44-year-old Morten Endre Stakvik had health problems such as high blood pressure, he was on his way to diabetes, had back pain as well as daily headaches, joint and muscle aches and struggled with a number of other ailments due to overweight and unhealthy lifestyle over many years. During a conversation with the doctor, he realized that he had to take action.
From junk food to vegetables
- I'll not scare you, but you actually have only one choice now. You have to change course, Stakvik. You are still young, and you can do something to get rid of your ailments, the doctor said in a meeting with Morten. The doctor advised me to change my diet immediately, as well as to start with physical activity . There and then I was actually quite scared. I was relatively young with a wife, children and family I loved. And I realized that the doctor was serious about where my current lifestyle had taken me, and that it was I who had to take it.
Morten lived a very unhealthy life where junk food and sweets were in focus. Eventually he cut out the unhealthy food, and switched to a diet rich in vegetables, meat, chicken and fish. He replaced bread with crispbread, and eats oatmeal for breakfast every day. When he feels the craving for sweets coming, he sometimes chooses a carrot as a supplement.
- Of course I treat myself to sweets too, but I keep it sometimes. I notice very quickly on falling energy levels if I do not eat "proper" food, which is a good motivator to keep to my new routines.
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Got the running dilemma
As a young man, Morten played football, but he has never had a relationship with running until recent years. And his job as a sea captain meant that the training usually had to be completed in a training room on the boat. On the treadmill, it was easy to measure shape and progression. He started by alternating between walking and jogging slowly for about 15 minutes. The first session was a real wake-up call.
- I suddenly had to sit down at the end of the treadmill. With a taste of blood in my mouth, I gasped for breath, and had a sky-high pulse. Then I said to myself: Am I really in such miserable shape as this? It does not work.
The next sessions for Morten were just as heavy, but the goal was to complete each time. Slowly but surely, both the pace and the distance went up. 15 minutes became 20 minutes, and these small running sessions eventually became a place where he managed to rest his head from the stressful job.
- Eventually I was caught by an intoxication of happiness during the running sessions, as it was something I felt mastered by, and experienced a great positive health effect of. Running made me a happier person!
And the effects of both diet change and physical activity have been enormous.
- Today I weigh around 73 kilos, where I have been stable since 2017. I have a new life without any problems, and feel like a youth in body and mind. Running also has a very positive effect when it comes to stress and my general psyche.
The Oslo Marathon was the goal
And his big goal at the start of this lifestyle journey was to run the Oslo Marathon . This year, the Oslo Marathon has the distances 3 km, 10 km, half marathon, marathon and the Oslo Triple (73.3 km) and is truly a race for everyone! On Friday 16 September, 3 km will be arranged, starting and finishing at Rådhusplassen, and on Saturday 17 September, there will be a full running party in Oslo with the other distances! Read more here!
In 2017, Morten started for the first time.
- I was both excited and happy, and it was a special experience to be cheered on by people I did not even know! Along the entire trail you experience a real boost with cheers, accompanying dance shows, music shows and a regular folk festival! You meet participants in all age groups, shapes and levels, and everyone really fits into the party regardless of the prerequisite. And the atmosphere at Rådhusplassen is absolutely magical, both for runners and the audience!
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And he never forgets to cross the finish line for the first time.
- If the word magic is to be used in capital letters, it is when you round the last turn and see the finish line where the people's life on both sides lifts you forward the last 400 meters before the finish. You are terribly tired, but get new superpowers from the crowd cheering on you along the sprint. An out-of-yourself experience and mastery of dimensions! And when you cross the finish line, a medal, friendly smiles and a goodie bag await, which gives a good refill after the race!
This year, Morten will run the BMW Oslo Marathon for the fourth time, and will try to challenge his own time.
-And it helps a lot with traction help from the audience. But I was also a beginner once, and to all of them I just want to say:
Do not be afraid of not being good enough. Here, everyone is cheered on, regardless of shape and age. You have so much to gain from drying. There is no question that you should think that you are going to win the Olympics. You should only win over yourself. The vast majority of us often think that things are difficult when it comes to exercise. But it's actually a lot easier if we just shrug our shoulders and do not forget that it should also be fun and not just hard work!
As a very good runner said to me when I told about my worries about the fear of not being good enough; Morten remember that we are all runners no matter how far / short - fast / slow - up / down we run. We only compete against ourselves. This is so important, and has left its mark on me. Running is therapy for both head and body, where a little activity is better than no activity!
