We’d like to introduce you to one of our many superstar clients Matija. For those of you that don’t know Matija, she’s a fit-as-heck regular here at Xconditioning. She has been training with us for a few years now and it’s been a lot of fun working with her and watching her hard work, dedication, and goal-driven training turn her into a total ma-chine! If you check our leader board out you’re sure to see her name, and she’s been conquering races all over the place, doing some pretty great things in long-distance and obstacle races. She looks great, trains crazy hard and has a family and professional career to balance too! We know how great she is, but we wanted to give you guys a little peek (and maybe a little inspiration) into Matija’s adventures in and outside of our gym...she’s the epitome of hard work, discipline and a great example and role model for what we preach at our gym!
Tell us a little bit about yourself outside of the gym...what you do for a living, tell us about your family, and how do you balance it all with your training and focus?
Married Mom of 2 . Luka 12, Bella 10. I hold a daytime job as an Educational assistant and own my own small commercial cleaning business which I'm obligated to 4 evenings a week. It is important to me that my children are active both mentally and physically so their activities also range between 5-6 days a week. I have a very supportive family, so part of my success in managing the day to day routine is because Ron picks up where I leave off. One of my strengths is organization. I like routine and thrive on keeping the balance not to say that there aren't times where it just doesn't work. Take the good with the bad. This I haven't shared with too many people but this June will be 3 years that I quit smoking and started my fitness journey. A smoker on and off for about 15 years. Never looked back! I discovered in my journey that fitness, training and racing are my passion. I stay focused because I love it and the results.
That's awesome and sounds like a very busy schedule for everyone! You've had a very busy year...can you share with us what competitions/races you've done this year???
2015 Races included Spartan Sprint, 2015 Tough Mudder, 2015 Mudd Sweat and Tears, 50km Mount Robson, 1/2 Marathon Fall Women's Challenge. Looking forward to another competitive full race year.
That's quite the workload!! What does your weekly training typically look like when you are getting ready for a race??
Getting ready for a race is typically 5 days of Xconditioning and depending on the distance for the run a minimum of 40-km a week. Training for the 50k required about 80-90km a week.
That's alot of running! What is your favourite part of competing? And what would you say to people that are thinking about competing for the first time??
My favourite part of competing is the feeling of incredible accomplishment once you cross that finish line. The high lasts for days and I think keeps you humble and wanting more. I'm always trying to recruit new racers, especially with Spartan because it's not only challenging but fun. I think the chase is addicting and a good way to test your strength and feel good about your accomplishment.
As a distance runner, how do you use our group fitness classes to compliment your training, and what do you feel are the benefits to using crosstraining for distance running performance??
I use the group fitness classes for total body strength and core! This combination is essential in long distance running because you are using your entire body to endure the long distance as opposed to just trying to push through with your legs! I'm still in the process of learning the combination but know that cross training and strength are essential for me to be a competitive distance athlete.
Do you have an ultimate goal for all of your hard work? Like something that's on the all-time bucket list??
Ultimate goal to be a serious competitor in the Spartan Race World. Distance running is a close second as The Boston Marathon by 50 is my long term at the moment. This is a tough question to pin point. I love racing! I love chasing the dream.
That's super cool! We can attest to the goal chasing...we are always trying to push ourselves to new heights and competing is definitely the best vehicle for it. Do you like to train alone most of the time or do you have training partners??
Yes I have training partners. Especially when having to train for long distances like the 50k. When you are spending 5-6 hrs a day running having company is part of the success. Driving each other to go the distance. Buy I also enjoy alone time in my jungle. I make sure to have at least 1 good run a week with just me and the tunes. At the end of the day I know It's me that has to bring it but I have some pretty amazing training partners whom without i would have never been able to push through the tough times and those are many with running. I also have some pretty amazing trainers for my strength conditioning. I have learned so much about strength fitness and myself in the past 3 years at Xconditioning and look forward to more change!
Ok now it's time for a couple of cheesey questions...What's your favorite exercise at the gym and why?
Favourite exercise is also a tough one. Favourites are Burpees, Prowler and dumbbell or barbell bench.
What's your favorite cheat food!?
My weakness cheat is a Peanut Buster Parfait. I looked up the nutritional facts and they are atrocious but I still keep going back.
Thanks for your time Matija I'm glad we got to share your story with our community! Any final words or comments??
Thanks for taking the time to get to know me some. Appreciated!