In the Books

Week one is in the books.  Untold discs have been thrown and steps have been walked in pursuit of the dream -- competing in the 2014 PDGA Amateur World Disc Golf Championship.  Today Danny and I got to the park early to play a round.

It's always so exciting watching my son throw his drive.  He has a knack for throwing a perfectly straight drive just to the exact right point when the disc fades to the right or left depending on which is appropriate for the hole.  He has such an innate understanding of what disc to throw and how to get the most yardage out of it.

Today the weather held just the hint of fall.  It was a little cooler, with a little breeze, and plenty of sunshine.  Once the extra humidity gets out of the air, we will be in some of the prettiest weather of the year.  I have four weeks to get in practice before the park closes two hours earlier as daylight saving time ends. After that I'll be limited to practicing only on the weekends.  But there will be plenty of things to do until the park hours get extended again in April, such as....

• Putting!  Throw for show, putt for dough!  That's what Danny says.  We have two disc baskets in our yard.  Even when it gets dark earlier, it will be light enough to get in plenty of putting practice.  Danny and his friend used to do it for hours in the backyard.  I think that's how he got so good.  He can easily sink a putt from 30 or 40 feet.  My putting circle is closer to 15 feet.  Clearly some practice in this area will be helpful.
  
• Walking!  Disc golf is all about being able to walk a long way.  Some courses, especially at Worlds, can be very long.  Sometimes ball golf courses are converted to disc golf courses during Worlds.  That's what happened last year in Emporia, KS.  So, it is helpful to be able to easily walk long distances.
  
• Weight training! I've begun working with weights to increase my strength.  Like everything else, it's a slow methodical process.  Thankfully, Danny has been doing weight training for over a decade now, beginning with all those years of year-round swimming.  He knows what needs to be done, and how to get the maximum benefit from lifting.  He also has a creative mind which helps figure out ways to lift that can be done at home, with minimal equipment.
  
• Flicking!  I'm also going to continue to practice my flick shot.  There is a middle school near my home with a nice large field that generally goes unused at the hours when I get home from work.  I see regular trips to this field during the winter months.

Some days it seems that all I think about is this training process while getting ready for Worlds.  We talk about our trip a lot in our family.  I think it is part of the fun to have something big to look forward to as we go about our normal daily routines.

One week down, 42 more to go.....