California Lockdown is Not a Total Shutdown

California is suffering right now. Santana winds are doing their normal seasonal thing and threatening wild fires across the Southland. Winter mornings are getting more chilly, but the days seem to continue with seemingly summer-like temperatures. But then again there’s COVID-19.

COVID-19 has California trying to figure out how to handle a global health pandemic on a statewide scale. It has the San Francisco Forty-Niners practicing and playing outside of the state. It has the governor and the mayor of L.A., along with a number of other state and local officials, receiving death threats and other types of hate mail due to the calls for curfews and limited holiday celebrations.

But it has not completely wiped out and shut down golf courses.

So What’s a Golfer to Do?

For me, I am all in. Like I said in previous posts, I got some extended time off coming up and aligns perfectly with the potential lift of this lockdown in mid to late December. I am readying myself for that time with a consistent practice schedule weekend by weekend. Whether it is my iron play and woods or my short game, I keep my focus on bringing my game up to a place where I can expect a skills transition from the driving range to golf course.

Bonita Golf Course

I am seeking input and feedback on my swing techniques and mechanics. Hey! Yeah, I know that the belly fat isn’t helping me gain any torque, but I got a plan for that. But I am open to feedback like what I got from Brian Penn from All About Golf and some others like the Grateful Golfer. I tried engaging my core more, but I know that it needs work especially with a baseball background. With muscle memory, I am somehow always drifting back to my roots as a long ball hitter at the plate not the tee. In fact, I am really digging Cathy McPherson’s pointers about pre-shot routine and other aspects. The LPGA perspective helps a common golfer like me because the focus is not on long drives and wild recovery shots like the PGA Tour. Following the LPGA and Senior Tour lets us focus on fundamentals and shot selection as opposed to muscling up off the tee snapping a second shot to get back into play like some PGA pros. I am doing all of this while I got the time.

What I am Working on for the Next 2 Weeks

My primary focus for the next 2 weeks is all about fitness and health. In fact, I am starting a 10-Day Detox Challenge tomorrow. The prep for my mind, body and spirit has been revealing. When it comes to golf, I will continue to the consistent practice and even start out with walking a par 3 once I go on break. But I definitely have my eyes on overall health and wellness along with diet and nutrition as it relates to golf performance. I mean look at DeChambeau’s daily diet and what it entails.

I will continue with a focus on fitness for two weeks and end up swinging for fun on the course again before I even know it. I am not even ready for the 90 Day Challenge to go scratch. That ain’t even me yet. I am sort of working on my game and my physique simultaneously. Remember, y’all, I am just trying break 90 and do so consistently. No lockdown is going to shut that down, but it has definitely caused me to be a little more cautious with what I do and when I do it. After all, I am still learning how to break free of that wide angle slice that looks like a drone gone wild in flight. If I can get that done in the next month, I see my scores leveling out by spring.

Well, unless things change again in 2021.

Right When I’m Ready

I have oftentimes heard if you snooze you lose. And here it is in the first week of December just after a quiet Thanksgiving break and a short session to the driving range, and California as a whole is looking at massive shutdown and stay-at-home orders going into effect within the next 24 hours. I mean all of this right when I was ready to visit my local municipal course and give the course a whirl.

Think about it like this. Last week I had just posted on my driving range session prior to my play at a local charity golf tournament. I have visited the range multiple times since that session and tournament, but the feedback and support that I got both here and on YouTube, even Twitter, have helped reshape my approach to the range for my next session tomorrow. Brian Penn with All About Golf gave me some spot on pointers that have me engaging my core more than just swinging my shoulders and arms.

RockBottomGolf.com-Discount Golf Clubs, Equipment, and Apparel! Click here!

Check out the YouTube video of my session at the range and share your thoughts on my swing.

I see the shutdown orders as another thing that will simply force me to do what many golfers dread and some others simply geek out about to no end. I am going to be forced to plan my play.

Plan Your Play

Working in the school system means that I get those extended breaks for winter and summer, even those week’ for Thanksgiving and Spring Break. Hey, I will take them all day long.

And this usually causes me to engage in planning my play. Scheduling includes which days I will make a run up to Oceanside and visit the LinkSoul shop for my Make Par Not War gear and play Pala Mesa Resort. Or, it might even entail my own personal version of two-a-days where I might play a par 3 course in the morning hours and work in a full 18 on a course like Cottonwood or Chula Vista which isn’t too long or drastic like Barona Creek or Eastlake Golf Course. Courses like Sycuan offer multiple hole layouts so you could replay and have the feel of a totally different course. Regardless of how I format it, such extended periods of time afford me the opportunity to plan my play much like the Grateful Golfer shared.

