Golfing 2018 - Aim to lose 4 shots off my hcp!

Well, my bucket list of 2016 stated a goal of a max of 15 handicap.  I am so far from achieving that goal in 2018!  What went wrong? I mean I play, I thought I have been practicing.  Last season I was cut 3 shots. 

So either my ambition was unrealistic or the dedication to achieving this goad was vastly underestimated.  I think the latter....

Well,  2018 is going to be the year where I make significant advances towards achieving that goal. 

Here is the aim/plan:

Consistent Bogey Golfer Aim: (the "CBG")

1) No three putts;
2) Hit the Fairway 80% of the time; and
3) No triple bogeys or worse on any hole (not one)!

On my mediocre days:

Score 5 or better on par 4's;
Score 6 or better on par 5's; and
Score 4 or better on par 3's. 

That equals a score of 90.  If I can do this and I will be a CBG!  The aim is to better, but not force myself to do so and then break rule 3 (see above).

Practice Plan:

Go back to basics (month 1):

Week 1 - work on my grip and impact position.  I need to feel the impact position again
Week 2-  work on my weight transition during the back swing to downswing  (step through)
Week 3- work on tempo (Tick-Tock)
Week 4 - Put the last three weeks together. 

The fairways are wet, wet, wet so off to the range to do the drills!

I will report on my progress...

My Bucket List (editing  for 2018- How have I done?)

Highlighted in Blue is before 40 years old

Highlighted in Pink is before 50 years old

1. Have a holiday home abroad
2. Learn a new language
3. Go on holiday to New Zealand
4. Buy a property -Achieved
5. Swim with dolphins
6. Drive Route 66
7. Run my own business -Achieved
8. See the Egyptian Pyramids
9. Go to South America
10. Visit Venice -Achieved
11. Go up the Empire State Building/ Visit New York -Achieved
12. Go to Grand Canyon
13. Go whale watching
14. Climb Kilimanjaro-Achieved
15. Visit the Vatican -Achieved
16. Learn an instrument to grade 8
17. Work in a different country
18. Float in the Dead Sea- Visit Israel- Achieved
19. Climb the 6 big Mountains
20. Drive a convertible sports car - Achieved own a SAAB 93

21. Retire at 60
22. See the Northern Lights
23. Be a volunteer for a good cause - Achieved
24. Be an extra in a film - Achieved
25. Go scuba diving in the WI
26. Try out Flyboard - Achieved
27. Hold a Lion club
28. Get my name on a honour board - golf club - achieved
29. Visit Cuba
30. Backpack in Asia
31. Own a designer watch
32. Go on a golf holiday (5* all inclusive)- Achieved
33. Run a big race
34. Be debt free by 60 (no mgt)
35. Get my golf handicap to a max of 15
36. Publish my photograph book
37. Ride a Elephant
38. Go on a safari -Achieved
39. Have a Buy to let property -Achieved
40. Have natural long hair - arm pit length

An Odd Encounter!

As I pulled up outside my front gate in my car ready to unload my bags of soil from my numerous Homebase shopping sprees (renovating the garden from top to bottom)  I noticed an elderly black lady smiling at me .   An old Caribbean lady, a grandmother, a type of women that reminds you of your grandmother! 

As I noticed her I thought ‘hmm’,  the night before I saw another elderly grandmother type who smiled at me in Tesco, and the day before that  I noticed one on the street. Each smile from these various ladies bidding for my fleeting attention!  I thought to myself here we go... 'Someone' really wants to get my attention!

 As I glanced at her to give her my undivided, but brief attention, she started to talk to me.  “What area are we in here” she asked me.  I replied “Wanstead”, “oh I thought so",  she replied.  Our conversation continued as she enquired about why did they let the local Baptist church building  go into ruins! I started to take note of this lovely women as the more I spoke to her, her mannerisms and looks resembled by now deceased Grand- mother. It was like the Baptist church was an analogy for the state of my faith!

