I am so Fortunate and Blessed

Seven months ago my dear friends drove done from Las Vegas so we could have a weekend filled with golf and catching up. I certainly was pleased to see these dear friends then and today would be a reprise of that weekend. I am blessed with incredible friends both old and new. There is no doubt what I did chase a few of these friends away but through recovery I have so many incredible people in my life and today I spent the day with two of them.

I planned on getting up early so I could get in a run before the day of golf. I had to ascertain a free pass to another local gym because the gym I belong to changed their hours of operation. I needed to get into the gym earlier than the opening time so I found my way to another gym this morning. I woke up at the required time and started my day. I did get in a 20 mile run before the day’s golf game and there are some people who think 20 miles is a long way but the more I run the easier these runs become. It truly is “mind over matter” for me when it comes to these long runs. I do seem to be better with the longer runs as opposed to the shorter runs. I play mind games as I run and it truly is amazing how fast 2 ½ hours goes.

I have figured out the IPod and now have over 300 songs downloaded. Most of these songs are from my personal collection and thanks to my mother I now have a case that affixes to my waistband. I hooked on the IPod and off I went for the 20 mile run. Yes, the time passed so quickly and I felt great as I completed the run. According to the training schedule I have three more 20 mile runs before the marathon but I know I have to run longer than 20 miles since I seem to fade (a great deal) at about mile 22 and beyond. I will adjust the training schedule to get in runs of 22 and 24 miles. I am also toying with the idea of running 28 miles at a much slower pace than normal. I need to get past the “wall” and judging by today’s run I know I will break through the “wall”.

In order for me to receive the guest pass I had to speak with a sales representative about a possible membership. This particular gym is opened 24 hours which does work better for me now that the gym I belong to cut back their hours from being opened 24 hours. My current membership runs until March of next year and I do have an advantageous membership. I did receive prices for a membership to this gym which surprisingly were comparative but there was a significant up-front cost. I don’t remember paying this up-front cost when I joined my gym over 10 years ago and I would have thought that in this economy the costs would be less expensive. Anyhow I do like the fact that the gym is opened 24 hours but it doesn’t make sense to do anything until my current membership expires.

The run was over and I made my way to the golf course. We were playing one of my favorite courses in the area and a course my friends had never played. I had wanted to take them to this particular course for awhile but was never able to make it work. Today we made it work and it was a great day with great friends. The weather was unbelievable for the ladder part of November. The daytime temperatures reached into the 80’s and there was a slight breeze. The weather could not have been any better. I would like to report that my golf game could not have been any better but my golf game could have been much better. I hadn’t played in the past 3 months and I wasn’t at the level of play I had been prior to August. I had many bad shots and some good shots but the day was wonderful because it was spent with two very good friends.

The day seemed to go by so quickly and as soon as we teed off on the first hole we were finishing up on the 18th hole. My friends were staying the weekend and tomorrow we would play again at a different course so they were staying in the area. After coming home and taking a quick shower I made my way to my favorite restaurant in the area for a fabulous dinner with my two friends. The food is so consistent and my friends who are used to fine cuisine really enjoyed their meals as well. This was a wonderful day from beginning to end and I get to do it again tomorrow.