15% Off Your First Order with Email Sign Up

Shutdown Means a Slight Adjustment

Outdoor recreation will adjust again. We will have to remain contactless and maintain social distancing with face coverings of course. It is in effect for 3 weeks, so that will put us right into the middle of my winter break. I could jam in a handful of rounds weather permitting… Oh, who am I kidding! It’s Southern California. Any bad weather is a welcome added challenge for the course.

In all honesty, I look forward to having to plan out my play. I got a few folks I need to try to catch up with on the course. It will give me a good target to take aim at as I do my indoor workouts daily in preparation for my next outing.

Tomorrow’s driving range session will be another chance for me to get the GoPro working and capture myself in full swing mode after all of that quality advice and feedback alongside the golf tips and videos that I researched and reviewed. I think it will be a bittersweet session since I have only played in a tournament since COVID-19 struck us with its massive effects on our daily lives. All I know is that next time, I am jumping out there and getting on the links when this thing opens up again (as long as the cases go down like the governor hopes).

Gift buying made easy with a guide that highlights some of the best products from TravisMathew & Cuater! Browse gifts under $100!

Practice Reveals Problems

The driving range offers you an opportunity to bring your best and see how well it measures up. It is never as menacing as the course itself, but it does have its own way of showing you where you might have some issues with your swing. Whether it be a matter of trying to address that major hook that was supposed to simply be a line drive or adjusting your body and stance at address to establish better alignment, you can learn a lot about your swing on the range.

My first outing since COVID-19

My overall focus is getting back to regular play. That most probably will not occur to winter break. Even with school’s going to distance learning, those of us who work with the kids in the school system still need to show up and remain attentive. After all, I can wait until a few weeks to make golf a regular feature in my coronavirus-impacted life right now. My goal of breaking 90 regularly will have to hold on until then and i will take to range more often to prepare myself for that time.

And the driving range reveals where you have swing issues. Like an old school basketball coach told me long ago, your practice reveals where you got problems. Address your problems while you got time to practice.

Your Most Important Swing Component: Your Body

Swing mechanics look at numerous components of your golf swing. Watching my video recording of my golf practice sequence, I noticed my body was stiff and rigid. I did not have that loose flow within my swing that once helped me gobble up at least a handful of pars and an occasional birdie while at play. I went back to Golf-tip.com and looked at the advice offered there for game improvement. Like I said, my body was not engaged properly and I was making solid contact, but I was still robbing myself of quite a few yards of distance because of it.

According to the Grateful Golfer, golf fitness can lead to lower lower scores. As I observed my COVID-19 gut, I could not help but agree. My limited flexibility cut down on both my distance and accuracy on the range. That would translate to some added strokes on the course. I know good and well that I need to add more dynamic stretches to regime as well as use some of the yoga that I learned to open up my hips like I do for running.

15% Off Your First Order with Email Sign Up

Beyond stretching and adding yoga, I want to address my overall health. Golf is just a part of that practice. I want to add more cross-training. I need to bike, hike and run, even dance, more day by day. I might even consider incorporating Gary Player’s 60/40 Rule. But I definitely will be running and walking more regularly.

By addressing just a few of these issues over the next couple of weeks, I think that I can get back into the low 90s by mid-December. Increased flexibility would help with both my golf game and my overall workout regimen of taking on fitness activities for at least 3 to 4 days per week. This will really help as I seek to walk the course more in 2021 than I have ever walked in my past.

RockBottomGolf.com-Lowest Priced Golf Clubs, Equipment and Apparel Anywhere! Click here!

Adding Self-Talk Helps Beyond Muscle Memory

There are numerous strategies to fix your flaws, especially your posture and golf swing. For me, I know that I need to add more self-talk as I address the ball where it lies. We all have our own thing, but mine seems to be not taking enough time in my setup. I need to slow down and spend a moment simply talking myself through the next steps that lead to a successful golf swing for the moment.

I need to do so with course awareness and heightened sensitivity to the overall conditions. I do not mean to stand there and measure the wind projections. I mean to simply talk myself into refraining from hitting a lofted club into the windy air and settling for a hooded seven iron with a half swing to keep it low. I need more self-talk like that to keep me from self-cursing when I have to search for lost Callaways or Pinnacles in thorn bushes and amid cacti.

