More Golf!!

I played 18 hoes of golf yesterday after work.  I really enjoy playing golf mostly because it gets me out into some awesome natural beauty while challenging me as a person and athlete.  It is by far the hardest sport that I have ever undertaken.  Lately, this peculiar game has also challenged me as a person to be honest with myself so that I can grow and improve.  I have learned of late that if you lie to yourself and fudge your way through things, you just can’t really grow or improve at your potential.  You have to know the base line before you can improve it.  This goes the same for weight loss and health.  Maybe you are afraid to go to the doctors because you would rather lie to yourself that you are healthier than you are.  Maybe you don’t weigh or look in the mirror because you prefer to just believe some inaccurate construct that you have in your mind.  This is how I work sometimes at least and because of the crazy game of golf I am trying to change these things in me.  I am trying to get REAL HONEST so that I can know the truth and then work from there.  So although I did not play well yesterday, I kept score precisely according to the rules and shot a 103.  This is a far cry from my “FUDGED” high 80’s scores that I have been getting lately.  Now it was an off day, but it was a real day.  It also took so much pressure off of me to perform beyond what is realistic because I was just letting it be real.  Here are some pics that I took of the beauty.  And oh yeah, I burned around 700 calories because I walked the course this time.  Riding the course burns only around 400 calories per round.  Walking is much better for me.

Best of both worlds.

As the good weather comes in, I am going to be burning some extra calories and getting fit in new ways with the help of my yard.  That’s right, landscaping.  I have a pretty big yard and a landscape plan that encompasses all of it.  It has been requested by some that I post pics of the work that I am doing so every now and then I will do so.  Today is one of those days.  I know it is a bit off topic but the simple fact is that yard work is fantastic for our bodies and it produces a result that improves our lives and the communities that we live in.  So having a nice yard doesn’t just affect me, it affects all the people who see it.  It has the potential to bring peacefulness and inspiration to those who pass by or visit.  This is not about impressing others or keeping up with the “Joneses”.  I truly believe that creating a beautiful scenery is a help to the surrounding community.  Landscaping is the best of both the exercise and community improvement worlds.  Here are some pics.

This is the plan on paper

 All in all, there are many neat things that I will be doing with my landscape.  Many wonderful native plantings as well as ALOT of lawn removal.  I have created all the planting beds now and with the amount of lawn that I removed I have reduced lawn mowing time from about 3 hours to about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

This is th flagstone path that I built

 This is the main flagstone path the I built that runs from my driveway to the rear of the house.  I did this all myself after work in one week.  This was really hard work but not near as hard as creating the beds by removing sod.

This is three of the six 10' cedars for screening

 These trees will provide screening of the neighbors for more privacy.  All in all there will be 29 new trees of various types planted.  I have planted 26 so far.  Trees add structure to a landscape.

This is my back lawn with additional flagstone paths that I built coming off the deck and through the trees on the right.

This is a view of my back lawn from almost the property line.  It is a vary nice and relaxing atmosphere which is my goal for the plan.  Providing beautification and peacefulness to my home is the desired outcome.  Oh yeah, and fun too.  I am hoping that it will be a great place for my future children to play and frolic.

I will keep updating pics as I move along.  My wife takes these pics as you can tell they are of a much higher quality as compared to when I take them. HAHAHA  HAve a great day

How to buy the right running/walking shoes for your feet

My beloved shoes

For any runner, whether they run 100 miles a week or 5 miles a week, shoes are essential.  It is not just the shoes that are essential either, it is the fit of the shoes and the way the feet that use them work.  I did not know this before.  I just went to the most inexpensive and convenient sporting goods store and purchased some shoes.  This is not a good idea.  I know it seems like it is no big deal, but the heavier you are and the more you run, the more important having the correct shoe is.  It is not like the saying, “if the shoe fits….”  It might fit, but it might cause you heart ache as the minutes turn to miles.

Since I started running, I have went through a couple of different types of shoes.  They all seemed good, but as time went one and I found the best shoe for my foot, I realized that the shoe has a big impact on our entire bodies.  I have found that the improper shoes that I used at first made my hips hurt, my toes black, and my ankles sore.  Now I am in shoe heaven with the pair in the picture.  Here is my advice on how to buy shoes that will make your feet happy.

1. Only go to a specialty running shop that is willing to watch you run or walk.  They will do this via a camera on a treadmill or by watching you run down the parking lot.  This is the essential first step in buying good shoes.  These stores know about running and walking so if you are not a runner, don’t worry about that.  They will still have the knowledge and expertise to help you.
2. Bring in an old wore out pair of shoes when you make your first visit to the above store.  The knowledgeable staff at these types of stores will know right away how your foot works by looking at the wear on your sole.
3. Figure out an estimate of how much you run or walk and let them know up front.  Also let them know about you goals so they can get you a shoe that will grow with you.
4. Make sure they measure your feet and buy at least one size bigger than that.  My toes always turned black after long runs or a marathon.  I even bought shoes that were one size bigger.  I found that my feet grow 2 sizes over a 5 hour period of running.  Account for this. 
5. Ask about their return policy.  Where I buy my shoes, if you don’t like them you can bring them back anytime and they will give you a pair that works.  Make sure you let them know exactly what did not work so you save yourself the hassle of another return.
6. Break them in slowly.  This is more of a function of breaking your feet in slowly, but just use them a little bit at a time for the first week.
7. Don’t use them for more the 500 miles or 6 months.  Shoes break down and they will not support you as intended if you use them when they are wore out.  Some shoes (softer ones like mine) may only last 300 miles.

Here are a couple of links to more expert advice on how to fit and purchase running/walking shoes.

About.com’s how-to buy running shoes

Informative article discussing pronation, fit, and how-to

About.com’s how-to buy the best walking shoes for you