I've just returned to Boston from a great trip home to California with family and friends. I was able to spend some great quality time with my family, get some much deserved rest, was able to get some good workouts in outdoors - something I don't get very often around here. In fact, it was ironic to meet up with some local friends that were trying to find ways of working out indoors because of how "cold" it was and yet I was so excited to get some workouts in on an outdoor track in the "warm" weather. What a difference a year makes.
As great as it is being home around my great family I'm excited to be back and ready to work. The break gave me some good time off and the body feels great. Coming back was a reminder of how lucky I am to have such great facilities here as well. The decision for me to move out here 16 months ago was one I had a lot of mixed feelings about and something a lot of people definitely questioned for the sake of my career, but my first workout back, last night, quickly reminded me on why things have worked out so well. Not many people decide to move from northern California to the Northeast to train for anything other than maybe hockey or bobsledding, but even in California it's not always calm and 65 or better. Here, it is, and it was nice to get in some work independent of any other obstacles :
Plus, before I left for break, I filmed a workout session of mine for another project, but I thought it would be interesting to post as a glimpse of one of my workouts, other than the hurdle clip on the end which I have already posted. Its just a few seconds of my warm-up and some clips of a sled pull workout.New Years for me is always a big marking of the season - indoor competitions are just around the corner, which means the outdoor season comes much too quickly. This year, however there's a new sense of haste I am enjoying. Usually one to want "just another week" or so to iron out the details, get in just a little better shape, and fix just a couple more technical points before my big meets, this year I feel very different. I've found myself at a great point in my career. The difficult thing about the decathlon is that there is so much to learn, so much to try to master. It's in fact what draws me to the event, but it is also what can make it incredibly frustrating. Last year was the first time I really felt a sense of maturity in my event and was able to start stepping past simply learning and into really competing and performing. I've finally developed a strong sense of confidence in each of my ten events. I know I have weaknesses and strength, but my weaknesses are getting getting much less so. Anyways, although it is still really early in the season and I've only just began my event specific training, I am eager for my first my first multi coming up on the 11th so I can finally put it all to the test and see where I am at.
The break also meant I haven't been able to work with the Cambridge Jets in a couple weeks either so I am happy to get back working with them as well as my Harvard team this week. The Cambridge kids have been a very interesting experience for me thus far. They're great kids, and I always enjoy trying to teach and coach kids so young. Some of them even come straight from their high school track practices to our practices because they enjoy it so much. I'm always amazed of the ridiculous amounts of energy they have. I see these guys do activities that would double me over in half the time! I try to work them hard, but it seems as soon as they're done they give you that "so that was it?" look. It's definitely opening my eyes and stretching my own bounds as a coach. I hope they're getting as much out of it as I am, but they seem to be having a good time. It's always cool to have a couple of them ask me as soon as I enter the track before practice: "Matt, can we work with you today?."
Happy New Years everyone, have a great 2008.
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