Living Life to the Full: My Ironman Journey

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Training in California!

There is no question that triathlon training in California is as near perfect as it can possibly be. Rolling hills, flat straight aways for interval work, ocean swims (brrrr!) and warm but not too hot conditions....wow, how lucky am I to now live in one of the best places in the world .....certainly easy to Live Life To the Fullest here !

This week marks the start of my official Ironman Arizona training program....only 20 weeks to go! Yikes...seems like a long way away but it will be here before you know it. I'm excited to be training and racing with fellow Ironheart Racing Team members .

I'm also excited to report that we have reached our first fund raising goal of $20,000 - this is for the initial funding required to complete the filming of my documentary "Heart: Flatline To Finish Line"

If you haven't already seen our trailer for the documentary please take a look and also visit our fund-raising site...every penny will count as we scrape together the funds needed to complete the documentary, produce and edit it and then distribute it. We hope to change the way the world views cardiac issues , we hope to help detect, prevent and cure them....because Cardiac disease takes more lives than all forms of cancer, respiratory disease, diabetes and accidents combined.

Thank you for your support, Happy July 4th to everyone and remember to Live every second of every day to the fullest!

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Welcome to my Blog !

Www.ellenliveslifetothefull.com

I'm new at this ! but I've taken the technological plunge and started to write a blog. What fun!

My blog is about me. My journey from Open Heart-Surgery to competing in an Ironman Triathlon in less than 8 months.

My story begins with my bizarre symptoms which puzzled my doctors, the dramatic diagnosis and immediate requirement for open heart surgery. Then came the painful and slow recovery and the longing to return to my triathlon passion. My determination and will power to succeed against all the odds and realize my dream: To become an Ironman.

My Story

On March 26^th 2010, I had unplanned open heart surgery to fix multiple holes in my heart that had gone undetected for 41 years. I was born with a severe congenital heart defect and was told that I needed surgery to prevent my heart failing. The right side of my heart was severely enlarged and doctors told me without the surgery, my days would be numbered. I had no idea, I had such a defect, I was a triathlete and had been competitively racing triathlons for almost 7 years – what now?

The days and weeks following my surgery were miserable. Even walking slowly up and down the hospital ward was difficult. My doctors were encouraging though and my surgeon was confident I would be up and running again soon enough. Of course I had signed up for my first Ironman distance race (Arizona) in November 2009 and did not anticipate having to deal with open heart surgery at the beginning of my training plan! By May, I was back on my bike in earnest and was even able to begin some easy swimming and jogging. My doctors were amazed but were also concerned that I may have been pushing myself too hard. I still had my Ironman goal for 2010 and I was determined to at least try and get to the starting line.

In September 2010, my doctor did a thorough medical evaluation and was sufficiently pleased with the results to allow me to compete in the race. She did place some restrictions on my training and my racing however but concluded that I made a tremendous recovery and my heart was now functioning far better than it ever had been.

I began writing a journal in the spring about my experiences and then continued on throughout my recovery and training periods. My journal became more of a memoir and soon I was encouraged by friends to contact a publisher to discuss publishing my memoir. I was skeptical that anyone would be interested in reading about my life and experience but nevertheless agreed to send in the memoir once I had completed it. The publisher asked me how the book would end and when he could receive the manuscript. I replied that the end of the book would be when I crossed the finish line at Ironman Arizona, when I finally become an “Ironman”. On November 21^st, 2010, almost 8 months to the day since my surgery, I crossed that finish line in my first ever Ironman in a time of 12 hours and 37 minutes, and I have never felt so alive.

My book will is called “Living Life to the Full…My Ironman Journey” and is available through my website

www.ellenliveslifetothefull.com . I'm hoping to raise awareness for Adult Congenital Heart disorders and provide inspiration to those needing it. It is possible to swim, bike, run and compete again after open heart surgery, follow your dreams but listen to your heart!

Also visit my facebook page and click on "like" : www.facebook.com/ellenliveslifetothefull