Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/1219671
17 t m c p u l s e | m a r c h 2 02 0 to Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Sports Medicine Institute, where he began working with physical thera- pist Taylor Cole. "Tendinopathy is when there is a non-normal healing response of the tendon—where it tries to heal itself but it can't," Cole explained. "That's why Matt couldn't run anymore." Kintzele's therapy was a balancing act, Cole explained. In order to get better, the tendon had to get stronger, but he couldn't experience too much pain because that would mean prolonging the injury. For months she worked with him, slowly increasing weight. Now, Kintzele is almost 100 percent back to his training. "I feel so much stronger now, and the pain has gone away," Kintzele said. "Hamstring tendinopathy, in many cases, is a career-ender for runners. But I was like, 'I need this. I need this.'" Although Kintzele had originally set his sights on an IRONMAN in Hawaii, he's had to push back his goal due to his injury. Now, he's training for the half-IRONMAN in October, held in Waco, Texas. He believes his work with Cole at Memorial Hermann has set him up for success so he's less likely to get injured in the future, and although he knows his Parkinson's disease won't disappear, he remains focused and determined. "It's a progressive disease, so it will progress—you're not going to stop it—but it's nice to be able to battle it, and it's maybe the only way I can battle it," said Kintzele, who credits his wife, Kelly, with keeping him grounded and motivated. "I think about it like this: I wasn't a tri- athlete that got Parkinson's. I was an everyday guy that got Parkinson's that decided to become a triathlete to help do this battle every day." Kintzele cycles regularly as he trains for an upcoming IRONMAN triathlon. 1709 DRYDEN ROAD, HOUSTON TX 77030 | 713.730.2404 | TERRACE54@THEWESTINHOUSTON.COM