Training Log Archive: PG

A rather strange day on the links today. Played in the Mass Senior Games, a rather low-key event, only about 35 participants in the golf, but at a very nice course, so I figured why not. Got to the course, find out the playing partner I'm sharing a (required) cart with has just arrived, but no hurry, he's had a fall.

Yup, a fall, and this isn't even out on the course, just in the parking lot. Must have tripped on a curb, tore his pants, a scrape on his forehead. But's he's good to go, except he also seems a little spacy. And we chat going over to the range and at some point he lets on he had a heart attack of some sort a week ago, and I think a stent put in. And the doctor said golf was OK.

So we hit some balls to warm up, and then we're heading back the 30 yards to the cart and he stops because he says he's feeling light-headed. And I ask him for the first of many times, Are you sure you should be playing?

No problem, he says, just have to be a little careful. And about then he discovers he left his putter at home. And then he asks me if I have one of those little eyeglass repair kits, because he banged his glasses when he fell and they aren't staying on right. Can't help him there, though he does borrow a putter from the pro shop.

Off we go along with two other OFs. My partner manages pretty well, but things are still strange. On maybe the fourth hole he says he got a 6, and then adds that he's never had a 6 before -- this being so implausible I assume it's not a lie but a reflection on his current mental health. And when I correct him and say he actually got a 7, he says, well, he's definitely never had a 7 before.

And he is slowly but steadily doing worse. Walking very slowly. Complaining of terrible thirst (and when we get to a cooler, he polishes off a bottle very quickly). Not seeing very well or judging distance well, he can't tell on the green who is away. And I suggest more than once that it might be a good idea to go in. Because I'm afraid he's going to croak right in front of me.

On the 7th he buries a ball deep in the woods. Never lost a ball before, he says. Huh?

On the 8th and 9th I suggest several times that it's probably a good idea to just play 9, and gradually he seems to be coming around to the idea, especially as his golf is getting worse and worse, and he has stopped more than once what he was doing to complain about being light-headed.

The 9th can't come soon enough. A couple of passable shots and then he has a carry of 100 yards over a marsh, and in two tries he doesn't come close, and then he just says that's enough. And I drive him back to the pro shop and get someone to help him, and hopefully check him out before he goes to drive home.

Strange. And actually quite a nice fellow too. Under most circumstances I would have felt very put upon to have to deal with him, but I guess I was concerned enough about his well-being (and really not wanting him to die right then and there), that it kept me rather mellow. And after 9 holes my own score was in fact even par.

But that reflects strange item #2. Because they were putting a bunch of OFs on a rather hard course, and because this was a qualifier for making the National Senior Games next year in Cleveland and there was a fixed score for each age group for making it, well, the way they figured out to make this course the appropriate difficulty was to have us play from the forward tees, what used to be called the ladies tees. And the course was really short. I think just under 5,000 yards, with the front 9 the short half. So even par was good, but not unreasonable.

I dropped my partner off and then went back to start the back 9, and I had an ominous feeling that my partner had in fact been my good luck charm, but now I was on my own. But my good fortune/play continued but for a three-putt double bogey at the 11th and a while later I was standing in the middle of the 14th fairway, one over for the day, 75 yards to the green, and then it all fell apart. Laced a low hard one over the green into the tall weeds, and by the time we were done an hour later I had gone 36-47, the cut-off for Cleveland being 81. I hadn't wanted to go to Cleveland, but....

I guess some people orienteer like that, good, good, good, good, disasters. I guess I should be thankful it generally only happens to me in golf, and not in O' too. And I guess it must be hard-wired. I will never be any good at golf, not that I will stop trying because the moments of fun are so much fun, just as some people will never be any good at O', not that they will stop trying either. And at least in golf, so far, and in contrast to my running ability in O' which has gone to hell, the ball still goes just as far as ever, though that will come to a stop before long. Best enjoy it while I can.

C • good, good, goood, disaster 6

Late afternoon jog up to the power line and back. A little quicker than before, but still being careful. Legs felt OK.

Saw that bulletin 3 for WMOC is out, lots of info plus start lists. Got me in the mood to study some German sprint courses, plus some time looking at Google maps of Goslar.