Practice Reveals Problems: Whether You Fix Them or Not

Brian Penn nails this down on an All About Golf post related to proactive or reactive. It’s called game improvement because inherently most folks want to improve their game, their scores and overall play at golf. I welcome more advice, tips and comments on my swing as I focus on getting the rust off and increasing my flexibility. Drop them in the comments of this blog and offer your feedback. Just try to keep it helpful. After all, I am going for game improvement and trying to maintain some positive Zen if at all possible.

Back into the Swing Again & Then. . .

“The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.” And seems like a promise more than an axiom

Join the Birdie Bundle Referral Program! — Get the Birdie Bundle Deal

I got back into the swing of things by participating in the Escondido Chamber of Commerce’s annual golf tournament at Woods Valley. It was a sunny day in Valley Center just east of Escondido, California, as I checked in and made a hasty attempt at stretching for the delayed tee times. I used to love the shotgun starts, but we got new rules and regulations for the new normal. I was ready to get going and get out there to get swinging.

Undoubtedly, I had a great time being teamed up with some extraordinary folks within North County. I truly enjoyed the special ball launcher advantage early on where my foursome easily birdied. I mean what else could be expected with that canon at work and playing best ball?

Gift buying made easy with a guide that highlights some of the best products from TravisMathew & Cuater! Browse gifts under $100!

I loved the time spent with my friends from the Chamber office and made plans to get together “once this COVID thing died down.” Altogether, I got some good advice from one of fellow players, opened up my stance and laid out some promising drives that sailed down the fairway. That was a far cry from that initial set of drives that all drifted and faded like crows diving from the sky.

Jersey Mike’s and IPAs at the Turn for Lunch

Hello! I mean it was all cool that I did not win the raffle prizes… ANY of them at all! I just could not believe that one dude in my foursome won 3 raffle prizes. I mean for real? Needless to say, we didn’t win the tourney either. But we did manage to square away a solid scorecard and come in 5 under on a fairly challenging course.

Buy 2, Get 1 Free Srixon Golf Balls at RockBottomGolf.com! Valid through 12/25 or Until Supplies Run Out!

What I did learn was that my putter stroke was still smooth and i dropped a few crucial ones when we were in a pickle. I did not have to use my Mulligans so i shared the wealth with my foursome. I also felt pretty good about my approach shots with the hybrids. The long irons above 6 are almost obsolete. Plus, it requires a lot of adjustment for guys like me to angle that shaft and clubhead after whacking balls with drivers and hybrids. The accuracy is still under construction with the long irons 6 and above. Heck, they hardly offer full club sets with 3 irons anymore and the ones with 4 irons are gradually being replaced with mini hybrid clubs.

Play your best and make it work. Keep swinging and have fun.

I wanted to get a bicoastal competitive vibe going with my guys back East Golf Rookies 704. That might have to wait given the conditions these days. California has gone COVID crazy!

Now that this COVID thing is NOT going away any time soon, I am not sure on the new regulations and restrictions. I have to see what my holiday week off looks like. I f I can get one or two rounds in, I am golden. Otherwise, I am down to hold on for another lockdown period. I waitied this long.

But that one day got me jonesing for more for sure.

Back at it Again

A few years ago I read a book on the Grateful Dead by Phil Lesh, a long-time member of the band. Lesh described the band in terms of a gathering of musical souls in search of that ultimate high of jam sessions with other musicians, searching for kindred spirits as they got into rhythm. It was entitled Searching for the Sound, and I loved reading it.

Returning to golf is like that search. You keep trying to find that rhythm. You keep trying to get your mind in synch with your body, whether it is the setup with your feet aligned to the target or gauging if your approach shot requires a 6 or 7 iron given the current course conditions and potential hazards. You struggle at first, then you strike that Callaway or Titleist on the sweet spot and its a mystery unveiled.

I returned to the driving range and accepted the changes. You know it’s a totally different place when you have to read 2 to 3 pages of health ordinances just to walk into the pro shop. You know things are different when you not only have to speak through a face covering and staff has to do the same while a plexiglass barrier separates the two of you. And surely must be different if the pro shop doesn’t do cash, just credit or debit.

I rolled with it and took my shot at working on my swing in preparation for an upcoming tournament. I accepted that things had changed and I went with it. I complied with the changes and got out there to get back into rhythm.

