LIFE IN SAUDI ARABIA – PART 4

BOBBIN AND A WEAVIN

So it has been a while since my last post, which chronicled a glorious return to water polo, my favorite sport.  I am sure that previous post propelled people to wonder, “If he’s going to make his run for the Olympic Water Polo team in 2012, how is he going to stay in swim shape?” Well that is a great question my friends. If you’ll remember from my earliest posts, I have been blessed with two training pools in my compound. One pool is in the main residential area, and the second is inside the Al Hada neighborhood of the compound.  Yep, swimming is my ticket to glory road.

Swimming had taken a back seat to water polo the past 3 months, but with the Ras Tanura Team off competing at the World FINA Championships in Sweden, I had to admit that swimming needed to come back into my life (tear).

About 2 weeks ago I started heading back to the main complex swim pool, committed to keeping in shape.  I swim at this pool for a number of reasons. First, it is the closest of the two lap swim pools, and when the temperature is holding steady at a sweet 112 degrees, you don’t walk any farther than you have to in any given stretch. Secondly, being in the main compound, the pool is next to the main office and the supermarket. At the main office I can drop off my dry cleaning and pick-up a few movies (free rentals on the compound!). If the swim practice is tough I can grab a jug of water for a measly .80 cents – one of the big waters, not those whimpy little personal bottles. Finally, the main pool is used by the Oasis Swim Team to practice, so lane ropes will often be set-up and, if lucky, the flags for backstroke (not that those matter because I’m going so slow into the wall anyway).

So off to the pool I go and to give you an idea of the trip I’ve provided some live point of view shots.

Here is the view while still walking in my compound, Al Sanad. This is our pool, a weak pool for those of us training for gold medals. There is usually a couple of local guys gagging some laps out here…I just wave and walk on by…I have no time for the pleasures of “cooling off”!

Out of my compound and into the main compound I go. There is a long cement stretch before I turn into area where the pool resides.  On the weekend, when the sun lights this puppy up, it is about the longest 100 yards in memory. My sweat glands have their own sweat glands just for this walk.

Into the compound and towards the pool I march. My inner self has tried to produce reasons for “passing on the swim just this day.” Nope. My will is too strong. Like the light at the end of the tunnel, my fitness awaits…THE POOL ENTRANCE…

Then a small stair climb and AAAAAHHHHHHH…(background angels singing). The pool in all its majesty presents itself.

A changing room, air conditioned, provides some relief from the brutal heat.  I actually have to walk the back of my t-shirt up over my head when changing because so much stickiness has invaded me. It’s awful. But no worries; I hit some basic stretches (arm swings, neck rotations touch my knees with my fingertips) and then into the pool I go.

2 weeks ago I followed this routine on a particularly hot day. 5 minutes of stretching and I was ready to go. I dipped my toe in the water and felt nauseous. The pool was warm! I slithered into the bathtub-like water and felt sick. It was warmer in the water than it was outside! Well warm water wasn’t going to stop me, so I headed off on my 1,000 meter warm-up; that is until my face was ready to melt-off at 500 meters. I could hardly breathe, and I felt like taking a nap right there in the water. At 500 meters I popped-up and let the fresh 112 degree air cool me off. This wasn’t going to work. For 4 more days I tried the pool, hoping, praying that the water chiller would be turned-on…but to no avail. The pool was getting warmer everyday as the sun beat down on it. After day five I was defeated. I had to find another place to train.

My old friend Dennis Bell (Dennis introduced me to the water polo team at Aramco) had once mentioned to me that the Al Hada complex had a nice pool that was cool. I had to try. So the next day I committed myself to the extra 1/4 mile walk to the Al Hada complex.

Like the initial phase of the walk from my compound, the Al Hada just entails an additional stretch of cement. I was trucking down the middle of the street because traffic is light in the compound.

As I approached the turn into the Al Hada complex I noticed some ducks and geese in a little pool alongside the road. Just as I was marvelling at God’s loving creatures, the big papa goose looked at me and lowered his head down like a raging bull. Hm, that’s a little freaky; then this jerk takes a few aggressive steps towards me, but now he’s hissing like a snake and bobbing his head back and forth slowly. Why so much anger and aggression my webbed-foot friend. These big daddy geese can pack a mean bite, so I whip out my towel (with swimsuit and goggles wrapped inside) and stomp 2 unconvincing steps towards the feathered bully while waving my towel weakly above my head; I am positive that I looked like I was engaged in a new rain dance.  At this point, frozen by my darting moves, he stops, raises his head, tilts it slightly away from me, beak pointing up, all the while keeping his eyes on me. Then his mouth opens and he lets out and even greater hiss. So I stomp back at him and swing my towel. This finally gets him to back-up off the microphone, but he’s still strutting and watching me as I pass along to the compound. When I pull up to the security gate at the Al Hada complex I see the security guard smiling and waving at me. Yep, he was watching the whole heavy weight bout, and I am pretty sure he wasn’t impressed. In fact, it must have brought some needed joy to an otherwise boring day in the security booth. I made my way to the pool at Al Hada and jumped into very cool water. I wasn’t going back to my other pool until they fixed the water chiller in it. This pool was it, but I’d have to figure out how to contend with the Guarders of the Gate.

That night I spoke with my parents. I told my Dad about my bird encounter and he just laughed. “Yeah, those big honkers are territorial (laugh again). Just run after him and he should back off.” Ok Dad, you got it. Plus, the pool is so nice; I have to make it work. This time, prior to my heading out, I am religious about towel preparation. My defensive weapon has to be ready to go.

Pre-wrap.  Focusing on a tight roll.

Post-wrap.  Ready to swing.

I head out for the pool, towel in hand. On my way I see a cat in the compound. The cat stops for a photo.

This cat just stared at me. It didn’t move in fear or angst whatsoever. Am I sending off some chemical signal that the impending second round with my feathery orange-beak enemy has me slightly nervous? Apparently this cat felt so.


Off to Al Hada.  Here I need to make sure everyone gets the full lowdown on the layout.  First is the pre-approach.  I make sure my towel is ready to go.  In the distance, the honkers are brewing for a fight.  You can see him on the road to the right of my towel in the picture.  Look at that little guy.  He's in the road!  Stay in the water area please.  The little white guard shack, serving as the VIP box seats is in the background.

I walk closer, slowly.  This time it’s a different honker, but lo and behold he goes through the same motions! But I am ready this time and take some manly steps towards him and swing my towel. The difference this time is that the bout was then interrupted by a few people. First, a local maintenance worker pedals on by, right as I’m popping my weave moves. “Hi sir” he waves to me. The goose doesn’t even break stride, but the bicycle had allowed me to get outside of Daffy's territory somewhat. Thinking blog entertainment, I stop for a photo. The honker starts to hiss again. That is when I realize that a car has pulled up on the road and is watching this whole dance while waiting to proceed. I guess he thought I was taking some professional pictures with my phone and didn’t want to interrupt. Maybe I was...I got the whole lot of them in this shot.

Either way, the driver also saw the bobbin and weaving, but instead of a “Hi sir” wave, he gives me the old two finger hello while hands are on the steering wheel. Too cool for school I guess. Once again, the show for the security office must have been amazing. Another smile and a wave and into Al Hada I go.

The last 100 yards of the walk to the pool are long, but peaceful because no animals are trying to attack me.

Once inside the pool, the water temperature more than makes up for the treacherous journey I have just completed. Ah, the things we athletes do to train….