Matthew Kutilek

Christian, LtCol, USMC (Ret.), Patriot of SC, Student of History, Foreign Policy and Warfare, Manufacturing Manager, Motivational Speaker, Athlete, Citadel Grad

[Matthew Kutilek @MatthewKutilek]

Clear, succinct and powerful speech and history lesson from SecState Marco Rubio… Worth more than 99% of modern woke revisionist high school history and social studies classes.

[Secretary Marco Rubio @SecRubio]

We believe that the West can awaken from its long slumber – and rekindle the fire that was first lit in ancient Greece millennia ago.

[Matthew Kutilek @MatthewKutilek]

In 2019, while on my fifth deployment, I felt the calling of the Lord on my life to honor him on the ten year anniversary of getting shot and nearly dying, by running again. So in early November in Kuwait, just before flying into downtown Baghdad, I started walking and jogging again. It was painful and slow.

For the next five months, while in Iraq, I progressed to a short slow jog, all the way to running a half marathon on 5 March 2020, at the small 1.25 mile perimeter road of FOB Union III in downtown Baghdad. A true miracle of healing by the Lord.

After returning to the US I renewed my goal to qualify for Boston. So I completed my first post injury marathon in November 2020 at MCAS New River where I ran 3:14. A great and seemingly impossible pace for me and my leg, but still minutes off Boston qualifying time. Keep moving.

Over the next four years I ran five more marathons, and finally finished sub 3:10 at the Greenville, SC marathon in 2022. A great time, but not good enough to qualify. But I now had the confidence and belief in myself that I could do it.

In 2024, with one month of training, I was able to run in the Boston Marathon on a sponsors exemption. I was extremely grateful to run it, but the qualifying time was not there, and with minimal training, I treated it as a 26.2 mile reconnaissance run, because I knew I’d be back….

Last summer, for a full five months (June-October) I fully committed to marathon training to see if I could do it. Thankfully, at the age of 46, on a perfect day for running I ran my fastest marathon ever and finished in 3:04 at the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC. My fastest marathon ever and good enough to qualify for Boston.

Today, I received official notification, that 23 years after setting my Boston Marathon goal, and after a few detours along the way, I have accomplished that goal. Now that I have 100% earned my way in, my goal is to commit 100% and run sub 2:58.

Set goals. Write them down. Remove distractions. Focus. Surround yourself with people who make you harder and better. Believe in yourself. Keep moving. Have the discipline and consistency to make it happen. Never give up. Ever.

202 days of training until race day….

All glory, honor and praise to the Lord for healing me and giving me the heart, breath and love for running. 🙏🇺🇸🫡

FORTITUDINE VINCIMUS … By Endurance We Conquer

[Matthew Kutilek @MatthewKutilek]

Twenty three years ago, in 2003, I finished my first Marathon at Camp Lejeune, NC. With minimal training, and no runs over 13 miles, and zero understanding of nutrition or pacing, my time was abysmal. I was sore for two weeks. But I finished.

Like all runners I soon made the goal to qualify for the Boston Marathon. No easy feat. Back then, for my age group, the qualifying time was always sub 3:10 and typically down to 3:00 hours (6:52 mile pace).

Over the next seven years I trained continuously and ran in at least eight marathons. But no matter what I did I could never figure out the art of fueling and pacing and failed every time to hit the minimum qualifying time. It was always extremely disappointing. But I always came back for more.

I could hit miles 20-22 at qualifying pace but, would always slow/bonk the last few miles, typically finishing around 3:14-3:19. Never good enough. Keep trying.

In the spring of 2009 I ran the Frederick, Maryland marathon in a cold downpour, but focused on nutrition and pacing and ran a solid negative split and finished around 3:16, but I left with confidence knowing I had finally figured out how to actually run the full 26.2 miles. I knew I could qualify for Boston at the next Marathon. Wherever and whenever that may be.

In mid-2009, I put focused training on pause due to an intense pre-deployment training regiment as the Weapons Company Commander and Battalion Fire Support Coordinator for Second Battalion Second Marines.

Our battalion deployed in early October to Helmand Province, Afghanistan and other than a few short treadmill runs I put all training aside. My focus was elsewhere, including leading 300 Marines in Combat, and clearing every single indirect and direct fire for our battalion in the most kinetic area of all Afghanistan at the time. All mentally and physically exhausting. Ok. I’d continue my pursuit of Boston when we returned.

Then 5 March 2010 happened. 7.62x54mm bullet fired from an enemy sniper destroyed my lower right leg. Compound fracture to my tibia, two of three arteries severed, massive vascular damage, three inches of tibial nerve totally gone and half my calf muscle ripped out when the bullet and associated shock wave left my body. Losing all my blood and coming minutes from dying didn’t help the situation. Every major component of my lower right leg was destroyed, but I was alive.