My game was in need of some tweaking in prep for this golf tourney. Listen here. There is no shame in showing up rusty. Nope, not one bit at all. But you can’t show up that day and not have even touched your clubs other than to just load them into the trunk or cargo section of your vehicle that morning. That is an outright no-no. I had to get back out there again and find some kind of rhythm and feel.

I took along my GoPro and caught myself on video and a few photos. I am being totally transparent. Two days before I turn 50 years old, I plan on facing my first par 72 golf course in nearly a year. I welcomed the chance to test my skills on Barona’s links styled driving range with plenty of dirt and few trees.

In a word, I was satisfied. I worked on a laddered sequence of irons leading to the making of a pyramid. First, I went with the odd irons by warming up with a 7 iron and following that up with 5 iron and back to my 7 iron, then varied stances and swing lengths with my 9 iron. I topped off the pyramid with hybrid and driver swinging, feeling that driver meet the ball and send it sailing airborne further and higher than expected on the first time back. I worked my way down again from the 5 iron down to the 9 iron, then I tossed in the gap wedge, pitch wedge and the lob wedge.

After that session, I hit the putting surface and practiced some drills that test my eye and feel. My eye was off, but the good thing was that I could see it. Approximately 80% of my putts curled towards the hole as they lost gas to go any further. I knew I was on track.

Wait to see what happens when I get out there again today.

Restart Today

Do less, better. Because most of what we do or say is not essential.
Marcus Aurelius

If I am honest about it, I have not played golf in ages. I can honestly say that I miss it.

I miss that feeling of the soft leather glove gripping the driver and taking the club head back slowly at the first tee and letting it rip on the downswing. I miss the green grass fairways and the oddly cut greens that leave your putts short and absorb a Callaway Super Soft like Cookie Monster on a chocolate chip cookie. I just miss the game.

Playing in the TJ Winters Golf Tournament its first year at Riverwalk Golf Course

Almost daily, I walk by multiple sets of clubs in my garage over and over again, agonizing over the pandemic precautions and the restricted movements of our society. Sadly, the truth of the matter is that many have suffered and died due to this COVID-19 pandemic. I truly have been stuck with where to begin again with my golf journey to breaking 90 on a consistent basis.

Then I got an email about an upcoming golf tournament for a good cause. The Escondido Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Chamber Challenge Golf Tournament November 2nd at Woods Valley Golf Club. A good cause plus a good price usually equals a good time.

What better way to work my way back into the game?

The last tournament I played in tested out my latest driver and fairway woods. This one will give me a chance to shed some rust from the coronavirus closure. It would mark my first foray back onto the fairway.

Am I ready?

Can we ever say that we are really ready? I doubt it. I probably will regret not buying a few Mulligans. I probably will have a few of those yippy putts where I regret not practicing my short game on the bedroom or hallway carpet just to maintain my feel. But I bet I will have some of that old luster come out, too. You know that one drive where you say that’s why you came out in the first place. I could imagine feeling myself get into the swing of things by the back nine, depending on where I start with the scramble rather than shotgun start.

But I need to get started now and take on some sage advice for tournament play.

So, today I dust off the clubs and hit the range. Brush up on that good old golf etiquette.

I think I can get in about 3 or 4 trips to the range and maybe 2 solid golf rounds before the tournament. That way I can at least make a decent showing before I tee off with my fellas from the Escondido Chamber.

At the least I should get a pretty cool golf face covering in the goodie bag with some free tees.

Let’s get this thing started.

Better Isn’t the Same as Before

“We are what we repeatedly do.” – Aristotle

I want to be better, That’s my goal. My golf goals reflect that. I want to break 90 consistently. And my focus and dedication from 2018 to 2019 proved the possibilities of making that a reality. So, I want to be better. I like how the Grateful Golfer poses question about whether you’re a serious golfer or not.

I want to better than what I had managed to get done before COVID-19. I want to repeatedly do the right things to get those scorecards racking up scores in the 80’s. I just don’t want to squeeze out an 88 or 89 and barely get by. I want to return and work on a steady stream of 84 or 85 with consistency.

Swing Society is NOT a sponsor of My Breaking 90

My best is still ahead of me. I have yet to practice my short game and putting. I am rusty with the woods and hybrids. I bet I could shank every approach shot from 150 yards down 80 yards out. I just haven’t played in ages. I haven’t felt comfortable with trying to select which set of clubs to play when folks are losing jobs, quarantine round 2 lurking or looming in my area, and the whole economy teetering on stimulus checks and faulty stock market out of alignment with its earnings, production and valuations. I am beginning to think that I will play when the weather cools down with post-summer breezes and some easygoing days. Maybe that will be when. . .

