My first Half Marathon

balamacab

First off let me introduce my self.
I'm a Male, 33 yrs. and I'm a IT Engineer, my work is sedentary, all day sit in a chair in front of a computer screen.
Since when I have memory I always have been the fatty arrow my friend. I always have been considered obese, now I'm morbid obese (228lb and over 62lb from my ideal weigth). I have did a couple of calories restrictive diet, but as I loose weight I'm able to regain them.
I married a wonderfull woman, but her work is also sedentary been an accountant. Watching my wife build up weight It have been painful for me so one day I decide to start exercising (easily said than done).
But how, at what time??? We woke up at 5:00am and get home at 7:00pm (hellish work schedule here in my country). There is no time available to go to the gym. So I try to work with what we have in had.
I take the Wii I had, dusted off and get a couple of fitness game and commit to do 30min daily with my wife. Of course we did not loose any weight but stop gaining. Then We decide to go out Sunday morning, and walk with a fast stride. She is able to jog a lot of the way, I can not more than the first kilometer. So I walk, and walk fast.... but her weight and my weight doesn't go down.
So I have decide to give us a sense of achievement and enlist in a 10K event. All of friend and people that I know said "YOU, 10K!!!!, you're going to die", "You're not going to make it", "You are going to retire after the first Kilometer", "You're going to end up last".
The day come, we train to it as we could. I end up passing the finis line under 1:22:00 ... was one of the last but for me an achievement.
I was Happy, I feel that I can accomplish anything. So I went ahead blindly and inscribe my wife and me in a half marathon.
The problems struck, we had physical problems and could not train.. for almost two months we were unable to even do our Wii routine. *kitten* soon as we were able to do some workout we start again.
But we lose time and have under a month do train for the half marathon, and I had a seriously respiratory infection. I did the workout with half breath as my saliva make me cough and feel that my head was going in circle. I knew I need to train even a little to build up some resistance.
Last Sunday was the day; and to tell the true I was worry that it would take me more than the allotted time to finish the race.
I feel like dying after KM 16, but I keep pushing, I wanted to finish and I did not care about the time. and slowly I was able to get to the finish line under 3:14:16. I know it's an awful time for many, but as I cross the finish line some I shed off some tears because IT WAS PAINFULL, it was hard but I DID IT!!!!.
I still a morbid obese, but I'll keep doing that walking/running and exercising till I'm able to lose the weight that have been with me and next year I'm going to break my finish time in the 10K and the half marathon.

kathystrauss1

Good for you for persevering. And welcome to MFP!

btsinmd

You did it! That's what matters!