I asked her where she is from, “Jamaica”, she replied.  I responded with “hmm your accent isn’t too strong” , she replied “I come and go”.  She continued to tell me that I must do the same when I reach age, 'come and go'.    As she continued she challenged me to "Put my life in order" .  So as this lovely conversation continued she moved on to counsel me.  She spoke as the wisest Grandmother sharing with me her wisdom.  She counselled me on life, love, religion, relationships, money, attitude and progress.  She hugged me repeatedly (I hugged a complete stranger, but she felt like my Grandmother by this time)  and she asked me to put the following things in order:

·        Marriage, love the man with my head and not my heart! If the man plays up put him out and make do (was not on my agenda at all)
·        Children- one or two.  I must have!!  (was not on my agenda at all)
·        House back home in the Caribbean so I can come and go home.
·        Church in my heart- not in a particular faith, but 'worship' in my heart.
·        To do the best I can do in everything and keep one eye open. Be smart!

She told me to thank God for my stupid years.  The years of 20-35years old she said these are essential times.  We need these years to live on, but no excuses now for stupid behaviour.  It is time to have order!

 She laughed with me and asked me my name... I replied “XX Mapp”. She laughed at my response and said “Map it out”.

So I called my parents to tell them of this encounter  and as they listened they reminded me of my purpose, my background and my upbringing!

#Teach a child the….
# Hardened not your heart....
#Speak Lord for your....

A New Start- No More Refined Foods

Well, after the epic journey up Kilimanjaro in January 2012 my aim was to complete further high altitude climbs in 2013.  Unfortunately, my plans were thwart!  WHY? WEIGHT GAIN through bad eating habits and limited physical exercise.

 With a renewed focus in October 2013 I took a long look at my mountaineering ambitions.  On November 1st 2013 I started a new way of living--- No more refined foods! WHY? In one word 'Sugar'

 It is has been claimed by US Health experts that "Sugar is so harmful that it should be controlled and taxed in the same way as tobacco and alcohol,” Researchers say that sugar indirectly contributes to 35 million deaths a year worldwide.

US health scientists, have argued that there has been a massive rise in diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes since we began eating more sugar contained in processed food.  Researchers (who published this article (Sugar 'is toxic and must be regulated just like cigarettes', claim scientists) argue that many of the health effects of excess sugar consumption are similar to those of alcohol, and that sugar should, therefore, be controlled and taxed in a similar way. They advocate introducing a tax on processed foods with added sugar, limiting sales during school hours and placing age limits on purchase. Sugar has been rated as more dangerous to health than saturated fat and salt, which the heath researchers call dietary “bogeymen”.

Why do they think sugar is dangerous?

The authors say that although sugar is described as “empty calories”, a growing body of evidence suggests that fructose (one component of table sugar) can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases. “A little is not a problem but a lot kills – slowly,” they say.

The authors argue that sugar meets all the four criteria used by health policy makers to justify the regulation of alcohol. These are:

Unavoidability. While sugar was only available as fruit and honey at certain times of the year to our ancestors, it is now present in nearly all processed foods. In some parts of the world people are consuming more than 500 calories worth of sugar per day.

Toxicity. There is growing evidence that excess sugar has an effect on human health beyond simply adding calories and can cause many of the same problems as alcohol, including high blood pressure, high blood fats, insulin resistance and diabetes.

Potential for abuse. The authors argue that, like tobacco and alcohol, sugar acts on the brain to encourage dependence. Specifically, it interferes with the workings of a hormone called ghrelin (which signals hunger to the brain) and it also affects the action of other important compounds.

Negative impact on society. The economic and human costs of these diseases place excess consumption of sugar in the same category as smoking and drinking.

What does this mean for me?

I really took a look at my eating habits and using myfitnesspal iphone app I started to log all my foods.  I started an eating habit of  ' if you can't pick it, if it doesn't grow and if it doesn't move' then don't eat it.' This meant that bread, pasta and all other refined foods were out. My result after one week (including every other day 5K runs) was 12lbs of weight loss.  What was most alarming was that I cut my calories intake to 1400 calories a day and yet I was struggling to eat so that I ate that many calories.   

 

With the every other day runs and the ' if you can't pick it, if it doesn't grow and if it doesn't move' then don't eat it’ my mountaineering dreams are back on track! Additionally, my skin, my hair, my health, my sleep patterns, my concentration have drastically improved…

Try the new eating regime ….