Have you ever???

Have you ever had a workout that was truly amazing. One that was not much different than any other day... But for some reason your mind just started making sense of everything and a you finished with a new found motivation and direction??? My run this afternoon was that workout.

I'm not sure what triggered it. Could it have been the typical mundane routine at the office? Or maybe the inspiring race report from my good friend Jackie? The chance conversation with the concierge in my building who just returned after being out for many weeks that was the result of heart disease and emphysema? Visiting with my family this holiday season and seeing my mom's 90 lbs weight loss; or my dad trying to figure out how to live forever?

Whatever it was this afternoon's run was amazing. It occurred to me that I have all the tools needed to change my life the way that I want. I have completed a 500 hour course in personal training, and know how to design workouts and nutrition/meal plans, I have the determination to finish races, which is evidenced by this last year of racing. I have an eagerness to improve. And finally I have some good friends that will support me along the way.

This workout couldn't have come at a better time. It's the end of one year, and the start of a new one. I anticipate this year to be an awesome adventure, highlighted by some amazing times.

I feel blessed. For the first time in a long time I find myself talking passionately about something that interests me a great deal. Triathlon. Yes, things are missing in my life. I'm 33 and single, with no signs of that changing; working a job that just feels like work everyday, and having to make some tough decisions regarding friends, and what constitutes a friend to me, and how I can be a better friend to some amazing people.

I have my work cut out for me. This weekend I will sit down and work out a nutrition plan and finish up my workout schedule through Ironman Arizona. I am ready for the challenge, open to the idea of someone to share the adventure with, and just enjoying the hell out of life.

2011 is going to be the year...

2010 is winding to a close and it was a hell of a year. I did 3 marathons, 2 Ironman, a half Ironman, the Urbanathlon in Chicago, the Army 10-miler, a few Olympic distance triathlons, 2 sprints, and started the year with the JFK 20k. It was an awesome year. :) But I feel I didn't live up to my full potential. My diet and nutrition were all out of whack and I think my training suffered from it.

So the goal for 2011 get my diet and nutrition on track. A big piece of that is to cut out the beer, wine, margaritas and all other delicious beverages that are best consumed with reckless disregard for moderation. The question this raises is... How does one be social without drinking? I'm sure it can be done. It may be my greatest challenge, but if I can get the support of my friends... And break out of my shell it should be a good year.

If I can keep on track, slim down I hope by November I will be ready for an awesome race at Ironman Arizona. And who knows... I may be racing Kona in October (depending on the lottery drawing in April), so I need to be ready so I don't make a fool of myself.

2011 is going to be the year that I am the person I want to be; not just settle for hangin out, having fun, and suffering through some of the longer races.

Hope y'all support me.

First long ride in awhile...

I'm back at it and made it through the first week of training. Missed one workout on Wednesday... But hit the rest of them. All in all it was a good week. Somehow the bike is the hardest for me to get back into. But I did a two hour ride this morning. It was easy, in the living room, but it was time in the saddle.

Now my goal is to figure out the schedule. I'm hoping to start getting to bed early enough so I can get up at 4 to get my workouts in. Cause I really hate working late. We'll see how it goes.

I think my biggest challenge this season, as with any year, is the diet. I need to focus on slimming down, and will look at cutting out booze here shortly. I think if I do that, and pay closer attention to what I eat when I go out... Along with doing more dinners at home.

Along with trying to fit in some good training this winter, I'm also going to try to take up down hill skiing. I don't think I have been since I was 6 or so... So it should be interesting. Let's hope I don't break anything.

So that's the plan. We'll see how it goes.

Boredom can be a dangerous thing...

So... It's a Tuesday night and instead of doing homework I started thinking of the coming year. A few hours ago I was only signed up for the Chicago Triathlon, an Olympic distance race, the end of August; and the Ironman Arizona. As it turns out I'm not good with an idle mind. I started thinking...

What to do... What to do???

I was kind of toying around with signing up for the Escape from Alcatraz Tri in June. Or at least signing up for the lottery which opens December 1st. But... I'm already signed up for 1 lottery, and figure one is enough for this year. So... If I get chosen in that lottery I'll be going to Kona for Ironman in October. If I don't go... Then Ironman AZ will be my only Ironman next year.

Since I decided: Maybe I should swim around Key West. And low and behold there's a race. Well, I actually heard about it a few months back, and it's been in the back of my head since I did.

Bored, not wanting to do homework has lead me to sign up for a 12.5 mile swim. Ummm.... Yeah!!! This was only two glasses of wine into the evening, so I have no excuse. Maybe I can blame the not swimming for a month, I took two weeks off from training after the race; then the tattoo took me out of the water for another two weeks. So. this Sunday I'll be jumping back in the pool.

So along with a few Olympic distance tris, and a half marathon in the spring, the culminating point of my spring season will be this TWELVE and a half mile swim around Key West.

I just hope I can find someone to Kayak for me. Oh, and that I don't get eaten by a shark!! :|

I'm scarred for life...

Or at least branded. With two Ironman races under my belt; I decided to go ahead and get the Ironman logo on my left calf surrounded by waves, a chainring, and a stretch of road to symbolize triathlon.

The tattoo was a few months in the making. I went in for my consultation in September, scheduled my appointment for October; that got canceled and rescheduled for two weeks later. Last Tuesday I went for my appointment and the concept designed by my tattoo artist was not what I had imagined. So... The appointment was rescheduled again; but we did spend some time talking about what I really wanted. So I went back on Saturday for a four hour session and walked out branded for life. Going into the session my tattoo artist had told me swimming had to be put on hold for a two weeks... THEN two hours into the tattoo he said "oh, and um... running and biking should probably be put on hold for a couple weeks too."

