Part 2 of My Interview with ellasport's Corinne Ellison of the UK!

 Here is part two of my interview with Corinne as she tells us about her very first run after surgery and what keeps her positive and driving forward!

5.  When was your first run after surgery? How was it - scary, exciting, etc.?

At 8 weeks, doctors and physios told me it was ok to break into a jog. That's exactly what I did, precisely on my 8 week date. Before then, I had been attending cardiac rehabilitation classes with patients aging up to 80! I ran on a treadmill with people in the next room so I felt safe. There was no fear, just excitement as I began to experience the familiar rush of endorphins. That was it, I was off! I had to be careful to take it steady and had a run/walk strategy for much of my first few runs. 

6.  Tell us about your goal of Ironman and the races on your schedule to get you there!

The challenge of Ironman has been lurking away in the back of my mind for the last few years. I found it fascinating watching footage of competitors striving to complete on of the toughest physical races. The sheer determination involved both in training for the event and during the race itself appeals to me as it tests your mental strength to the max. Even as a novice triathlete and before I knew about my heart condition, I had planned to complete an Ironman in 2012. After my experience, I couldn't be more motivated to achieve this goal. I have a summer of olympic distance triathlons planned and a half Ironman in September. Next year will be almost a full year training for an Ironman in the US - hopefully Florida in November 2012. Incidentially - this will be the month I turn 30!

7.  Compare your fitness level and activities before surgery and where you are today.

Before I knew about my heart condition, I was training regularly (up to 10 hours a week) but didn't seem to be improving. It appears that was a reason and on finding this out, I was very grateful! After my surgery, I seem to have a new energy and certainly don't lack enthusiasm to try to push the boundaries! I no longer have any shortness of breath or feelings of pressure in my chest. I have noticed a big improvement in my running times already and am so excited to see what I am capable of this year. 

8.  What has been the toughest part of recovery or of this whole situation?  And the best?

I would have to say the toughest part of the situation as a whole was the wait for the surgery. This felt like torture and left me mentally exhausted. The worst part of recovery is frustration at wanting to get back to normal physically.  I have taken many steps backwards and acknowledging that the body take a long time to heal after major surgery has been difficult at times. The best outcome has certainly been the overwhelming positive response to my blog posts recording my journey week by week. This includes messages from others going through a similar experience with heart surgery - I'm so privileged to have been able to share my experience and help others with theirs. 

9.  How do you remain positive and what drives you forward?

Keeping things in perspective has been an important aspect of my emotional recovery through the whole experience. Looking to the future allowed me to deal with what was happening in the present. I didn't allow myself to feel sorry for myself, only focusing on how lucky I was to have had my condition picked up and resolved. Having a written list of goals with attached timeframes helps drive me forward and take the necessary steps to succeeding.

  

Part 1 of My Interview with ellasport's Corinne Ellison of the UK!

So in my last post I introduced ellasport's sponsored athlete from the UK, Corinne Ellison, as she pursues the ultimate fitness test - an Ironman in 2012!  Corinne has an important history that makes her journey to Ironman particularly inspiring.  During her training for the London Marathon last year, she was diagnosed with a heart condition that required her to stop exercising immediately until she could have open-heart surgery!  

During my first interview with Corinne, I learned how she went from the 7-minute shuffle around the block (right after surgery) to training for a half-marathon coming up later this month! 

1.  What is the heart condition that you have? 

I was diagnosed with an atrial septal defect or ASD which is a hole between the top chambers of the heart. The hole was 2cm x 3cm - so pretty large and meant a large proportion of blood was flowing backwards though my heart causing it to enlarge. The heart condition is classed as a congenital defect meaning something I was born with but had gone undetected for 27 years!

2.  When did you notice something was not quite right in terms of your health?  Had it affected your running and other workouts?

Soon after I had run the Berlin marathon in September 2009 in exactly the same time I had run the London marathon earlier in the year, I began to feel frustrated at my lack of progress. Little by little, I noticed small changes in my health such as increased fatigue, shortness of breath at rest and palpitations. I put these symptoms down to general tiredness and the stress of having a busy life. I continued to push myself with hard running, biking and swimming sessions, trying to keep up with other members of my triathlon club. Eventually I went to see my doctor and within two weeks, I was diagnosed with the hole in my heart. 

3.  Tell us about the surgery you had in order to fix your heart.

Doctors performed several tests and took their time to decide which was the best option for closing the hole. It was decided that open heart surgery was the only option. I had the choice of a vertical or horizontal incision in my chest. I opted for a vertical scar as this meant a better recovery especially for returning to swimming. Fear didn't take hold of me until I went down to the operating theatre. Previously, I had been effectively blocking out nerves. During the surgery my heart was stopped for 39 minutes and I was put onto a 'bypass' machine. I spent a period on intensive care and was eventually released from hospital after 8 days.    

4.  Recovery!  Tell us what it was like and what you were thinking after the surgery and into your early recovery.

Recovery after the surgery was a roller-coaster of emotions! Sometimes I felt great, others I was exhausted and pain. Very quickly, I realized I wasn't invincible! All my thoughts were focused on getting better and achieving my goals. I had deferred a London marathon place and was desperate to to back to running. Before diagnosis, I had a clear plan of what I wanted to achieve and by when. Regularly reading these goals kept my spirits up in recovery. I was on countdown to my milestone dates: I was allowed to walk round the block after a week - I managed a whole 7 minute shuffle! Day by day, the distance increased and I began to feel stronger. I was in a lot of pain from my chest and neck but found it useful to concentrate on how lucky I was to have made it through such major surgery relatively well!