Matthew grew up on Long Island and did his first triathlon, the Mini-Mightyman, when he was 17 years old. His background was that as a runner and, at Molloy College on Long Island, he ran Track (5K) and Cross Country while continuing to find a passion for multi-sport.
When asked about his most memorable triathlon experience, he shared that it was not a specific moment, but a period of time. In the summer of 2011, when he was 19, he had time and some extra money. After a weeklong training camp in Massachusetts, he decided to take the summer to travel around the US and compete in the USA Triathlon Draft-Legal Junior Elite series. He said it was an “awesome experience where I got to compete alongside future Olympians and even recall racing against Ben Kanute.”
Matthew moved to Colorado in June, 2019 and immediately joined RMTC as he felt that, “when moving to a new city, hooking up with a club is a great way to build a social life through meeting similarly minded folks. It doesn’t matter what city you live in, all you need to do is to look up a local athletic club and you will meet people.”
With RMTC, the first workouts he went to were the Track practices and immediately got introduced to altitude training and the effects the dry air has on the ability to stay hydrated. He hopped into a couple of races that summer thanks to the primary two Colorado triathlon race series, Without Limits and BBSC Endurance Sports, and immersed himself into the Colorado multi-sport lifestyle.
Matthew has tapped into the RMTC coaches for training him and relies heavily on the RMTC Sponsors. His Bike Shop is CAMPUS CYCLES, his run store is RUNNER’S ROOST, and he wears a ROKA wetsuit for swimming. He also has been getting massages at the HIGHLAND SPORT AND SPINE.
When asked what inspires him about the multisport lifestyle, he mentioned that he has been doing it so long that being an endurance athlete is all he knows. He thoroughly enjoys going out on the roads and testing his limits.
The Colorado Sprint Triathlon will be his first race this season with his eyes set on his first half distance at Ironman 70.3 Boulder in August. He is also thinking about going for a half-marathon PR in the fall.
Although his only triathlon in 2020 was the Lookout Mtn Tri in September 2020, he has been very consistent with his workouts thanks to RMTC. “As I was working from home the club workouts allowed me to get out of the house and was able to take advantage of all the training they were doing.” Then, once he got around to training on a consistent basis, he has been progressively getting back into shape. Throughout the winter, he swam at the JCC in Glendale where he has been able to get in 3 swims a week. For the bike, he has an old school trainer and has been spinning it out on a routine basis. For running, he has continued to explore the trails all around Colorado and is a big believer in “going somewhere new for all the long runs. With all the majesty and beauty of Colorado, no one should get stuck in their neighborhood going for the same long run over and over again. On weekends, you need to get out and just start running in new places.” Thanks to his exploratory mentality, he found his favorite run which goes around the Boulder Reservoir. “The run is awesome, and, besides the incredible view of the mountains, you never know when a professional or Olympian may come by on a training running run.” He also has come to love running the Highline Canal which takes you on crushed gravel and dirt with limited street crossings to run through neighborhoods with beautiful homes.
In closing, Matthew shared that he believes in the notion of Relentless Forward Motion, that is, the importance of keeping your body moving everyday and just doing something. If you are exhausted after a race or worn out from work and too tired to get your workout in, go for a walk and enjoy the journey along the way. Races then, regardless of the outcome, are a culmination of bringing it all together.
