Yesterday a couch potato… Today a marathon runner!
Until October 2010, I simply enjoyed my life – never worrying about healthy nutrition or sports. What I “enjoyed” back then, though, seems disastrous to me today.
In October 2010, a started a new life. I decided to change my lifestyle, become active, and work on my eating habits. The first step was a visit to a friend’s gym. A thorough body check-up, a conversation about my lifestyle, plus a training and nutrition plan marked the beginning of my new life. I started at 282 lbs with a height of 5’9”. My first time on the scale came was a total shock, a slap in the face. But, then everything changed! Four training sessions a week, composed of both cardio and strength training, helped me discover my love for sports. I suddenly realized I would love to have some sort of training log – to look up my workout sessions and review my well-invested time. This is how I found Runtastic. From that moment on, Runtastic has accompanied me during all my sport activities.
In addition to working out, I also completely changed my nutrition and eating habits. I started focusing on ample proteins, healthy fats, and carbohydrates (at the right time) and always in accordance with my training intensity.
After six months, the fruit of my labor – of my efforts and discipline – became more and more visible… And I wanted more!
My workouts in the gym got increasingly difficult and more goal-oriented. I wanted to train harder, sweat more. And, I did what worked best for me: I set personal goals. In order to reach them, I just had to keep at it and work harder (and it actually was very hard for me)! Runtastic still tracked all my activities and since I was really proud of my achievements, I shared them with my Facebook friends, etc. This was a real motivation booster, especially when I was struggling to overcome my weaker self. I always thought, “You have to work out!” And so, I worked out.
My first project was a half marathon without a target time. I included running sessions in my training plan to prepare for the half marathon, always tracking distance and times with Runtastic. After my trainings, I was able to check out and analyze my route and statistics online.
After the half marathon, I turned to something new: MTB marathon competitions. I squeezed mountain bike tours into my training plan and made great progress.
In 2012, after two sporty years, I needed new goals. That is why I decided to go for it and try a marathon! After seven months of intense training, with a goal of “just making it,” and no target time, I finished my first marathon and burst with pride when I saw my time: 03:53:28.
My life is so much better now, I just wish I had discovered my love for sports earlier in my life. I could have stopped being overweight sooner, but what’s done is done. Just know, it’s never too late to start a new, healthier life – no matter if you’re a leisure or professional athlete. Currently, I spend an average of 8-10 hours per week running or biking.
Runtastic is a great tool for generating statistics and analyzing how many miles you’ve covered over the past weeks, months, and years – as well as how many hours you’ve spent working out. While watching the numbers grow, your motivation will grow with them!
The bottom line is: I don’t regret anything! In three years, I lost 100 lbs thanks to an active lifestyle and a balanced, healthy diet. I feel so much better and I am able to enjoy my life to the fullest!
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