheduled easier swim of some long 800′s with all the gear on.

Do a bit of a warm up, then strap the paddles on and off I go. There is not many people in the pool, about 4 others I think, two people swimming and a couple of kids. Rep 1 down, that felt ok, time for the next one.

After about 150m at the far end I do my usual impression of a flip turn and see a body lying at the bottom of the pool next to the exit ladder. That’s funny I think to my self, I havent seen anyone down there before, keep on swimming, get back to the end again. Shit, that body is still there, now, I have a good look as I am turning and swimming away this time, the body is dead still, just floating at the bottom of the pool, the arms kind of drifting in space.

 Ah, got it, I know what it is, its one of those mannequin things. Then I start thinking to my self, what if it is a real person, I am swimming up and down, this person has drowned two lanes over from me and I am too selfish to have a good look to see whats happening. But whats a mannequin doing lying in the pool????

3rd time past, yeah definetly a mannequin, absolutely no movement, no it could be a person, shit…. no it cant be

4th time through, man, I got to stop and have a proper look, what ever is floating beside me at the bottom of the pool is seriously starting to stress me out. I stop, look over to where the life guard is just about to yell out to him, then I get this sense to look back at the body, I do a double take, and the body is moving and this guy pops his head out of the water like nothing has happended.

Crikey (not exactly what I said, but I will keep it clean), I am too embarrassed to say anything to the guy, he looked fine, so I start swimming and carry on. Not sure WTF he was doing, as he didnt do it again, maybe practising to hold his breath to impress the ladies…?

Moral of the storey:  dont float at the bottom of a pool

Date: Last Friday

Location: My favourite run block, see below picture

Session: Long Run, hilly

Start time: 6.30am

Easter Friday,  and my long run, just over 2hrs long. I started in the pitch black and run up Sanatorium hill to start, a nice 3k climb, abit like the Hill to home in Leysin accept a little shorter, well maybe a lot shorter, steep at the beginning – flatter in the middle section and steep again at the end.

The sun was slowly coming up and the birds starting to chirp. Normally this road is pretty quiet and this past friday was no different, not one car came past me on my ascent. Next up is the rolling hills through to Whitehall, past farms, cows and not much else. A little bit of gravel road and then you are back on to the tarseal. After about another 30min I still had not seen one person or vehicle. I arrive at Whitehall school and get some water from the tap and continue on my journey. Still dead slient, only my heavy breathing on the climbs to listen to.

Finally after about 90min I see some life and a local farmer comes past, I continue on and have only another 2 cars come past by time I finish.

Good start to the day, roads all to myself, only my own thoughts floating around my head