Golf and Track

So last week I had some fun with some stuff I hadn't done in a while.  I went golfing for the first time this year.  Sure, I'd spent a lot of time practicing.  I spent 3 hours one day at the chipping green and a couple of more at the putting green.  But this was the first time I did the whole 18 holes.  I went with a buddy of mine whose pretty good.  He's great to go with because I know he is good for one good meltdown throughout the round.  And by meltdown, I don't mean shooting an 8 or a 9.  I mean where he strings together 2 or 3 bad shots in a row and cusses, swears, throws a club, and finally stops talking for a good 10 minutes altogether.  See, he goes golfing about 3 times per week.  He's a teacher so he has the summers off.  His expectations are that of someone that is an avid golfer and someone that should shoot in the upper 70's or lower 80's.  He isn't like me where I go out there about 5 to 6 times per year and hope to break 90.  Expectations can be both hindering and motivating.  They can motivate you to succeed in that you know exactly what's expected of you and you go out and do it.  They can hinder you because when you fail, you start to snowball a bit and things can get out of control real fast.  I have often wanted to be a great golfer but with greatness comes the great expectations.  I enjoy going out, hitting around 90, getting that one-putt, hitting that drive 280 yards down the fairway (once), and chipping from 25 yards to within 2 feet of the cup (once).  Those are the shots that keep you coming back.  But I also love the 3-5 hours spent with buddies, talking sports/girls/music/whatever else comes to mind.  I enjoy the pursuit of improvement and knowing that if I can improve by just one or two strokes from my previous score that is was all worthwhile.  I enjoy knowing that no matter how bad I am,  I'm better than Charles Barkley at an athletic event (better at CrossFit too).  I enjoy remembering every single time I go how my dad used to take me to Duck Creek Golf Course when I was a teenager and I had no idea what I was doing.  Thanks Dad for all of those times.  For all of these reasons, I love golf.  I love knowing that  the game presents a different challenge for me every time I play regardless of what course I am on.  It's the endless pursuit of improvement that keeps me coming back for more punishment.  Great game, great times.

The other thing I did last week is I ran in a track meet.  The Clarksville Parks and Rec. in Indiana has a summer running series in which they have open meets at the high school for both kids and adults.  Of course I took my kid, Abe, there and he ran the 400.  He's getting better every time at that event.  They had a 300 for adults there so I jumped in.  In my race was a kid that appeared to be fresh out of the U.S. Olympic trials with his spikes and USATF singlet.  There was another guy in my race that was a 55 year old man preparing to run in the Master's World Championships this week.  Well USATF guy blew everyone out of the water and smoked the race.  I finished in third about half a second behind a guy that I know I'll beat next time.  But at least I beat the 55 year old.  Hey, I'm proud I beat a guy competing in the World Championships, I don't care if he is 55.

These events are the reasons why I write this blog.  To show that at no matter what age or ability you are, you can always compete.  In the course of 2 days I raced a young guy at the prime of his abilities and a 55 year old holding on to that last thing that keeps him young, and I golfed with a guy much better than me and our difference in abilities didn't matter at all because the point was to have fun.  Yeah, I want to win every time I compete and I want to show everyone I am the best.  But I also want to have fun, make friends, tell stories, and hold on to that kid inside of me for just a little bit longer.

An Introduction

I used to be an athlete.  Well, at least I think I used to be.  I grew up playing baseball, football, and running track throughout all of my schooling years.  I also played a little golf, tennis, kickball, ghosts in the graveyard, and tag when time would permit.  That's just what I did as a kid growing up.  My parents gave me no choice.  I thank them for that.  Because of that, I have a lifelong love of physical activity.  I'm a 35 year old child that still loves a game of pickup basketball, golfing with my buddies, running the occasional race, and maybe even a game of tag.  I have dedicated my life to physical activity, fitness, wellness, and an overall healthy lifestyle.  I have obtained an MS in Exercise Physiology and I earned my Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist from the NSCA.  I have used this education to help others become healthy, fit, and reach physical goals they never thought were possible. 

The purpose of this blog is to showcase my love of physical fitness.  I vow to never stop being the athlete I once was, or at least thought I was.  So at the age of 35 I have decided to participate in athletic events I never thought I would.  Whether it's a marathon, mud run, duathlon, triathlon, CrossFit competitions, MMA, handball, cricket, ski-ball, whatever.  I am going to spend the next few years showing that you are never too old to do new activities.  Also, I'm a little bored now that I have my master's degree so I need something to train for.  This blog will chronicle the events I am training for, what I am doing to get ready, my training schedule, my nutrition, setbacks, injuries, family support, and whatever else comes with training.  Hopefully I can keep you interested, make you laugh, and possibly even motivate you to participate in something new yourself.

Please feel free to ask me any question regarding my training that you might have.  And I welcome any input you might have also.  While I have dedicated my life to physical fitness, I do not know everything.  In fact, I have so much more to learn and I am amazed at the knowledge I pick up from people like Eric Cressey, Mike Robertson, Teena Murray, Robb Wolf just to name a few.  So please interact with me.  I love learning and love seeing what you might be doing in your own training. 

All that being said, I am currently training for the Derby Marathon in Louisville, KY on April 30.  I have never run a marathon (why would anyone purposely run 26.2 miles?)  but have always wondered what it would be like to complete one.  I have participated in 2 half marathons and finished both under 2 hours.  Not to shabby for a sprinter in high school who thought anything over 200 meters would make my legs fall off.  I am 2 weeks into my training and feel I am about 2 weeks behind, so I'm kind of behind the 8-ball on this one.  But with smart, proper, effective training, I think I'll be able to finish this beast without walking.  I don't have a time goal, I just want to finish.  So check back in tomorrow and I'll let you know how my training is going and what ideas I have for what I need to do.