Clermont

Life has its ups and life has its downs. That is what I have learned over the last two weeks. One minute it can feel like you are watching paint dry and the next minute it is flying by at 100 MPH. You can be depressed and feel lost at one moment and then the next day almost instantaneously feel like everything is in perfect balance. Now I don't want to sound bipolar but I have come to realize that personally, my happiness is dictated by my surroundings. And after spending a few weeks hibernating in the Iowa cold and watching my happiness deteriorate as the winter progressed, I realized that a change was necessary not only to help my training but also increase my overall quality of life. So by way of Louisville, KY (and Peachtree City, Georgia) I packed up my life and drove to Clermont, Florida.

Hopefully you got the chance to follow along with some of the festivities in Louisville but for those of you that were out of the loop, I was there for a better part of a week meeting my new Maverick Multisport teammates, having sponsor meetings and picking up my new gear. We had photo shoots, workouts, bike fits, lactate threshold testing and even made some time for a bit of fun. Not only did I end the weekend with a car-full of the latest and greatest triathlon gear but I also left with the motivation to keep pressing on with the hard training that will ensure 2015 is my best year yet. 

With spirits high, I piled up the car and hit the road. I accumulated my yearly dosage of 5-hour trainer rides and -30 degree runs through the ice-latent roads around Iowa City. It was time for sun, warmth and happiness. So after 12 more hours of driving over two days, I arrived here.... 

And I am happy to report, life here is amazing. I love it. Everything has fallen into place exactly how I had imagined, if not better. The new environment has given me that extra notch of motivation needed at the perfect time in the year. I wake up every morning and I can't wait to start training. This attitude has allowed me to set a personal best 1000 swim and 20:00 power effort this week. And I'm hoping for more of the same when I toe the line at a half marathon this weekend. Not to mention I am surrounded by likeminded people who accept me for who I am and understand the dedication required to be the best in the sport. 

And it doesn't hurt that I swim here everyday 

That's all for now. Sorry if I made any of my Midwestern friends jealous. 

Take care, 

Justin 

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Use code MavJustin for 20% off all products at www.blueseventy.com

Use code MavJustin for $40 off the BSX Multisport edition at www.bsxinsight.com/multisport

Use code Maverick for 10% off all regular priced Infinit Nutrition items at http://www.infinitnutrition.us

Maverick Multisport

Although I made announcements on Facebook and Twitter, I wanted to take a moment to officially recognize my new sponsor for the 2015 triathlon season- Maverick Multisport.

After wrapping up 2014, I put my business-hat on and went to work. I sent emails to almost every company that I believed could potentially result in a mutually beneficial relationship. 9 out of every 10 of those emails never got a response and the ones that did came back with offers that many would find insulting. With the results that I had in my first season as a pro, at the age of 21, I thought sponsors would be fighting hand over foot to sign me up! But boy, was I wrong.... The triathlon sponsorship racket is tricky business.

But for every company that did not have the foresight to realize my potential and get in on the ground floor, there was one guy who believed in me. Chris Hutchens, the director of the Maverick Team, reached out to me right away and we instantly clicked over the phone. I took a few weeks to weigh my options and when it came time to make a decision, Chris would not let me go another direction. He wanted me on his team. And I wanted to be on his team.

So that takes us to today. I'm officially a member of the 6-athlete Maverick Multisport elite team. Next week I am heading down to Louisville for a team camp where I will get acquainted with my teammates, learn about the new gear and promote the heck out of the sponsors.

On the right hand side of this blog, you can see all of the sponsors that I will be supporting this season. Feel free to click on the logo to learn more about each one and consider taking advantage of these wicked discounts:

Infinit Nutrition Code: Maverick which gives customers 10% off all regularly priced items, custom products included

BSX Athletics Code: MavJustin $40 off on the Multi-Sport device ONLY

Blueseventy Code: MavJustin for 20% off 

Primal Sport Mud Code: mavjustin15 for 20% off 

That's all for now but stay tuned for another update about my 2015 race schedule and more details about the camp next week. 

Happy training, 

Justin 

Of all the sports out there, why triathlon?

I've got the height to be a 'baller, the endurance to run up and down the soccer field and surprising hand-eye coordination that makes me a fierce table tennis opponent. But for some reason, triathlon stuck. The fact that 1/5 people can't tell the difference between a marathon and a triathlon is a good indication that triathlon is still a growing sport. So why do the two of us make such a perfect match?

1.) The Routine 

Anybody who spends a modicum of time with me will realize my brain does not function like a normal human being. Thankfully, I'm just below that threshold of having a clinically recognized disorder but there is just enough crazy in there to make me compulsively look for order, structure and routine. Patterns, numbers and progressions makes me tick. But somehow, triathlon allows me to take these characteristics and channel them directly into my training and racing. The routine keeps me level and when I'm in sync with my training plan, all is right in the world. 

2.) The Physiology

Growing up, you would have never taken me for a triathlete. Not a swimmer, not a cyclist, not a runner. A linebacker would have probably been a fine description of my 12 year old physique. But as I stretched out and grew a little facial hair, my true form came into play. 

• I'm tall and it's all in my legs. They are my levers and I take full advantage of them to power my kick in the pool, drive down the pedals and stride out on the track. 
• I'm lean and don't sweat a lot. Hot temperatures usually don't phase me. I don't have too much mass to carry around. Both of these have helped me avoid any serious injury my entire career. 
• I have an engine. I'm a work horse. I can go for hours without stopping. I won't beat you in the 100m dash but I'll kick your ass in the marathon. 

3.) The Identity 

As I was stewing in a world of misdirection and despair as many 13-year old teenagers do, I was heading down a real rough path. I was striving for something to grab onto and to be completely honest, it could have been anything. This was my formative time. Suddenly, I found triathlon and it gave me that something. I was now "the kid who does triathlons." Funny enough, triathlon just happened to be at the right place at the right time. I could have just as easily started collecting Pokemon cards and playing World of Warcraft. Thankfully, that didn't happen. 

COULD HAVE HAPPENED 

4.) The Emotion 

Triathlon offers the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. In this racket, you can go from being completely invincible one moment to the scum of the earth in a matter of seconds. When you smash those mile repeats, it's hard to describe the elation. But when you are struggling to make it home on an easy spin the world seems very dark. You feel the pain of pushing yourself to the brink in training but also the light-as-a-feather feeling as you dart through the finishing shoot at a race. Having those great moments and those not so great moments keeps everything in check.

5.) The Struggle 

This shit is hard. I won't lie. Training is tough and most of the work is not enjoyable. I stare at a black line for hours. I torture myself with 5 hour bike sessions on the trainer. I freeze off my extremities running through -20 degree Midwest winters. I don't drink. I rarely go out to eat. I don't have too many friends. I spend a lot of time alone. I sacrifice a whole lot but to be completely frank, I would not have it any other way. I love every single minute. 

Practicing my blue steel look

Feel free to comment away on Facebook and Twitter.... It's great to hear any and all feedback!

Thanks for tuning in, 

Justin

Like my Facebook page- Justin Metzler Triathlete 

Follow me on Twitter- @justin_metzler

Follow me on Instagram- @justin_metzler 

Follow me on Strava- justin_metzler 

Use code MavJustin for 20% off all products at www.blueseventy.com

Use code MavJustin for $40 off the BSX Multisport edition at www.bsxinsight.com/multisport

Use code Maverick for 10% off all regular priced Infinit Nutrition items at http://www.infinitnutrition.us