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

From sand, to sea, to...mud

Last weekend, I joined some friends at the MABRA Cyclo-Cross Champs. In predictable fashion, I talked a good game, but when the gun went off, I put the pedal to the metal. As you watch the clip, you'll realize a couple things: 1) I truly am Egyptian. I come from a lot of sand, not a lot of mud. 2) As a pro triathlete, I am great on the pavement, traveling in a straight line. Put me in mud, with turns, and run-ups and, well, it's anybody's game. 3) There simply aren't enough layers for me when it comes to the cold. My friends said I wanted to win and win by a lot. Sure, I wanted to win, but the truth is that I was riding in circles, looking for the car and a warm ride home.

A lot of pro road racers will race cyclo-cross in the off-season both for a mental break as well as for the natural anaerobic cross-over benefits that the training and racing provides for their year-end workouts. While I'm not sure I'm there yet--can't we do these races in 85 and sun and not 24 and mud--I did stumble across a new hobby, and perhaps yet another facet to the Omar Nour story.

I hope you enjoy this race vid and all of the various falls, crashes, tumbles, and assorted slip-ups. I promise to be more regular in my Blog and Vlog postings, so please continue to check back and by all means, tell your friends and family about my site. I hope to offer you a front-row seat on my bumpy ride to the London Olympics.

OMAR NOUR

Egyptian Professional Triathlete
2012 Olympic Hopeful

My First Vlog (Jamaican Style)