Posts Tagged Goals
New Year Note
Posted by Matt Hoover in General on January 1st, 2010
I am not going to spend a lot of time talking about resolutions today. Everywhere you look and everyone you talk to is going to be telling you how to make and keep resolutions. Just like every other year many people are going to read about resolutions and get all fired up for a solid week or two. Unfortunately, after that short amount of time many people are going to start saying “Well there is always next year.” Have you ever noticed how packed the gyms are the first month of the new year? Have you noticed how spacious the gym feels by the second month?
Here is the deal, all of us know how to make resolutions and all of us know what we need to do to keep them. Very few are willing to do the work that we know we need to do to succeed at what ever we have set out to do in the new year.
When I turned on my computer this morning the lead story on my home page said: Americans look back at difficult decade. That headline is an excellent example of why many don’t suceed at acheiving their new resolutions. They start their year off looking back rather than deciding to move forward. They concentrate on what went wrong rather than looking at where they are today and how they are going to improve.
The new year isn’t an opportunity to go back and fix the events of last year. The new year is an opportunity to begin anew and to do something everyday that is going to make our lives better. This year I want to encourage you to change the words you use as you set out to acheive the goals you have made for this year.
Let’s not talk about all of the things we aren’t going to do and start talking about the things we are. Let me briefly explain why this is so important. If we talk about the things we are not going to do it is easy to beat ourselves up and feel bad when those things happen. When we talk about the things we will do, and then do them, we will be able to speak positively to ourselves and see the progress we are making. The more we see positive results the more we want to continue to experience them.
This year can be a great year! In order for it to be a great year it is up to us to make it happen. Be positive and take action then next year you won’t have to set the same goals that you did this year.
Wake Up!
Posted by Matt Hoover in General on December 17th, 2009
The alarm clock buzzed at 5:30 this morning. It was still dark and I could just feel that it was going to be freezing cold outside. To stop the ringing of the alarm I didn’t just push snooze, I turned it off fully expecting to stay under the warm covers.
I lay there thinking about all the reasons to stay in bed: I am sore and need to recover. I have a little cough, maybe I am getting sick. I’ve worked hard this week, I deserve a day off. No one will notice if I am there or not. I’m not hurting anyone by not going. It’s still dark out!
As you can see, there was no lack of excuses to stay in bed. Then it hit me. In the same amount of time it took for me to think up all of those excuses I could have stood up and got moving. Rather than getting up right then, I started thinking of rebutals to all the excuses I had just made for myself.
I am sore…. So what, if I don’t work through this I will continue to be sore everytime I do these workouts and the fact is that I am going to continue to be sore for a while since I am pushing myself again in wrestling.
I have a cough, maybe I am getting sick…. Maybe I just have a cough. If I get up I will know whether or not I am sick or not. If I don’t get up I will lay here and convince myself that I am sick and waste a whole day.
I deserve a day to rest…… I will get a day to rest on Sunday. I deserve to get up and push myself to improve a little more today!
No one will notice if I there or not….. Actually, my team mates will notice, they will be there putting the work in to become champions and it isn’t fair to them that I “need” a little more sleep. If I am not there the guy I would have worked out with won’t have a partner. Someone WILL notice!
I’m not hurting anyone by not going…. I am hurting someone, myself. I am also hurting my family who allowed me to come here to chase my dream. I am cheating them and myself by not doing what I came here to do!
Next time you are laying in bed making up reasons not to or don’t feel like going to work out, ask yourself if those reasons are really that good or if you should call them what they are. Bad EXCUSES!
Running With Rex
Posted by Matt Hoover in General on December 16th, 2009
This past Sunday our family ran in the Seattle Jingle Bell Run to benefit arthritis. We have done this race for four years now and each year we decorate the stroller to look like Santa’s sleigh and all dress up. Suzy and I go as Mr. and Mrs. Claus and the boys dress as reindeer.
This year Rex decided he was old enough to run himself and didn’t need the stroller. The race is a 5k and Rex is only 2 yrs old but we let him have at it. This was actually his second 5k this year. Last night I was talking to a good friend of mine about the experience.
Rex is an active boy and he loves to run so it was no suprise to us that he wanted to do this on his own. It is so fun to watch him because he has so much fun. He had on a snowsuit and then his costume on top of it so he looked liked that kid on A Christmas Story, if you remember that Christmas classic movie. Rex looked like a little ball going down the road.
He would walk, run, wave at the spectators and other races but he was really having fun. As we hit the 2 mile mark we realized there weren’t very many people around us. In fact, we noticed a police car with flashing lights right behind us. Of the thousands of people, we were pretty much dead last.