I said "ok" but in my head I was screaming WHAT!!! I took two weeks off after the Marine Corps Marathon, and now I have to wait another two weeks. UGH! But I'm going to wait it out, with a few light runs here and there and a couple real easy bike rides.

The good news is... My big race is 365 days a way, so I have time to train and get ready after this latest break in training. That big race IRONMAN ARIZONA! WOOT WOOT!. MERRY CHRISTMAS to me. I'm super excited for training for this race. I'll be done with school by then and I will be able to focus on the training.

In the meantime while I wait to kick off this training, I am finishing up my second to last semester, and finalizing my training plan for next year.

I just wanted to give an update since getting back in the saddle got put on hold a bit.

Till next time... Thanks for stopping by.

Time to get back in the saddle...

I have not been on my bike since the Giant Acorn Sprint triathlon the first weekend in October. Where I placed first in my division. What a great way to finish the season. The rest of October I concentrated on running and prepping for the Marine Corps Marathon, which I'm very happy with my improvement, and these past two weeks I took a much needed two week break from all training. Though the break was much needed, it will also be a tad difficult to get back into my training. But I think I'm in a good position to have a very successful training season.

I say I should be successful, because I've designed my training plan for the next 53 weeks. UGH!! What a pain in da butt. But it's done!! Well... Kinda. For the most part. I also joined a new gym which is where I hope to do most of my swimming, in an effort to save some money. The hurdle that I'm still grappling with is whether or not I will renew my membership with Team Z??? The comradery, SAG support on long rides, and race support I think almost make it worthwhile... But if I'm not planning on using the race plans the coach puts together... I wonder if it really is worth it. I'm leaning toward yes.

So... The goal is to work out Tuesday thru Sunday and taking Monday off. Most days will have two workouts a week. And I've yet to decide if my "winter focus" is going to be a marathon, or just a half. It kind of depends on if I change my spring focus to be a half Iron vs. an Olympic distance. We'll see. I think my biggest challenge will be the diet. I'm trying to work on that too. The goal is to loose 22 lbs (ish) by March. Totally doable if it weren't for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all the yummy food. But I'm going to give it a shot.

I got my alarm set for 4, plan to be at the gym shortly there after, and hope to be at work by 7 ish. Wish me luck.

Why Average Matt???

I've gotten a few questions about my blog title "Average Matt the Triathlete." Some asked, Average? Why not Ironman Matt or IronMatt. Both catchy, and tempting... But truth is. I'm just an average guy that happened to do two Ironman races (so far).

Maybe I have a different definition of average than some people. But to me... Average means something that everyone can do. And I believe that anyone can do Ironman. Many have no desire, some have commitments and time constraints that won't allow them to do the training. But if someone has the desire and the dedication to training they will be able to do the Iron distance triathlon. It may take a few years of conditioning, a few attempts at the race, but I believe it can be done. Don't get me wrong... Ironman is NOT easy.

So... I went from being an artsy kid in high school, never playing many sports after about the sixth grade or so. To joining the military after my first year of college. I used to hate running, then started running with Dalia in Germany. Now she was a runner, I just tried to keep up. Once I left Active Duty, I sat on my ass a whole lot. Enjoyed time not working and bellied up to the bar on a regular basis. Work, eat, drink, hangout with friends, sleep... All very typical activities that I think define me as an average, regular, everyday kinda guy.

Then one 4th of July, shortly after I moved to DC, my friend Mr. Parker told me of this race he was planning to do. It was the Urbanathlon in New York City. This was a 6 ish mile run that started in Central Park, ran down the west side of Manhattan, had a 52-story stair climb, and finished by leaping over a taxi, climbing an 8 foot wall and crossing the finish line in Battery Park. So anyway.... My friend Cody said he was signing up for this race. It planted the seed in my head, which somehow grew despite the amount of beer consumed that morning, afternoon, and evening. I got home, and the next day I looked up the race on the website. They had something like a 60-day training plan on the website. I did the math, and it was 60 days exactly between when I was reading the plan, and race day. So I signed up.

Cody and I trained throughout the summer, and we did the race in September. Sometime that cold morning in the pre-dawn hours in Central Park, I got bitten by the racing bug and I've been doing races ever since.

Sorry, I went off on a tangent...

So my point is... I'm an average guy that is now addicted to running and races. I somehow manage to squeeze in time to train amidst school, work, Army training, and some remnance of a social life. I do not have a natural ability at any of the three disciplines, I try to train equally in all of them. Though I'm going to try this year to buckle down on my diet, and ramp up the training a bit more. There's nothing I'm doing, that someone else couldn't do. That's why I chose Average Matt the Triathlete for the name of my blog. Cause in my mind... I'm just like everyone else. :)

Triathlon is Awesome!!!

So.... I'm not new to triathlon, been doing it for about two years and finished two Ironman competitions within the past year. A year ago I spectated at my first Ironman, and two days ago I saw my friend Jackie cross the finish line (and at random spots along the course) at her first Ironman.

It is an amazing sport, and I love the Ironman distance. Maybe not so much doing the run after 112 miles. It just hurts! But the sport as a whole is amazing. Sprints for me seem too short. But that may be because I didn't do my first sprint until the weekend after my first Ironman.

Now I'm approaching the off season and compiling a training/race plan for next year. I amd trying to approach the season in a more methodical manner; instead of signing up for all the races, I am planning my training first, and then identifying races that coincide with my training plan. The exception is signing up for the Ironman Kona Lottery. I hope to qualify for the race one day, but couldn't pass up the opportunity.

So... As I enter into my second recovery week I know that the next year will be busy. My focus is to slim down, focus on Olympic distance in the Spring, and get into IMAZ for 2011.

My goal is to use the blog to talk about my training, diet, races, and any tips and tricks I learn along the way. We'll see how it goes. With any luck it'll be more successful than my diet log. :-/