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Thursday, June 7, 2012

Matt Long Second Life

Matt Long - New York City firefighter, amateur marathon runner and ironman - you never forget the day when you run over a twenty-ton bus. Matt's a life-threatening injuries, but survived the accident. Learned to walk again and learned to live again. Two years after the accident, 40 surgery behind him, Matt found himself a new goal: he decided to execute the New York City Marathon.

22 December 2005 on the morning of minus two degrees in New York, and the transport workers went on strike for three days. Everyone made it from one location to another, as they could. Matt tried that morning to the fire academy. At half past five started with a road bike to take the 20 minute trip. Matt made before the last day of the academy, where the healthcare team member was responsible for the training program for health and fitness of recruits are supervised. It was designed by the Academy takes leave after a week, before returning to the normal place of work, one fire station in East Harlem.
In 2003, Matt some excess weight and increasing back pain turned to a doctor, who advised him to change lifestyle and lose weight a little. Matt began to play sports hard. Ran, swam, bringázott. 15 pounds in a few months to cast, back pain disappeared. Gradually caught on in the triathlon. 18 months more than 20 tournaments he lined up. "I loved the way the adrenaline flooded. It was like berohanni the fire. I became addicted to the sport. "- He says.
In July 2005, completed the first Ironman race, 11 hours 18 minutes. Age Group of the top 20% of the finish, the race ran at the end of the marathon in 3:44:38. Then looking at herself in the 2005 New York City Marathon. The aim was to run 3:15, you are within, and thus qualify for Boston.
Every workday morning with three of his colleagues trained. Monday and Wednesday 19 km run, it has a higher tempo piece. Tuesdays and Thursdays from 13 kiliket loose. On Friday, the dose is 29 kilometers, including 13 Kili hard pace. Matt, you missed the beginning, still caught up in a month to the others. Finally, both the négyüknek megfutni was the time required to qualify. Matt ran 3:13:59-et, of which 201 were in New York City firefighter was the fourth fastest. He and his coach was rumored that begin in January in preparation for Boston.
The accidentIn December 2005, that morning on a charter bus was rented out by the strike because of a brokerage firm that transported workers to the workplace. The bus driver was not in New York, you might not know that we must not turn out the bus bar. But maybe that just was not listening. And as I began to turn the Harmadikról the fifty-second Street, just ráfordult Matt traveling there regularly. Matt during the collision and the bike itself sucked under the bus. By the time the bus was able to stand, Matt was already under the rear axle, steering the bike stuck to one end of the bus chassis and the other end is properly impaled Matt, felhasítva his body from the bottom of the navel.
A nearby police almost immediately made his request for assistance. The ambulance came four minutes on the scene, and soon after firefighters arrived at the well. The bus had just lifted the bike fűrészelniük government to be able to raise the vehicle from Matt. Good take a few minutes, he managed to rescue stretcher and was already halfway to the unconscious victim.
The hospital has years of Matt's blood pressure dropped to critical levels due to massive blood loss. The first studies of the left shin and a broken femur, several broken bones in the left foot, cracked on the right collarbone, the right hip, átlukadt the abdominal wall of the rectum with a cracked and badly damaged the medencecsontja and the surrounding nerves. Matt was a five percent chance of survival. Maximum.
The first doctors to relieve heavy bleeding had somehow to be able to keep the patient alive. Two hours on a doctor after another sewed up the damaged blood vessels. Meanwhile, Matt was a constant blood transfusions, but the situation was still critical. 12 hours, more than 22 liters of blood lost. The four times of what a normal adult body orbits. The first day at the doctors could just tell the family members that Matt is still alive. But very few have a chance of survival. That survived, the doctors say its due to the 10 hours that could eliminate the major bleeding, and that was as good physical condition, when suffered the injury.
After the accident Matt was in a coma for several weeks man, until it has undergone all the necessary life-saving surgery. Finally, I woke up on Jan. 7. By this time, Matt sold more than 20 pounds, most of which was muscle. In the first five months after the accident, Matt 22 had surgery.Doctors have a titanium rod built into Matt's left leg from the hip down to the ankles to strengthen the femur and tibia. The bones were held in place metal screws. The hip injury due to Matt's right leg after the accident, about five inches shorter. The right hip abduction muscle almost did not work.
Matt leaves the kórházatMattnek had to learn to walk again. The doctors predicted, then the time it takes two crutches to walk up. Matt, however, quickly recovered, and five months after the accident, was ready to leave the hospital. Relying on crutches, but he walked on his own legs out of the building.
Matt was a firefighter, bar owner and a bachelor. Bringázott and ran a lot. He loved a good beer and fine wines. We are well cooked. Good sense of humor was always made people laugh. Had many friends, girlfriend and more. Really lucky guy you could say. While in the hospital was never left alone. The work days, the firefighters came to the city's total station, and brought food for the whole family. Matt's Weekend Triathlon Club members came and brought lunch.

