I gave up regular golf because of the time it took.  Four+ hour rounds became something of a chore and I found that I wasn’t enjoying it as much as something that takes that much time should. When you add in the two to three hours a week at the practice range, time well spent to help alleviate the frustration of a bad round I was spending up to eight hours playing golf a week.

Yes, the camaraderie was good, and the time outside, when wearing sunscreen, was reasonably healthy; and the beers after was soooooooo refreshing, but still 8 hours?

So now I am back to running.  I ran in high school: cross country in the fall, 2 mile indoor in the winter (39 laps around the gym) and the 1 mile outdoor track. In fact the teacher I remember most from high school was my indoor track coach, Mr. Langone.

I ran recreationally in the ’70s and 80’s, jogging it was called then.  I was reasonably fanatical about it.  I ran during lunchtime at work, or in the evening. I probably did that for 5-6 years and then a partially torn Achilles tendon but the kabash on it.

I followed doctor’s orders and rehabilitated the tendon and then was told that getting back into running would require 10-15 minutes of stretching before and after the run and I just never got back into it.

On and off I would hit the fitness kick, and do Stairmaster or whatever, but nothing beats being outside enjoying the fresh air, the seasons, the sensations of being on the road.  I could never do treadmills.  Every step is the same as the last one and it get boring quickly.  When I ran in the 70s and 80 I was living in Cincinnati and so the hills there  made for a decent variety of paces and workouts, and no two steps were the same.

Now I’m up to running 5 miles a day for 5 to 6 days a week.  I’m not running at the pace I was 30 years ago, but I feel that I am doing at least average for my age.

Now I’m spending at least 8 hours on running or running related activities a week, what with warming up and cooling down and the actual run.  Isn’t that amount of time on one activity the same as golf was?  Yes, it is spread out over the week, and except for snow or heavy rain I am not deterred, but I do find that I sleep better at night, I look healthy, because we all know that runners are the healthiest group of injured people around, and I feel better.

Yes, thinking about it, I would rather spend the time running (actually jogging) that golfing.

 

 

 

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