As we rounded the last turn we saw the finish line in front of us. Little Rex or “Kid Rex” as he likes to be called since he has informed me he is not a baby anymore, saw the finish and ran the last two blocks as fast as he could. He zigged and zagged all over the road and made sure that he took time to wave at people cheering for him. As I followed behind him pushing our “sled” with his brother, I cheered for him like he did for me numerous times this summer at triathlons.
It was so fun to yell “Go Rex Go!” and see him respond with such joy. When we crossed the line we gave him a high five and told him good job. He was so proud and loves the feeling of running across the finish line. At the age of two Rex is already learning that it is fun to finish what you start.
The race took us almost 2 hours with all of the pit stops and waiting for Rex to explore his surroundings, but we finished. Once again I am reminded that it isn’t always about finishing the fastest, but finishing. The cool thing is that Rex is learning to enjoy exercising and he is learning the importance of finishing the race set before us.
As a very competitve person I am learning from Rex too. I am learning that it is alright to enjoy the journey and take in your surroundings. I am learning that being active as a family and enjoying these moments is more precious than getting to the finish as fast as possible.
This weekend, it really hit home that regardless of your age, it is important to get to that finish line no matter how long it takes or how many pitstops you need to take. I also learned that my son is wise beyond his two years! (A little fatherly bragging)
Kona Ironman 2009 part V
Posted by Matt Hoover in General on October 21st, 2009
When I could finally see the lights of the Energy Lab I began to get excited. I knew that the turn around was near. My excitement faded quickly when I realized that you didn’t just get to the corner and turn around. I had to run down into the area about a mile before the actual turn around. When I hit the turn around Joe and his friend Collin did some quick math. I needed to do under 14 minute miles the rest of the way in to finish. There could be no walking.
I jogged through another ice bath and caught up to another athlete. At the same time I saw him there was a flashing sign that said “Raise the Bar Matt!” I am a member of an awesome tri team in Seattle called Raise the Bar and my local coach Patty Swedeberg must have put that up there for me to see. I was literally getting words of encouragement in the most unlikely places.
After the sign I looked over and noticed that the man next to me wasn’t your typical athlete. He only had one leg and one arm. I realized that I didn’t have much to complain about at that moment. We stayed together for a while before he began to fall back. I found out later that his back began to seize up and he didn’t get to finish.
If it was possible for it to get and darker it sure seemed like it did as I got back on the Queen K to head back to town. At this point I began to pray for strength and an improved attitude. Thoughts began to enter my mind that were not helping my cause. Thoughts like “Hey you tried”, “Maybe that guy was right, you could lose some weight”, “Try again later”, and many others were flowing freely. It’s funny because right as I was starting to let some of those thoughts take hold, Joe said “It’s gonna hurt just as bad if you run or walk and you still have to get back to the finish somehow!” He was right. Even if I gave up right then I would still have to get back to town on my own two feet. I picked up again.
When I was about 3.5 miles out a crowd of people came running out and surrounding me. I couldn’t see who they were, but it turned out to be some of my friends and family. They had come out to encourage me at 11:30 at night in the middle of nowhere. They shouted positive words and stayed right with me. I didn’t show it, but I really appreciated what they did.
As I popped a hill I could see the lights of the finish and the announcer calling out finishers. Joe, who was in front of me yelling and thoroughly pissing me off now was screaming the time I needed to make and I thought to myself “Leave it all out here or you are going to regret this moment the rest of your life!” I took off. I ran as fast as I could, I don’t know where it came from but I know God was moving me forward. I didn’t hurt, my feet didn’t bother me I wasn’t breathing hard, I was just running. I was running to become an Ironman!
As I made the turn onto the famous Alii Drive, there were people lining both sides of the street going crazy. Two little boys ran beside me for a minute screaming that I could do it. I don’t remember much beside thinking “Keep running and don’t thow up right now! Keep running!” I saw the finish shoot and kept going towards it. There are to arches as you come through the chute. I stopped at the first one thinking that was the end. It wasn’t and I took off for the next one, the real finish. I raised my arms as I crossed the line and thanked God for the life I have and all he has done for me.
I looked up at the clock and saw a 16 with some numbers behind it as I fell into my wife’s arms and then sat down. I sat for a moment and then felt amazing. I had just become an Ironman, or so I thought. I got up and walked to the med tent to get some IV fluids. Several of my friends were there telling me what a great job I had done. I still thought I had made the cut-off when I asked where I should pick up my medal. That is when some one said “I don’t think you get a medal Matt, you have to finish under the 17 hrs. You were 17:03.” I was sad for a minute, I thought I had made it and was now an Ironman. I hadn’t.