Well, until then, I will wait it out. I want to be at my best. I want to get back to where I left off, and then surpass just breaking 90.

In the meantime, I will continue to share with you how I broke 90 and made it a regular thing.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That goes a long way towards helping me keep things on the up and up with no biased and sponsored product and equipment reviews. It literally keeps the whole thing honest and straightforward. Purchases made via the hyperlinks to Amazon help keep the multimedia work producing new content.

Reset to Refocus

Taking the Time to Look Deeper

Some people swear by SMART Goals, while others are all about planners and systematic approaches such as Franklin Covey planners and inserts. I tend to get lost with such things. I have a content planner for multimedia, a general 18-month day-to-day planner for ideas and inspiration, and a journal where I keep track on four daily focus areas: FAITH, FAMILY, FITNESS, &FINANCES.

I believe I found the most usage out of the 12 Week Year, but I adjusted my daily tracking and to-do list a little more extensively. I needed the core elements of the 12 Week Year combined with The 100 Day Goal Journal. I felt that both systems worked to give me the things I need to advance and achieve goals.

Recently, I had to hit reset ad take a deeper look at my goals. As I approach the milestone of 50, I had to keep my mental bearings about me. Despite living pretty well, I have experienced greater anxiety with the onset of my mother’s cancer and I felt some hints of depression with mood swings after my cousin’s death last year. I remain highly aware of the day to day condition of those living with mental illness such as schizophrenia and bipolar, but I am also aware of the potential for a mental breakdown based upon the various pressures of this life.

I rely a lot on my faith, remaining firmly rooted in my beliefs. However, I do have to keep my awareness sharp, so I watch out for signs of undue stress and pressure. I fight to avoid any possible triggers, especially when I can predict some tense moments arising.

Managing my time is just one of those things that I have gotten better with over time. Due to my own compulsion, it has to be a certain way or it’s a total waste of my time. With that in consideration, I took a deeper look at how my progress was going with the system.

My Best Could Be Better

As I reviewed my daily logs since January, I realized that the evolution of the more personalized and customized system resulted in the elimination of a few pieces that also made it comforting work. The latest version had me still score my actionable items as opposed to questioning my progress towards long range goals for 10-12 weeks, even less.

The missing element was an evaluation method that informed me of where I was ad wasn’t progressing on my goals. What I realized was that I needed to focus on more of a simple set of evaluation questions to get to my progress towards goals.

What did I struggle with today?

What are some possible solutions?

Am I closer to my goals today?

I usually score my check boxes by the number completed versus the total number of check boxes for the day. I had set my mark for 85%. Oddly enough, I reviewed my work and even on my best days I was at 83% and 84%. I decided during this reset to adjust my mark of success to 80% until I feel the need for a change. I just want to make sure that my daily goals remain in line with my long term goals.

I was doing good, but I know that I can be better. I just need to place more emphasis on progress through daily actions. I can do way better in working towards my goals. I just need to document that work.

Goals and Golf = My Breaking 90

When I read Brian Tracy’s Goals!, I was still coming off a motivational high from David Goggins giving me insights into true endurance and fight through Can’t Hurt Me. Where Goggins left me high and with my feet off the ground, Tracy slapped me across the face with another level of a wake-up call. He gave me an a-ha moment like in Eat That Frog where I finally figured out where the puzzle piece I had along fit into the big picture of getting things done.

I lacked commitment and consistency.

The 12 Week Year taught me the new definition for commitment that I felt compelled to live out fully. It stated that commitment is: the state of being bound emotionally or intellectually to some course of action. In the past, my understanding of commitment was to just show up and at least show up on time if not early. This new definition forced me to have some kind of skin in the game.

In golf, some folks are comfortable wagering on a round. They play relaxed and calm, no sign that they feel pressured or anything like that. Then, there’s the other guy like me. He’s calculated the risk and has worked out scenarios on how to play it safe and smart, even if there’s money on the line. I have to tap into a buried part of my past to climb out of the darkness and swing for the fences off the tee and putt with finesse around the green.

