Corinne Ellison

So then new year has finally arrived – for me, 2011 signals the continuation on a journey to the ultimate physical and mental challenge of an Ironman. Reminiscing about 2010 today has made me realise the strength I gained from a trying year inspite of the obstacle of being diagnosed with a heart condition. The experience has made me even more grateful for the ability to exercise and the excitement of entering races to push my physical boundaries.

I started 2010 bursting with enthusiasm for exercise and had entered many races; running and triathlon. I was enjoying being part of the local triathlon club, had huge plans for new business and generally felt great…apart from a few nagging symptoms. I had been to see my doctor on new year’s eve as something told me that was a serious condition underlying. Lucky that I did as 2 weeks later, I was diagnosed with a hole in the heart. On new year’s day 2011, I sat discussing that year that has passed and tried to pinpoint the positive parts that stood out. I identified moving house, employing a first member of staff, enjoying having family over in the summer, signing up to a coaching course. I was a little sad to not have achieved the sporting and business aims I had set out in January 2010.

Aims from last year are now being carried over to 2011, with an added few, including a half Ironman in September. My journey to Ironman is not only following heart surgery but  also as a novice triathlete. I had just a year of training in the 3 disciplines before doctors told me to stop all exercise. This was a frustrating time, leaving me feeling helpless. My focus on the future kept me going, as it does now. When I lack the motivation to run, bike or swim, I imagine myself back in the hospital speaking to the consultant who told me my heart was failing. The previous day I had run 16 miles!

Speaking of heart failure, my grandfather has recently been diagnosed with this condition after a history of angina, heart attacks and coronary artery bypasses. We share stories of scans and consultant visits , laughing about the similarities. Coronary heart disease is all around and this makes me passionate about spreading the message about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. The cardiac history in my family has always been a concern to me, and maybe was one of the reasons I started running regularly. When studying to be a nurse, I chose to write  my dissertation on cardiac rehabilitation and found it amusing that I ended up attending these classes myself, age 27!

Now that 2011 is here, the long term goal of an Ironman in 2012 feels that much closer. I just can’t wait!!

Happy New Year!

Two and a bit weeks since my last post, my excuse? Life, work, stress… all reasons that prevent us from taking action towards important goals. I guess I have felt overwhelmed with urgent tasks involved with my business which resulted in November being largely unsuccessful. Yes I have earnt money, run a few times, been to the gym, seen a friend, written an article…. Ok, maybe unsuccessful is an unfair assessment. Urgent tasks persuade us away from the difficult jobs, such as finding time to write blogs, speak to that person or work towards a short term goal.

My lack of a November goal has had a huge impact on my exercise. I have lacked motivation to get out running regularly. My knees have started complaining when I did go out and I am seeing a chiropractor to get the aches nipped in the bud.

Business is so busy, I am working at least 12 hours a day when in the office and around 16 hour days when out at events (3 times a week). I am now very behind in my ‘to do’ list!

All in all, I just can’t wait until Christmas when I can stop and take stock. A recent email from a correspondent in the US made me stop my complaining and consider all that has gone well recently. Thanksgiving in America sounds a great idea to me. In the UK, we love to moan about the weather, the economy, the recession and anything else that depresses us. The power of gratitude is overwhelming. Comparing my life to others less fortunate, less healthy, really helped me gain perspective on my perceived problems.

Already, I am finding excuses about committing to a December goal. I am tempted to fall into the common trap of delaying action, until next month ‘when things have settled down’ or ‘when I am more financially stable’. Learning from November, I refuse to go goal-less again.

My December goals will be:

To complete my first module of reading for my coaching course

To get to the gym for core / strength training at least once a week

Complete a turbo trainer session at least once a week

Change

Much is changing in my life at the moment, all of which is welcome!

• We have sold the largest of our businesses, which is a huge relief financially and frees up much needed time for new business
• The exciting start to a new business begins
• I have signed up to a diploma in personal coaching, a long term ambition of mine.
• I am in the process of making decisions about my working role, involvement with various businesses, and possibility of going back to nursing
• Sorting out of my home life is underway, e.g. putting pictures on walls, clothes in wardrobes! We have been in our apartment for 6 months and still haven’t done these things!
• Jobs on the ‘to do’ list are getting ticked off at long last
• My fitness seems to be improving, almost to the same level as before I started experience symptoms relating to my heart defect
• The reality of next races are becoming real. Having entered several races, time is ticking by and training plans are beginning to be considered. It’s been fun training with no strict schedule!
• I am almost back to ‘normal’ physically, no pain or lingering effects from the surgery.

Business is a huge part of my life and has been since my early twenties. My experience has spanned student lettings (age 21), property development (age 22), online childrens’ clothing retailer (age 23), nationwide chocolate fountain hire company (age 24-27) and photo booth hire business (current). Even as a teenager, I spent my spare time running a small Avon cosmetics business and worked endless shifts as a care assistant. At university, my work ethic continued and fitted in around partying, I worked all my weekends, days off and holidays. I have always had the belief that hard work pays off in the long run. As I have gained confidence with aspects of business such as online marketing and sales, I have set my sights on a career in something I am passionate about.