The rehabilitationEven when the hospital was an unknown - a friend of a friend - wrote him a letter. "Do not worry. You will re-run. I can help you. I work with disabled athletes. "Matt blushed as" disabled "read the word, and called their mutual friend. "What the hell do you mean? What is disabled? "Months later, then, when at home lived in, often thought of the letter. Matt then daily 90-minute treadmill walking trying muscles strengthening and weight training reinforced the difficulty moving his right arm. But hardly achieved some results . How will it swim again, running, biking is? Matt and locked himself in increasingly desperate. Avoid began his friends. Slowly the family members no longer wanted to see. He could not accept his new life, saw no reason not to fight.
The change had the help of a psychiatrist and family, but most of all a friend to help. Shane McKeon wrote e-mails and messages left Matt recorder, asking you to help her prepare for an Ironman competition. Matt did not respond. Shane Finally, the message left for him to care whether or not, every day now he will describe what will be waiting for Matt and fitness advice. Three days later, Matt called and asked for her number to report lost day's workout. Soon after, his brother Matt just talked about that man is not enough to fix targets for itself, you have to work for them. Then Matt suddenly said, "I'm going to go running. I will run the marathon. "2007 December 22, two years of rehabilitation and a total of 40 surgery behind him, Matt finally stick cserélhette a crutch. A few days later entered the 2008 New York City Marathon. It started Matt Long Second Life .
Matt 10 months ago was to learn to run again. In February, went to a rehab center in Arizona, where several hours of daily therapy did end. Six weeks later, much less use of his staff, and relied strongly on his right leg. March 14, Matt ran the first mile. 17 minutes 24 seconds.
Matt fit at a few weeks later, Matt returned to New York, where athletes with a physical therapist to deal further strengthened the muscles of the trunk and tried getting it working right the damaged hip muscle. The physiotherapist also made for Matt, a 16-week running training plan.
The first training run was a mile and a half, this is Matt's first of 24 minutes to meet in July. The theoretical running Matt swam regularly, elliptical trainer and worked with weights attached. A lot of reinforcements due to the upper body was more muscular than it was before the accident. There was need for these muscles, since they could help a lot of the running motion. In mid-August for the first time ran five miles in one. In September, ran the first nine, then 14 miles. However, during the long run hurt the hips, so from then on the advice of your doctor reduced the distances.
The runIn November 2008, we, the morning of the marathon. Matt a long time looking for the disabled athletes maintained pole position in the ING New York City Marathon. Three years ago, little dreamed of ever-blind and wheelchair athletes will compete to be among people who start three hours before the normal start him in the distance. Matt run through the help of two good friends, Frank Carini, a fellow firefighter, who is pushing the 11-hour Ironman, and Noel Flynn, who has run the marathon in three hours. But now it will run very, very slowly. Eight or nine hours to complete what will be achieved through the run.
Matt odabiceg a handrail to provide a little bit. Adjusts his cap. Once again, pulling knee-high compression socks. He hopes the socks will give some extra strength in the legs. His friends noticed the gesture, and the jokes begin:
"Hey, Frank," says Flynn. "Look at his feet Matty!""Really nice, Matty," says Carina. "You look like Paula Radcliffe."
Matt laughs with them, but the thoughts go elsewhere. Life of the slowest marathon race will start immediately. Even if they can reach targets, will be great fight. We are preparing as if his life depended on this race. And maybe it is.
He put forth. Are running. The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to the other arguments are far ahead of them involves an early start. Matt half-sided moves, muscular upper body to the rhythm of the steps and tipped one of the other side. Slow, small steps forward. As ignores titanium full of left foot, deformed feet, three toes remained almost beledöf the soil. Shorter right leg twisted slam forward.
A few hours later it will surprise fans of the marathon route, and to urge the runners. Matt is still moving in the empty streets. Only one, the forty-strong team is waiting in the three-mile traffic lights. They are waiting for Matt. His friends and family came to cheer. Here are our brothers and sisters, their children, and some cousins ​​came as well. As we are approaching them, sounds of cheering and inspiring subtitles rising high into the air. "We love you Matt." "You got". Matt's parents predicted that only 90 seconds going to stop. Made a few quick photos, Matt gets a few reassuring hug and there you go on.
Nine miles from Matt's look back and see the first professional female athletes as they can quickly approaching. Here comes Paula Radcliffe and Kara Goucher also. Matt picked up right away, "Noel, listen, go ahead and Shoot, when you run away with me. I want a picture with Kara. "
15 Queensboro Bridge was a mile, where a three-run walk changed. Matt already had planned to just walk around the bridge will be. The longest running, which is completed during preparation, was 14 miles. So from then on unfamiliar terrain acts. Walk over the bridge in silence. Then the 16-mile traffic lights will begin running again.
65 Street connects the three runner Matt's triathlon club, several members, and not much later also coached Matt. The 18th Miles leaving Matt stopped and said, it hurts his left leg. Following the advice of his coach tries to give his legs a bit, and it starts on. No longer gay, not the name of the jokes. Just fighting, fighting the pain, step by step, further forward.
Matt's in the middle (NYCM 2008)
Finally, the mature Central Park. There are only two miles from the target. If such were run a little faster now. At last he got to the finish line seven hours 21 minutes, and Matt eventually runs through the port is 22 seconds, then pressed a quick ten push-ups as well.
Matt not only for the marathon distance of 26 miles was met. He reported to finally able to return to one of those people among whom he enjoyed a long life together. They include among men who have run for several hours a day, and bringáznak swim - not because they want to win marathons or Ironman, but because I love the hard training, fighting, racing. Matt returned to one of their buddies who see him again the athlete and not the man who was hit by a bus a few years ago.

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