My cousin and I used to place bets on each other’s shots, but we used to talk trash and take shots at each other’s confidence. We knew each other well and knew which buttons to punch and when to put just enough pressure on them. The money was no longer a factor by the turn. Pride was on the line once we got to the back nine.

Where I could never get tripped up was once I determined a certain goal, a score or a different focus beyond $2 per hole par or better. Once I had the determined mindset and focus, I was clear and the game played out right along with me. On one outing my cousin smoothly told me that I could relax and go to the bar or something to loosen up at the turn. I simply said with a smile,”I’ve never played so relaxed in my life.”

Golf goals allow you to focus and draw a mental map, detailing your plans from hole to hole. I am not saying that you picture every shot and situation. What I am saying is that you develop a calmness and a sense of confidence because you have considered a wide variety of scenarios with their best potential solutions ahead of time. In real time, all you are doing is evaluating which scenarios require which solutions.

What if you flub a putt read? Did you get any closer to hole? Then that’s progress.

What if my drive veers off to the left and lose some yardage? Adjust and compensate for the loss in your approach shot. That’s situational solutions to aid in making progress.

I am on Day #2 of the reset, but I am certain of one thing. It’s bound to get better because I am looking it over and placing my focus on progress for my long term goals.

Update: 7-26-20

Morning Weigh-In: 284.9 lbs

Activity: Jog/ speed walk 1.36 miles, 170 incline push-ups, hip-hop/ Afrocentric dance @ 20 minutes

What I learned today: Speed walk is less stress to body and maintains a pace @16 miles per hour or less, even when the outdoor heat is averaging 80-85 degrees.

Reopen Readiness

Golf Courses Reopen After COVID-19 Closure

Folks want things to go back to the way they once were. Or, so they say so.

With the new requirements of face coverings and social distancing, I don’t see that happening any time soon.

My home golf course sent me multiple emails, urging and encouraging me to return the course. They have assured me of all of the safeguards that they have put in place to ensure that play remains both safe and enjoyable. The emails seem well intended and well written.

I’m just not ready yet.

Fauci and Facts

According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, “The Virus is a formidable foe.” No matter what President Trump says about Fauci, the fact remains that only one of them is a doctor and a leading expert on such health conditions. In a mad rush to reopen the country, we have seen an enormous increase in the amount of cases across the nation.

The PGA and Golf Channel have given us some teasers with a few tourneys the prior month, then some regular PGA events. Our appetites for watching golf had us salivating for at least a morsel something that we could sink our teeth into beyond those late night viewings of Celebrity Golf with black and white footage of Sam Snead and Hollywood hunks going at it for nine hole challenges. And the almighty golf media gods delivered.

My county has seen fit to reopen golf courses with a laundry list of safety precautions. The one about single golfer per cart is nice since courses were trying to pair riders prior to this, but not touching the flagsticks and removing the ball washers seem sort of extreme. But those precautions would not be deal-breakers.

Other states have slowly reopened courses as well, while some have chosen not to do so. As of now less than 5% of GolfNow.com‘s 5,300 partner courses remain closed. But that doesn’t speak to the amount of players actually hitting the links for a round. The question is not whether or not we can play. The question is whether or not we will play.

As for me and my clubs, I’m just not ready yet.

It’s Been a While and It’ll Be a While

It has been a while since I last played golf. I am not going to lie. And, like many golfers, I feel that itch to toss the clubs into the trunk and head over to at least the driving range to see what I still got in the tank.

But I’m just not read yet.

I believe that I could probably handle a full round of golf and hold my own. I don’t believe that I would come out striking the sweet spot on my drives or reading the greens for those delicate putts for par or better. But I do believe that I could go out and have a great time enjoying the challenge of the course and maintain a steady pace of play.

But I still believe it will be a while before I play again.

This time last year I was knee deep in golf. I played a short par 3 course near home in the AM hours and a choice of municipal and resort courses throughout San Diego County. Or, if I had the option, I would stay overnight and play Barona Creek or Sycuan, even Pala Mesa Resort. On “off days,” I would just hit the range or work on my short game with the gap wedge and pitching wedge. That lob wedge can be tricky. I’d work on putting game every so often, but I had grown accustomed to using my early morning play on par 3 courses to develop an eye for reading greens and feel for delivering some near-miss putts.

I even had plans of venturing up to Journey at Pechanga this summer, but circumstances changed that. The same circumstances have me resolving to not rush it, to take things slow and easy, and simply wait it out until I feel comfortable and confident about getting back out there.