And looked up a little history, been 6 years since I've gone to WMOC, last time was in 2006 in Austria when I was average age for the class (62). This year I've above average (68). If you don't think every year matters, some day you will.

And this will be the first year I've been to a WMOC with a sprint. Will be interesting. And stressful. There was an article in the WSJ today about anxiety, finished up with the following --

Anxiety is especially self-defeating when people focus on the fear itself, rather than the task at hand. The best way to stay in the "sweet spot," Dr. Moser says, is to channel the anxiety into productive activity—like studying and acing the test. "I tell a lot of my patients that Nike really has a great slogan—Just Do It," he says.

Turning anxiety into action is also a major component of cognitive behavioral therapy, which is widely seen as the most effective treatment for anxiety disorders. Identifying and challenging self-defeating thoughts, and gradually facing the source of fears, can provide more lasting relief than antianxiety medications, psychologists say.

"If you have to take Xanax to get on the elevator, you never learn that the elevator isn't something to be afraid of," says Dr. Josephson. "You have to embrace the anxiety to overcome it."

That is often how psychologists help performers overcome stage fright or athletes snap out of a slump. Relaxation techniques such as meditation and deep breathing can bring a toxic level of anxiety down, but harnessing it can ultimately be more effective. Rehearsing a scenario repeatedly can help manage and defuse the fear.

"We'll say to athletes, 'You're going to be anxious. Great. Channel it and use it," Dr. Josephson says. "Being willing to feel some anxiety and not running away from it is huge."

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And I'm going to have to do the whole thing without my GPS....

C • No GPS 1

C • Channelling 1

Just wondering if anyone knows of any plans for next year's Billygoat?

River Road - Old Deerfield loop, breeze out of the south so working harder on the way back. Nice day, lots of bikers out.

Event: WCOC Summer Picnic
 

Sprint B at Ratlum Mountain. Run sprints there quite a few times and this was probably the most enjoyable -- short and not much laurel.

Had a good run. Trying to start out at a reasonable pace (not too fast) and then keep going, felt OK going up the hill at the end.

And then sprint A, not a good run, though not for lack of trying. Three rather hard falls (in just 12 minutes!), plus sloppy going into 3, and then missed 4, and then sloppy leaving 5, and then went the wrong way on the trail for a few seconds. Only saving grace was a good effort running up the hill at the end.

And then hanging around afterwards for a long time, lots to eat, including some special spicy meatballs made by Jim Henderson and an almond rhubarb crisp made by Marie Arnesen, both delicious. Ate too much, of course. And then chatting on the deck about O' past and future.

And then, because we were pretty close, the weekend visit to mom, and then driving home quite late. But that means I get to stay home Sunday night. :-)

Down to Hadley to pick up new glasses.

93-29-0-23. Quite awful. Lost the match P/P vs. John after tying yesterday.

Got the following e-mail this morning, passed it on to Ken. Did everyone/anyone else get it too?

Dear Manager,

(If you are not the person who is in charge of this, please forward this to your CEO,Thanks)

This email is from China domain name registration center, which mainly deal with the domain name registration in China. We received an application from Hansen Ltd on June 11, 2012. They want to register " attackpoint " as their internet keyword and China/Asia (CN/ASIA) domain names. But after checking it, we find this name conflicts with your company. In order to deal with this matter better, so we send you email and confirm whether this company is your distributor or business partner in China or not?

Best Regards

John
General Manager
Shanghai Office (Head Office)
3002, Nanhai Building, No. 854 Nandan Road,
Xuhui District, Shanghai 200070, China
Tel: +86 216191 8696
Mobile: +86 1870199 4951
Fax: +86 216191 8697
Web: www.ygnetworkgroup.com

C • scam 1

Woods roads in Wolfeboro, gorgeous morning, clean air, and still too early for the FDFs. Legs felt reasonably spry, combination of the cool air and not having run for a while. 24:44 up, 22:14 back.

Now off for another round with Peter, also his John who plays the game the way it ought to be played. Whereas yesterday I played the way it ought not to be played. 89-27-0-21.

Took the 305 out on the links, except I forgot to start it until after hitting my second shot on the first, and forgot to stop it until we were driving away. 86-28-2-23, finishing with a 9.... :-(

Interesting to look at the route with the satellite view.