Runtastic Success Story: Never, Never, NEVER Give Up!

July_24Almost 2 years ago I suffered symptoms of a heart attack 3 times in only 2 weeks. Dizziness, tachycardia and panic were the signs that worried me. I went to the doctor 3 times, and every time he told me that I didn’t have a heart attack but had too much stress. These days I weighed 213 lb at a little over 6 ft tall.

During this time I did absolutely no sports. When I would go hunting I would become out of breath quickly and would sweat a lot. My doctor recommended I change my life completely. He suggested I do more meaningful things rather than watching TV, eating chips and drinking wine….and work less!

Suddenly, I remembered my Unihockey playing times in my teenage years and I decided to start playing again. But, this was harder than I thought. After 300 meters of jogging I was knocked out. I downloaded the Runtastic App.

This is how I have been training for almost 2 years now, 4 – 6 times a week: during the summertime I cycle (racing bike, mountainbike), jog and stand up paddle board and in the winter months I do cross-country skiing. From the start I began setting goals. My former goal was to participate in the Engadiner Skimarathon (26 miles) – even though I had never tried it before. Additionally, I wanted to run a half-marathon.

I reached those goals and I managed the  13.1 miles in 2 h 8 min. I could have never imagined  I would be able to complete these goals (even if they don’t seem so amibtious to others – for me they are). I am more than satisfied, I am thrilled!

My life totally changed. Now I do sports every other day for 1.5 – 2 hours and use Runtastic. I sold my motor-bike and purchased a road bike, mountainbike and cross-country-skis. Now I am 46 years old and weigh 187 lb with a total body fat of 19.5%. For my age this is pretty good .  I haven’t felt this comfortable in 20 years. This feeling became a way of life for me. My next goal is to improve my time at the Engadiner Marathon to under 3 hours and also run a marathon. My joy is contagious and I convinced a lot of colleagues to participate.

I share with everyone that it is only too late when the door is shut. But before that, anything is possible.

My motto: Never, never, never give up!

I hope you enjoyed reading my Runtastic Success Story.

Christophe Sambalé

adidas Runtastic Team Are you looking to lose some weight, get more active, or improve your sleep? The adidas Runtastic Team gives you useful tips and inspiration to reach your personal goals. View all posts by adidas Runtastic Team