What charity should I raise money for???

The off season training is winding down, and I'm back at it and my race calendar is filling up...

Last year I ran for a cause. The cause was the Wounded Warrior Project, and the race I did was the Marine Corps Marathon. With the help of my friends and family we raised $2145 for soldiers injured while serving this awesome country.

That was the second race I did that I raised money for charity. But it was the first that I did that didn't require me to. I decided a few months before the Marine Corps Marathon that I would dedicate one race a year to raising money for charity.

This year the event I picked to do for charity is my 12.5 mile swim around Key West. It takes place June 4th. http://www.swimaroundkeywest.com/

Now that I have the event picked, I need to identify a charity to raise money for. Since I am calling on all my friends and family to support this charity, I am reaching out to you to help identify a cause for me to race for. You can comment on the blog, reach out to me on facebook, or send me an email, or call me. I will start a list and will race for the charity that most people suggest. I will then keep the list and identify future events to do for the charity you mention.

I love doing events, and hope to be doing them for the next 30-40 years. So send me your suggestions.

I can't wait to see what you come up with.

Matt

What's too sick to train???

This week has been a rough week. My stomach started doing somersaults on Tuesday and has not really stopped since. It has gotten better since Tuesday; the nauseous feeling has pretty much subsided. Now I'm left with little appetite, and a constant churning in my tummy.

On Tuesday there was no question: I was not training, I left work at 0930, and skipped the first day of school because I felt so crappy. Yesterday was also a wash. Speed work was not going to happen because it felt like, and still does, that anything over a certain lackadaisical pace would be too much and cause some unfortunate consequence.

Now I'm wondering. What is too sick to train? Do I need to get myself a doctors note to prove to myself that taking the time to get better is the right approach? OR... Do I get my ass on the bike and in the pool and suck it up and train on? Why does taking time off from training when I don't feel good make me feel worse? Is it not the right thing to do???

UGH!

Oh... And I grabbed the photo from assbach on Flickr

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.