I'm starting to get back into my routine.

Yesterday I walked for the third straight day, and I covered nine miles. Today I didn't feel as much like just walking, so I went out on the golf course -- without a cart. I decided I would try to play 18 holes walking, which I haven't done in at least 15 years.

As it turned out, I didn't do it, but it wasn't for lack of effort. It just took too much time to play nine holes. I usually get through 18 holes here in less than three hours, but walking the course -- which is fairly stretched out -- it took me about two hours and 40 minutes just to cover the front nine.

So I stopped after nine holes, since it was about 6:15 p.m. and I had told Nicole I would be back by about 6:30 or 7.

[caption id="attachment_938" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Out for the afternoon."]<a href="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/20110314_2.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-938" title="20110314_2" src="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/20110314_2-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" /></a>[/caption]

The strange thing was, after a weak start, I played pretty well. I double-bogeyed two of the first three holes. The long par four that starts the course and the first of the par fives are two of the tougher holes, but after that I did really well. I had parred the second hole, and I then parred four of the last six and bogeyed the other two.

Five pars on a side is pretty special for me, and even with the two double bogeys, I was pleased to be just six over par for the round -- shooting a 42.

What was really fun about it was that I was putting great. I made four or five putts of six feet or longer, including a 15-footer and a 20-footer to save two pars. Maybe I'm getting past the difficulty I've had with short putts the last few years. That would certainly be nice.

Best, though, was the exercise. I don't carry my clubs. I've got one of those wheel things so I can pull them around, with with all the hills on the course, that still makes for a pretty good workout.

Another couple of days and I should be back under 200.

Then I can start feeling better again.