Guest Blog by Matt Schorer of Follow the Fat Guy to Ironman Kona
First things first. I am not a runner, yet I am part of a great team called Ordinary Marathoners. Go figure! Second, I am not much of a writer so this may jump a little bit from one thing to another. Third, I am just an ordinary truck driver who becomes extraordinary as soon as I get on my bike. I sometimes wonder what goes through the minds of other cyclists when this 285lb guy comes flying by. Anyways, here goes nothing.
So many things go through my mind while I am training or even racing. My journey to a healthy lifestyle started June of 2018 and I have never looked back.
When I started this journey, it was not till I was a month or two into it that I realized how depressed I was. I did not know how to eat healthy. I would eat whatever was in front of me until I was full. On top of being depressed, I was addicted to food. I was absolutely miserable and actually thought of some awful things. My weight and my mind took me to some dark places. I somehow managed to pull myself out through diet and exercise. The fact that I have an amazing wife who helps me with everything plays a big part. Something just clicked one day and I have never looked back.
So, what keeps me going and motivated to compete in Ironman races or to keep getting healthy you may ask? Here is a list to answer that question.
List of reasons why:
- my wife and kids
- mental health
- physical health
- to make my family proud
- accomplishing things I never thought were possible
- inspire
- motivate
- in my brother’s honor (this is a big one)
- to be the best person I can be
- to prove that anything really is possible (almost)
- to show my kids hard work pays off
- to prove to myself and other I am not just the fat kid anymore
- competing with others, but mainly myself
- to show that it is not size, but heart that matters
I can keep going with the list, but I think you all get the picture. I will however explain why one of my reasons plays a huge role in my life. We all have our own reasons why.
I have three brothers and one sister. Four years ago, on November 5th, we lost our older brother in a drowning accident. He went to Texas to visit my father and went missing. The police could not find him and I figured he will just show up and everything will be back to normal. Well, that never happened.
The search by the police turned up nothing. My two younger brothers and sister flew to Texas retraced his steps and somehow found him. The day I got the phone call will be forever burned into my brain. I know it is not a very happy ending, but this has completely changed me. So, when I race I always race for him. When I run, I think of him and I get instant runner’s high. My first experience on a road bike was with him. In fact, most of my life and the things I know are because of what he taught me. I love you Steve!
Looking back, I have a lot of negative and positive memories. I think it is important to recognize this because it is part of my personal timeline. I am somehow able to take the negative and use it to be positive and to keep pushing toward my goals. I realize now that I can’t do what I am doing alone. I am lucky to be part of a few different teams, but the most important one is the one where I am co-captain: Team Schorer.