Yesterday I was invited to play golf with some company associates by an executive that had won a free round for a foursome at a charity golf event.
And even though it has been nearly two years since I have picked up a golf club, the idea of playing again for free appealed to me.
In addition, it was a gorgeous day in Newnan Georgia blessed with clear, bright sunshine and low humidity. The condition of the course was perfect, so the stage was set for a nice round of golf.
However, what was NOT in good condition was ME! I’m in my late fifties and golf makes some rigorous demands on the body the requires twisting, turning, and accelerating the entire set of bones and muscles through the ball and hopefully in the right direction.
The result was a mediocre start that quickly deteriorated into hacking as weariness set in. But I plugged away and played through the pain and was content to be out of the office with good company and pleasant conversation.
But the body is a mysterious and wonderful thing, and throughout the night continually reminded me of the folly of my excursion by accompanying even the slightest amount of movement with excruciating pain.
If there is a moral to this diatribe, it is this: Never assume that something that you did routinely years ago will work as effectively today as it did back then. Times, trends and attitudes change and unless one remains honed sharp and sure and ready to go, the consequences of a period of inactivity can be a real pain in the neck.
And I mean that literally!
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Richard, I feel your pain literally, all sports are muscle specific if you haven't done it in a while you'll be sore. The only way not to be sore is to keep playing more frequently.
Your last paragraph sums it up pretty good. When flexibility and strength diminish it is time to look for a new swing. Nice photo again...Golf term of the day: fairway - that piece of land between tee and green where golf balls rarely land!
Richard,
I feel your pain, that is why I play the par 3's and then only 9 holes. Gotta stay sharp. LOL
Richard.....if you don't use it, you'll lose it....and it's soooo true.....you're a spring chicken in your late 50's.....
Hi Richard, don't be so hard on yourself. If a trained athlete stopped for a week, they would feel it too no matter what the age. Like Barbara said, if you don't use it, you lose it. My Mom is 68 and goes to the gym 5 days a week. So, if she is a spring chicken, then you are too :)
Get back into it and your body will respond. My dad has picked up golf again after years of not playing and his game is coming back and he is enjoying himself. You'll have to come up to play in my charity tournament in September.
Good morning Richard,
Love the pictures and I'll bet if you were to get back out there this week-end you'd be surprised at how good you would feel..Barbara is "right use it or lose it!" Glad you enjoy the time with your friends..that was worth it!
Great analogy Richard and one I encounter daily these days as clothing that fit nicely last summer is too small this time around and all I am doing is eating the same as I always have! Time to amp up the exercise and try something new, just like my marketing.
ahhh Richard and lets not forget the recovery time and pain. the only cure is to get back out there....I know exactly what you mean, I start off the spring at the range slowly working my up to hitting nine holes and moving on the 18, then twice a week if I am lucky and once a week if not. That is not to say that I am good, but I do love the game and the landscapes are always beautiful....
Richard,
Oh so true! I have never golfed. But I do know how easily we can get out of shape.... :)
My mind says..."I can do that"...But my body tells me..."Oh No you won't!"
My husband rode 5 miles on his bike IN ONE DIRECTION after not being on a bike in years.
When he realized he had to ride 5 miles back to the car...well it wasn't pretty.
He literally crawled from the car in the driveway to the front door.
He suffers severely from what William describes:
My mind says..."I can do that"...But my body tells me..."Oh No you won't!"
Richard, I was thinking this last nite as my bones were screaming at me. My mind and heart are still young, my joints are in sorry shape. I am slowing deteriorating, LOL, I feel as if my limbs will fall off. The only exercise I was getting was working on the farm, and my shoulders won't let me do that anymore. I need to find something else other than typing and driving that will keep me moving better. Although... the grandkids don't care about how I feel, they expect me to be running, jumping, playing just like them!
To think, my dad walks a mile a day, if not more. He puts me to shame... And he is almost 80!
Richard: I first have to say, what a gorgeous shot of a golf course in fall. Love it. I think I might have to take up golf just to take in the scenery. As for the aches and pains, I often discover muscles I forgot I had.
As Barb says, you are a spring chicken. So, give it up, what did you shoot?
Every year I run a 10k. The recovery takes longer each time. I refuse to give up on it. I am glad you participated. The only thing worse than playing badly is not playing at all.
YES! There are things that used to work a certain way and they don't work that way anymore... whether in bsiness or physical body wise.
These 10 pounds that have "sneaked" up on me during the last 8 years would have been gone by now if it were 30 years ago. But it seems to be stuck tight at this time in life. UGH!
Richard, while I am not a golfer, my husband is. He also has osteo-arthritis in his knees. He loves the game and tries to play once a week. He's in his early 60's and it's getting more and more difficult for him to play. So I know of what you speak.
That's just your body telling you it enjoyed itself Richard and wants to do it again. It won't hurt so much next time!
Oh my goodness!
I'm on my way this a.m. to the gym for a workout with my trainer. I know full well that, at my decrepit age, if I don't work these old muscles and bones, that they will fail me.
So, I work them.
So far, it's working.
Richard, I'm not a golfer, but my friends tell me that a bad day on the golf course still beats a good day in the office. I hope you still had fun.
Richard:
You have written previously about your love for golf. I know it is tough to get back into it but your body and your heart need an outlet. Particularly one that you love. Just take baby steps to get back into it.
And, please - late fifties is still young!
Richard - Swing away when golf is concerned. And swing away in all aspects of the game of exercise. It's fun when you get the hang of it.
I planted a huge garden at our new house and my back ached for about two weeks. Yep vanity is a hard thing to defeat.