Anyway, after 12 surgeries over two years, and hundreds of physical therapy sessions, there was literally zero prospects of ever running again. Zero. So, by the grace of God I discovered cycling, where over the next eight years I’d ride 70,000 miles and race and complete in countless gravel races.

Many of these races covered 200, 300 and 400+ miles, over very arduous terrain, which naturally allowed me to develop into a race fueling expert and created deep reservoirs of mental and physical toughness - which would be very useful tools if I could ever run again…

Over these ten years I covered no more then 10-20 miles running in a single year and that was only to train for and complete the required Marine Corps physical fitness test three mile run. I literally could not run. The pain was excruciating, my toes were all fused straight and would (still will not) bend, and I had minimal range of motion in my foot and ankle, half my calf muscle was gone, blah blah blah…

It took a very long time to come to grips with the fact the sniper took the joy and suffering of running away from my life. Especially frustrating was not being able to run with my young daughters. While I loved and lived cycling (understatement lol) I still missed the solitude and peace of running in God’s creation and training for races. (Thread in comments)…

[DOW Rapid Response @DOWResponse]

.@SECWAR has arrived at the Air Force Academy for EARLY MORNING PT… 🇺🇸

[DOW Rapid Response @DOWResponse]

.@SECWAR “The number-crunchers say we’ve fired 10% of the Generals and Admirals across the force... and I know because I directed it—that we’ve reduced the overall number of General Officer slots by an additional 10%.

So, yes, 20% reduction ACROSS THE BOARD.

The media calls it a “purge”; I call it ACCOUNTABILITY AND LONG OVERDUE. And the bare minimum.

As usual, what the media levels as an accusation, I wear as an accomplishment.

You can't change a culture with the same people who enabled it. Personnel is policy—at every single level.”

[Matthew Kutilek @MatthewKutilek]

@faustocoppi60 Incredible TEAM performance by 🇺🇸!

[Presidents Cup @PresidentsCup]

Air Force One flies over the Presidents Cup in advance of Round 5.

#PresidentsCup | @WhiteHouse

[Nick Piastowski @nickpia]

First tee scene at Medinah

[Matthew Kutilek @MatthewKutilek]

@Ivan_Snook Hello Mr. Censorious … Dweeb.

[Michael Fiore - Garden Center @Michaelfiore]

This is why we have never wanted to plant pumpkins and let customers come pick their own from the fields. It’s also why all of our pumpkins get displayed on tables instead of on pallets or on the ground.

[Mike Smith @USWeatherExpert]

I am meteorologist who spent 50+ years specializing in extreme weather and had numerous colleges as clients.

The NCAA's rules are poor and do +not+ represent the state of the art in lightning science.

I AGREE with shutting down play and sheltering the crowd when there is a genuine threat. Unfortunately, that is not what we are doing these days.

[Matthew Kutilek @MatthewKutilek]

@chapelfowler More warmups, prolonged mundane pageantry and additional false motivation would have created the juice

[Matthew Kutilek @MatthewKutilek]

@chapelfowler Ok for the trainers to warm up but not quite good enough for the team….???

[Matthew Kutilek @MatthewKutilek]

@chapelfowler Warriors don’t need 60 or 90 minutes post lightening to “warm up”… especially after the first warm-up… Gezzzzz…kit up and get moving.

[Matthew Kutilek @MatthewKutilek]

@chapelfowler Ridiculous hubris. 90 minutes didn’t help out one bit last week. Get on the field and play some ball.

[Matthew Kutilek @MatthewKutilek]

@DineshDSouza Because Calvinist are smug intellectual elites who use the passive aggressive voice to further justify their superior self-determined status

[Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao @SECNAV]

Flight debrief complete.

No reprimands. No firings. No problem.

That’s the sound of Freedom!

Semper fi and Hooyah.

[Matt Van Swol @mattvanswol]

🚨#BREAKING: Absolutely HORRIFYING footage has emerged from a "teen takeover" in North Charleston SC.

It appears that a White female police officer was severely BEATEN by a mob of Black teens... including with what appears to be a Roman Candle.

This is hard to watch.

[🇺🇸 Based Americana 🇺🇸 @basedamericana]

Band of Brothers should be standard viewing in high school history classes across the country.

[Matthew Kutilek @MatthewKutilek]

@USWeatherExpert @Ham_BklynWx Yup. I remember it clearly. Greg Jarrett reporting live on this. “ Get under the girders. Is that where we need to go? “ Something to that effect. And it memory is correct you were at KNSW on air as well.