Photo By Sgt. Juan F. Jimenez | Capt. Anthony J. Mattazaro, chief of operations for the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Anthony J. Mattazaro, a 30-year-old Army captain assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division always had an admiration for triathletes. Mattazaro wasn’t sure if he could become a triathlete himself, but as time passed, the curiosity of completing a triathlon remained.
“I always wondered if I would be able to start and finish a triathlon,” said Mattazaro a native of Los Angeles, California.
After months of contemplation, Mattazaro decided to enter into a short triathlon competition called “Sprints” to find out if he had what it took.
With a total of five “Sprints” races under his belt, Mattazaro decided to enter the White Lake International Triathlon.
In order to prepare for this event, Mattazaro kicked his training into high gear. He planned his fitness program to include all three activities, swimming, cycling and running, to bring up his performance and endurance in each.
Mattazaro said his main focus was swimming because he felt that he needed more improvement in that area.
“Swimming never felt natural to me,” said Mattazaro. “It took a lot of effort to stay motivated and build my endurance, but I always made time to make it to the pool.”
Mattazaro’s swimming got to a more satisfactory level, so he moved on to focus on the rest of this training.
“I don’t use any fancy gear,” said Mattazaro, who purchased his bicycle at a local store a few years ago.
The third activity that Mattazaro had to train in was the easiest for him.
“I grew up playing soccer and now I run in the Army all the time; running is very natural to me,” Mattazaro said.
Mattazaro said when the time for the first triathlon arrived it was time for all the focus and hard work to be tested.
The White Lake International Triathlon event consists of a one mile swim, a 30 mile bike ride, and a 6 mile run.
Mattazaro said as the task at hand got closer his anxiety and nerves also decided to show up.
“I focused on my breathing and tried my best to stay calm and focused,” Mattazaro said. “I knew I was as ready as possible,” he continued.
Mattazaro said he did not fly through the events like he wanted to, but he also knew he wasn’t giving up.
“I knew the hardest part of the race would be the swim,” Mattazaro said.
After the blistering swim leg, Mattazaro exited the water, ran to the staging area, put on his helmet, sunglasses and shoes. Once done, he ran to the mount line and started the grueling 30-mile bike ride.
“My transition to the bike wasn’t perfect but it was a lot smoother than I expected,” Mattazaro said.
“I kept glancing at my Garmin to gauge the speed I was riding at,” Mattazaro said. “That way I would know if I needed to speed up or slow down to hit my split times,” he added.
The run was the smoothest event for Mattazaro. After putting on his shoes and heading out, it took Mattazaro only a few minutes to get into a good rhythm and stride.
“I tried my best throughout the race and knew I wasn’t going to quit,” said Mattazaro. “I was going to finish.”
Once Mattazaro crossed the finish line with a time of 3 hours, 24 minutes, he knew he had finally finished his first Olympic Triathlon.
“Seeing my wife at the finish line waiting for me was a great sight,” said Mattazaro. “It’s always great having her there waiting for me.”
Mattazaro said his future goals are to complete a Half IronMan Triathlon and a full IronMan Triathlon.
“I’m glad I was able to finish this Olympic Triathlon,” Mattazaro said. “All it took was just going for it and never quitting.”
| Date Taken: | 11.02.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 11.03.2014 08:16 |
| Story ID: | 146831 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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