3 minutes doesn’t sound like a lot. It’s not a lot, but it kept me from being able to call myself an Ironman. Although it kept me from being able to call myself an Ironman, it did not keep me from crossing the finish line like everyone else who did become Ironmen and women. I did the distance!
Over the next couple days I am going to share my thoughts on coming so close, what I really learned, and what’s next. I hope you will come back for what I consider the best part….
Kona Ironman 2009 part II
Posted by Matt Hoover in General on October 18th, 2009
When I woke up on Saturday morning I still wasn’t feeling nervous. There is a certain calm that happens upon you when you know you have prepared the best you can for something and I knew I had done all I could. I knew I wasn’t going to magically become a world-class runner or cyclist in the next few hours before the race so I slept in the car on the way to the race.
We got to the race at around 5 am. I proceeded to the body marking area where I was greeted by the bright lights of an NBC film crew. I got my number marked on my arm, 196. After the body marking I walked over to the bike transition area where I made sure I had enough air in my tires. I did until I turned the bike pump switch the wrong way and let all the air out of my tire! I got it figured out and got my tires inflated to the right pressure.
On the way out of the transition area I felt like something had stung me right in the middle of my back. I walked over to Suzy and asked her if there was anything on my back. She said there was a big bump but neither of us thought much of it. It wasn’t until my coach, Jim Vance, came over and I told him about it that we actually took my shirt off to look. He pulled this huge bee looking thing off me that had gotten trapped inside my shirt and proceeded to sting me a couple more times. I’m not allergic to anything so I think he was more worried than I was.
It was getting closer to race time and it was time for me to head toward the water. I shook Jim’s hand and gave Suzy and the boys a kiss and said “I’ll see you later tonight.” I got my skin suit on, it’s suppose to help you swim faster, and made my way into the water.
When I got into the water I just stood there taking it all in and thanking God for giving me this opportunity. I have wrestled in state, national and world competitions, and none of them compared to the site I was seeing. There were people lined up on the shore for as far as you can see, there were guys jumping out of planes and parachuting into the bay where we were about to swim, there was music so loud it vibrated your heart, and most of all there were over 1800 athletes treading water while getting ready to pursue their goal of becoming an Ironman and I was fortunate enough to be one of them.
I stood there for another minute just taking it all in and believe it or not, I began to tear up. I had such a feeling of pride as I entered the water to begin treading water like everyone else. At this point nobody cared how I got to Kona, or what show I had won, or how big I was, we were all the same in that we were triathletes looking to become Ironmen and women.
After treading water for a few minutes, at exactly 7:00 am on October 10th, 2009 a cannon shook the bay in Kona, Hawaii. When that cannon went off it felt like someone gave me a brief squeeze around the chest and I took off into the churning white water.
I still felt like I was imaging as I took off and then WHAM! I got kicked in the jaw harder than I ever have, then I felt people litterally trying to swim over the top of me. At that moment it became crystal clear that this was different than any other triathlon I had done and that it was time to get serious.
I popped my head out of the water and found what I thought would be the best line for me and I stuck to it. I didn’t do anything mean, but I made sure that I was going to swim my race and held my line the rest of the way. After about 15 minutes things began to thin out and I settled in. My breathing was good and my stroke felt strong. Once I reached the turn around 1.2 miles away, I really began to settle in. I actually began to enjoy the swim. I didn’t feel tired and was seeing beautiful fish and a couple turtles. Once again a calm came over me and I was able to truly enjoy the experience that I was having.
After just over an hour and half I reached the shore again and began my transition to the bike and what was about to become the longest day of riding in my life.
See you tomorrow!
An open letter and the ONLY response to critics!
Posted by Matt Hoover in General on October 17th, 2009
Ben,
Thanks for the heads up, but I will be honest with you. I actually don’t read any forums. If Jim hadn’t forwarded me the email he sent you guys, I would have never even known that anything negative had ever been said about me on your site. I felt like you were very respectful and professional toward me when we interviewed and if you feel like covering my next Ironman when there won’t be any cameras and hoopla, I’d be glad to talk with you.
I’ve been in the public eye for many years now and have learned that no matter the success or the failure, there will be people jumping on the opportunity to bash a perfect stranger. I did the best I could that day and that is all I can do. At the end of the day, the only people I am worried about impressing are God, my family, and my friends. When it’s all said and done, whether I crossed the line at 16:59:59 or at 17:03, they all still love me and that is what is truly important to me.
