Running was never part of my game plan, although I’ve been an athlete all my life. After suffering major knee injuries in my teens and a dozen doctors (except one) suggesting surgery, I defied the odds: I didn’t go for surgery. I picked up scuba diving. I continued to strengthen my knees, muscles, and tendons. Last weekend I ran my first marathon.

When I look back and go through my sports memorabilia, I can’t stop smiling. Ballet, figure skating, soccer, and martial arts were only a few of the sports I practiced before my knees got busted. By the age of 16-17, I was diagnosed with arthrosis degree 2-3, meniscus rupture, and the list goes on and on.

I had massive inflammation in my knees and could barely walk. I went to orthopedic surgeons and sports orthopedists in different countries and all but one suggested surgery. I tried acupuncture and other alternative methods but nothing worked.

Time passed. I started uni and continued to hit the gym twice a week to work on strengthening my muscles. Things got slightly better but knee pain accompanied me everywhere. Walking longer distances was a disaster, and climbing stairs was an absolute no-go.

As soon as I finished uni and had my first corporate check, I picked up scuba diving. I loved the underwater world since I was a kid and always wanted to dive. My parents used to take us to the seaside every single year. I got my first underwater goggles from my father by the age of four. I would spend hours upon hours watching fish hide in the sand bank and admire the different light patterns reflected from the sun.

In 2009 I became a rescue diver. I’ve been diving for well over twenty years now and the underwater world has become my second home. I’m super grateful that I had the opportunity to dive in some of the most amazing spots on our beautiful planet while hanging out and befriending fantastic people from all walks of life.

While scuba diving made things easier on my knees and joints, I still wasn’t satisfied with my abilities above water. Walking longer distances continued to be an issue although the inflammation and swallowing vanished. Incorporating yoga into my practice further strengthened certain muscle groups and improved my mobility which was always good thanks to ballet and figure skating.

The next major shift in my sports career happened a few years ago when I stumbled upon the KneeOverToesGuy. His unconventional methods to strengthen the knees immediately caught my attention. Unlike mainstream sports, fitness, and gym trainers he teaches one to walk backward and practice exercises while allowing the knees to cover the toes. This guy who had several knee surgeries while playing professional basketball had come up with a training method that managed to not only get him back on the court but also enabled him to train world-leading athletes to get back into their professional arena.

I resonated with his story and I started incorporating several of his elements into my training. Watching my tendons, joints, muscles, and knees become supersonic was the reward.

Fast forward to last year in June upon watching runners go through the finish line of a marathon, I decided to run the marathon in one year.

A few days ago I ran at the Vienna City Marathon.

Discipline is my number one ingredient. While despised and ridiculed by most people on planet Earth, it’s my go-to place when it comes to accomplishing anything in life.

While having a mindset of steel is a requirement for extreme sports, you also need a strong avatar to follow the instructions of the mind. Those of you practicing running know that having strong knees is the number one recipe for running a marathon. Without strong knees, you’d be better off sitting on a bench and watching others cross the finish line.

I started training in July. And no, I didn’t start with running. On the contrary, I trained unconventionally. I would hit the gym twice a week and do strength and mobility training for 1.5 hours before getting on the treadmill and walking. My first treadmill session was twenty minutes of walking. As time passed, I increased the time on the treadmill, the kilometers, and my walking pace. By January I started running slowly.

My main goal for the marathon was to run it pain-free. And so I did.

In terms of nutrition, I do what is good for my body. I eat a lot of fiber. I have my first meal at around 10 AM where I load up with lots of fruit, avocado, nuts, seeds, and hummus. My second meal is between 4- 6 PM. As I’m a vegetarian, it will mostly be a mix of fiber, vegetable protein, and carbohydrates. I like to do intermittent fasting. I usually go between 14-18 hours with 18 hours being my favorite.

In terms of drinking: Water is my preferred beverage. I never drink fizzy drinks, alcohol, coffee and caffeinated drinks. I don’t smoke or vape.

Protein shakes or bars have never been part of my diet.

I love dark chocolate, 85+% is my go-to source.

I eat and drink as clean as possible. And this has benefited me tremendously in sports, business, and life in general.

Respect and honor your sacred temple — your physical body and mind. Get to know it. Understand how to navigate it. Nurture it and never outsource it to anyone, regardless of their title. Nobody knows you better than you do.

Crush the comfort zone, push yourself, and allow your physical vehicle to take you to places you never dreamed possible.

Do you. Tweak, adjust, and change to accomplish what you want. The human body is miraculous. Allow it to heal while helping you experience this marvelous adventure we call life.

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AI-generated Image via Midjourney

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