I have recently completed the Royal Parks Half Marathon in London. It’s not the first one I have run. I have done 5 halfs and one full marathon.
My recent half marathon experience may help you to understand some aspects of what can happen for golfers!
Leading up to the half marathon I hadn’t done much training….its summer after all, which is a busier time of year for a golf pro. I set aside some time 3 weeks before the run to get some mileage under my belt but then had another 2 busy weeks so only managed minimal amounts of training.
I am a competitive person but I also try to be realistic with my expectations. My personal best is 1:54 and my intention (a few months prior) was to beat that. As I got closer to the run I started to re set my goal. Breaking 2 hours would be acceptable.
On the day it all started nicely. Running past Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and Nelson’s Column was a fantastic experience and what was even better was that the first few miles were feeling good. My legs felt good and the pace was ok. I got to halfway at 1:02 and at that point I made a decision that because I felt good I would push into the next gear and go for a sub 2 hour time.
The end result…….2:07. In the last 3 miles I ran out of steam and my legs were tightening up. It was then a mental battle to keep going and get over the finish line.
The moral of the story is that I got the result I deserved. It was great fun trying to achieve my goal but my body was not willing to cash that cheque!
How does that equate to golf?
Have you ever had a round of golf where you play some great golf for the front 9 but then can’t replicate that on the back 9 and end up over handicap? That feels like my run where I felt good at the halfway point but ran out if steam.
Well, I think the more that you put in, the more you can expect to get out. If you play once a week and didn’t get a chance to practice that week because of work or life then don’t expect to play to your best.
A round of golf is very similar to a half marathon!
neal granville golf 