A few years before I got into competing in triathlons, I had another passion… GOLF.
Although I was never very good at it, I played as much as I could. If I had a really good game, I could shoot in the low 90’s.
I would always walk, never using a cart. It was great exercise, and a relatively inexpensive way to stay fit. It’s also a lot of fun. The course I played in Hinton even let me bring my dog.
Unfortunately with the other training, working and family – it’s tough to find the time to play 18 holes of golf now.
I ran a marathon in Delta a couple weekends ago. While running I was thinking about how my life has changed when it comes to fitness.
It’s funny how I used to walk 18 holes for my exercise, and was happy with that. Now I have to run 42 kilometers to get exercise?
Well, the marathon is actually just the end result of all the training I do for exercise. Just like golf though, you have to practise a lot to get good. You have to train to get faster. And just like golf, you have to keep your mental game.
They say golf is 90 per cent mental. Well let’s just say at that marathon the other weekend, I had a great front nine, but then it all fell apart on the back nine. Like, really fell apart.
I went out way too fast, then blew up, and had to walk the last 10km. It was like shooting 10 on each hole. It was like hitting the ball as hard as I could everytime.
But you know what? I learned a lot that day. That we make mistakes, and that the “golf course” is still out there waiting for me to try again.
I’m going back to Birch Bay in February. I’m going to play that 42.2km again. I’m going to qualify for the Boston Marathon for 2016. I just have to keep my mental game.
Here is something else I would like to try: a fairly new sport called SpeedGolf. Basically the idea of speedgolf is to play a round of 18 holes as fast as you can. You bring only a handful of clubs, and while wearing running shoes, you hit the ball, then run to it and do it again.
The current record holder has shot a 65 in only 44 minutes. I’m intrigued by this and definitely will be trying this out next year.
Wayne Little