Vlog #3: Cold holidays for a warm weather athlete

Hey Gang!

Here is a new installment in what I promise will be a regular feature on both my blog site, as well as my Facebook fan page and the forthcoming omarnour.com website.

Today I'm talking about taking a break at the end of the season, how to do what I like to call "mental cross-training" meaning, taking time away from the watch, the monitor, or the data and doing something different and diverse to give both your body and your brain a break. I close with some pointers for avoiding the holiday bulge we all dread during these cold winter months.

Thanks for checking this out. I hope to see you guys soon, but in the meantime, you can always follow me o.n. the road to the Olympics.

Omar Nour
Egyptian Professional Triathlete
2012 Olympic Hopeful

New Year, New Resolutions, New Vlog...Same Goal

Hello friends and happy new year from a very cold, somewhat icy, Washington, DC. 

As I type this, we are now 13 days into the new year, which in and of itself is totally unbelievable. If you're like me, 2010 absolutely flew by and if each year only goes by faster as you get older, then you know what that'll mean for 2011. 

For me personally, that has even deeper implications; I am rapidly moving closer and closer to the biggest goal of my career: qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England. In so doing, I would be the first Egyptian triathlete in Olympic history. The mere thought of that is both daunting and inspiring at the same time. 

Suffice it to say, I am excited. Perhaps equally if not more important, is the fact that I am now just as rested and focused, as I am excited. The holiday break gave me the opportunity to sit down with Coach Tim, my family, my friends, and my business team and really focus on the next 18 months. I believe goal-setting is incredibly important for any undertaking, as it gives us a platform and framework, by which to meter and measure our efforts. 

On the same token, I also believe in balance. This is the time of year when many pro endurance athletes are gradually easing back into training. A time when the emphasis is not on the clock, the monitor, or the read-out. It's about breaking the rust off and rediscovering the shiny machine waiting beneath it. 

So as we gradually get deeper into the new year, I encourage you to stop and take some time to sit down and write out your own goals and resolutions. I know I have, and as my agent always says, "a goal is just a dream with a deadline."

On that note, check out my newest Vlog (which will post to Facebook, YouTube and here on my Blog) and look out for new blog and vlog entries to be posted on a regular basis in the new year. (Yes...that's another one of my goals.)

Omar Nour

Egyptian Professional Triathlete

2012 Olympic Hopeful