This year people will be negative toward me and next year those same ignorant people will do it to someone else and no one will be sitting around talking about my performance this year. The cool thing is that the people I met while I was here, amateurs and pros alike were all so nice to me and that is what I am going to take away from this experience. The people screaming for me when I crossed that line, the strangers that ran alongside me down Alii Dr. and the 2 little boys yelling that I could still do it even though time was way past the cut-off. Those are memories that will be with me the rest of my life and as I said to you during our interview, I will never feel bad or apologize for making the most of an opportunity.
I was inspired that day, by the athletes that passed by me, by a stranger that I will never see again with one leg and one arm who was still going at the energy lab even though neither of us were going to be “official” Ironmen, by the people at the aid stations who never let on that I may not even get the opportunity to cross the line, by thousands of strangers screaming as I made the turn toward the finish, and most of all by my coaches, friends, and family who let me beleive I could actually do this and were still proud when I didn’t.
I didn’t do this Ironman to prove to some stranger wrong or right, I did it to prove to myself and others that we can do anything we set our minds to. For all of the negative statements, there are positives. For all of those feeling uninspired by my performance, there are those who will be. I am proud to think that whether I am a real Ironman or not, (I will be when I cross the line under the cut-off at my next one) there may be at least one person who chooses to chase what may seem to be an impossible goal and not quit until they get to the finish line.
Thanks for letting me know, but I am not going to waste a moment of my time trying to change the opinions of others toward me. Triathlon has been a gift in my life as well as my family and we are going to do our best to promote it and all it has to offer in the best light we can for as long as we can. The athletes that are already involved in this sport should welcome all people into the tri-life whether they are fat, skinny, tall, short, fast or slow. You never know, this sport just may be a new lease on life for someone.
Not crossing the finish line under the cut-off in Kona would be far less embarrasing than knowing I turned even one person off to this amazing sport because of my attitude toward them or their appearance. As I said in one of my interviews last week. “You can only make a first impression of someone by their appearance. You can never judge their heart and mind until you give them a chance.”
I firmly beleive that all of us in this great sport should give everybody who wants to, the chance to experience their own victory in our sport.
Have a great day!
Matt Hoover (Almost an Ironman this time!)
Matt Hoover
www.Matt-Hoover.com
www.BodyEvolution.com
Author: Matt Hoover’s Guide to Life, Love, and Losing Weight
Sometimes It’s Hard to See The Shore Through The Waves
Posted by Matt Hoover in General on August 24th, 2009
This afternoon I went for a swim in the ocean. From the bluff we were standing on it didn’t look to bad. There were waves crashing on the shore as you would expect at the ocean but from where we stood it didn’t look that bad once you got out a ways.
Once I got down to the beach I could tell it was choppy but I was still confident that things would calm down once we got further away from shore. The plan was to swim out to some buoys about 1/2 mile off shore. I took off with the guys I was swimming with and encountered exactly what I thought I would, some rough waves. As I continued to swim I realized it wasn’t going to let up.
After swimming a few minutes I stopped to see where the buoys were. I couldn’t see them. In the bottom of the trough there was no sign of any bouys. I could no longer see my goal. At first I was a little nervous. How on earth was I going to get to my goal when I couldn’t see it? I was in the ocean and I couldn’t see where I was going.
As I rose and fell with the sea I realized that when I was on top of the wave I could catch a glimpse of the spot I was aiming for. I knew that if I kept swimming in the right direction and stopped to look for the buoys when I had a chance that I would eventually get there.
I did eventually reach my goal, a half mile out into the ocean. Once I got there I turned around and headed back to shore. It was rough going back too, but at least this time I could see the shore line. I was confident I was going to make it back.
When I got back to shore I realized I had just had an amazing learning experience. There are a lot of times when we seem to be getting tossed around in the ocean of life. Sometimes when the sea is choppy we panick and just try to keep our heads above water. Rather than to keep swimming toward our goal and truly fighting to stay afloat, we will sit and tread water until things calm down.
In this moment we have to trust our ability to swim. The waves may push us or pull us and make it seem like we are going in every direction but forward. This is the time that we need to press on. Keep swimming and look at where you are going when you have the chance. Even though we may not be able to see our destination at the bottom of the trough we have to be encouraged by the fact that once we get on top of the next wave we will be able to catch a glimpse of where we want to go.
Our daily swim in life may not always be in smooth water, but we need to be encouraged by the fact that we have the ability to push on and keep swimming even when it’s tough. When the water is rough, keep swimming!
The only way to reach our goals is to not give in when things get rough!