I believe that there is still a while to go before we get through flu season and see the coronavirus curtail and dovetail into the distance like a hooking drive angled on a dogleg fairway.

Waiting It Out

I think I can just wait it out for now.

I fill my time with other fitness and sports activity. I run and walk a lot. I have taken to some body weight exercises that include some yoga and shadow boxing. I have focused on losing weight before I turn 50 years old later this year. I have occupied my time with a lot of other things other than golf.

I have resolved to just wait it out.

My hybrids may grow a little dusty and my putter stroke may grow a little rusty, but golf is about touch and feel among other things. I do not believe that I have totally lost touch with the desire to play. That’s still in there. I do believe that when i feel comfortable and confident, I will load up the golf bag and mark my Callaway Supersoft balls with my red Sharpie as I take a few deep breaths at the first hole. Whenever I go out there again, I will probably wear some Loudmouth gear or something else bold and obnoxious to pretty much announce my return whether anyone else gives a hoot or not.

I just feel like I can wait it out until I am good and ready.

Weight Loss Update

Over the last two weeks, I have extended my long runs on Sundays and have also returned to the work site. Working on site as opposed to remotely from home can impact everything from workout schedule to meal planning. And I feel it.

I lost 7 pounds 2 weeks ago and regained 4 pounds before I got back into any kind of fitness groove this week. I need to kill it on my run on Sunday to keep pace with the weight loss as I enter a 10-day Daniel Fast coming up.

I will be sure to keep you updated as I go further with this journey.

Less than 5 months to go before I turn 50.

Fit by 50

I am not in the best shape.

Don’t get me wrong. I am thankful for what I have mainly the ability to get up and get out, working out or walking, even playing golf. I see the condition others are at my age with aches and pains, especially former high school and college athletes, and i thank God that I got what I got.

But here’s what I see as what is wrong.

I am not in the best of shape.

To be turning 50 in less than 50 months, I need to make some real life changes. My cholesterol is in line and no high blood pressure. I do not have diabetes. I do not have major joint or back problems or pain.

On the other hand, I tip the scale at just over 280 lbs over the last 3 to 4 months. Call it COVID-19 weight or whatever, but I need to shed it. The last time I was this heavy just over 275 lbs with a limited active life, I was diagnosed with “pre diabetes.” That simply means that I am on the verge if I don’t make changes. And I did make changes. I got active. This time I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. I do NOT like the machine or the mask. The mask shifts around too much and the hose annoys me. I look like a lost Jedi fighter pilot out of Star Wars or something. I decided to continue with the sleep study and try my best, but I am also determined to get in shape before 50 and NOT need this machine at night or 2 Advil in the morning.

I want to be fit by 50.

#FitBy50

Everything that is wrong with me is under my control: Sleep, Nutrition, and Activity.

Sleep: I do not sleep long hours. I got sleep apnea. But the sleep that I do get isn’t always restful. It’s time I take sleep seriously due to its impact on my ability to lose weight and maintain a healthy diet.

I will commit to eliminating the things that disrupt and rob me of a good nigh’s rest, interfering with my sleep and my health.

Nutrition: I have added more fruit and vegetables to my diet, but my problem is that bread dominates my diet. It can be tortillas, pizza dough, sourdough slices, or biscuits. I drink too much coffee throughout the day (and evening). Too much coffee leads to added sugars because I am that guy. I also do not drink enough water.

I will commit to eliminating bread from diet for 2 weeks initially. I will commit to removing white bread and white sugar from my diet by July 20th. I will focus on the transition to a plant-based diet as I begin again with “clean” eating.

Activity: I am inconsistent and too sporadic with my activity. Prior to COVID-19, I played basketball once per week if not 2-3 times. I also went to the gym at least 4 days per week (treadmill, free weights, weight machines, and stationary bike). I would do Zumba and body combat classes. I would run an average of 8 to 10 miles per week. Now gyms are just reopening. When it comes to golfing, a lot of golf courses are just getting back to up and running again. I should have read those blog posts on getting fit while at home. And we are all supposed to wear face coverings and maintain social distancing. I might be doing 4 to 6 miles per week run, jog and walk at best. I am sort of at the starting block as Eleanor Sophie put it in her recent June post.

I commit to maintaining a consistent activity schedule, including logging at least 10 miles per week. I will also add variety to my workouts to attack my problem areas.

I want to be fit by 50.

Join me on the journey.

Messages of Movement & Motivation