At university, my tutor and class leader was a certified coach and had trained in NLP. Her lessons incorporated aspects of coaching theory and this intrigued me. Throughout my nursing career and personal life, I have found people come to me for motivation. I enjoy seeing others succeed and would love to be a part of this process with personal coaching. Can’t wait to get started. I feel I am at a stage where I have enough life experience, business experience and increased confidence.

Goals

When you run a business, committing to personal goals is sometimes difficult but not impossible! I have found my social life has suffered from my busy lifestyle and I don’t see friends or family anywhere near as often as I like. The benefits of mini goals such as a monthly target make long term aims more achievable. Rewarding yourself for completion of a monthly goal is satisfying! My October goal of running 6 miles in 60 minutes was great for motivation on a cold, wet morning. I am yet to set a goal for November and whilst, I am continuing to train regularly, I have lacked the dedication to a particular target. A group of women and I weigh ourselves weekly (called Tweigh!) and I also record my body fat. Having someone to share this information with spurs me on, even if sometimes I am the only one to post my results!

I have proven to myself many times that I am good at sticking to a schedule or training plan. Similarly in business, ‘to do’ lists feature heavily! To achieve all I want to in the next 12 months, I must implement plans, lists and more plans!

Funny how sometimes I can completely forget about my fixed heart defect and continue life as if nothing happened! Instead on focusing on every twinge and missed beat, I am now so busy with work and life in general that I often forget about my operation. Then I get a little reminder. Something to make me remember and consider myself extremely lucky.

My recent reminder was during take-off of my first flight since my heart surgery. Over the weekend, I went to Germany to see family and I hadn’t considered the travel nor had any nerves. Once on the plane, I began to feel a little scared and looked to my partner for support. ‘Will I be ok?’ I asked him nervously. Bearing in mind I was clear to fly after 6 weeks, I had nothing to worry about. Stories about the ‘patch’ coming dislodged at attitude filled my mind and I felt very worried. All was fine and I didn’t get so much as a tiny palpitation!

Over the coming months I expect to have occasional moments of anxiety about my fixed heart, especially as I slowly increase my training and push myself further. I believe a little worry is healthy and allows you to gain perspective. I certainly had my feet firmly on the ground whilst taking off in a plane!

Heart surgery has given me time to reflect on many aspects of my life, including career aspirations, life ambitions and what makes me happy. Maybe as a result of my pondering, we have recently sold our company to focus on an exciting new business. I have also applied to start a diploma in coaching. My ambition (other than completing Ironman Florida) is to help others achieve their dreams. I also feel very privileged to be asked to be part of the IronHeart Racing Team. Check out the amazing website for inspiration overload!

Had a rather frustrating week, which is to be expected at this stage of my recovery. Two steps forward, one back at the moment! After the excitement of getting back in the pool and back on the bike, my chest has continued to ache during and after exercise. After 10 lengths of the pool, I had to get out. After a 14 mile bike, I was in pain for 2 days afterwards. Even after a gentle 3 mile run, my sternum bone is very uncomfortable. I guess my body is trying to tell me something! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a moaning minnie – I am extremely grateful that I am back training again. I just got a little carried away and I have learnt my lesson!

Referring back to my heart surgery ‘manual’, I read that if an exercise causes pain or discomfort then I should stop for 2 weeks before re-trying. This made me smile, I thought exercise was always meant to cause pain and discomfort! The difficulty I have when applying these principles to my condition is that I am 30-40 years younger than most heart patients. My previous level of fitness is allowing me to return to higher levels of exercise than is routinely expected. As a result of this (and after discussion with my hospital consultant), I have decided to take the lead from my body day by day. For the last few weeks I have been training every other day. If I need extra days of rest, I’ll take them. Sound sensible?? Pre-heart surgery me finds it hard to stay put and out of the fresh air.

As I mentioned on my previous post, I have recently been speaking to athletes planning their trip to the world Ironman championships in Kona next month. I am fascinated by what goes into training for this event. Having such an exciting long term goal as finishing a long distance triathlon outweighs any of my short term aim niggles.

Lessons I have learnt this week:

• Don’t run on an empty stomach (if like me, it makes you dizzy and sick!).
• Don’t push too hard too early on in recovery from major surgery.
• Listen to your body and let it dictate the length or intensity of a training session.

Of course, there are plenty of occasions when you push your body to the limit and I fully intend to get back to this level of training as soon as body says ‘OK, let’s go!’

No longer will I be posting about my recovery weeks – the official 12 weeks is over! So what now? The beginning of the rest of my life.  The excitement of the future and acceptance of events in the past. My mourning for months lost, finances lost, confidence lost is slowly easing and my focus again shifts to I can do. The easiest way for me to measure success is exercise. Every day during my recovery I kept a diary of how far I walked, starting with a tiddly 7 minutes and round the block.

Today I ran 6 miles, at a slow pace (12 min/miles with a couple of walk breaks) but felt good. The distance was no problem. If any slight nagging voices came into my head about wanting to run faster, I cast them aside. Right now, I’m lucky to be running and want to enjoy the joy of getting out in the fresh air and soaking up the scenery like this morning’s run (see pic!). I am great at sticking rigidly to training plans and getting psyched up for faster times and results but now is not the time to do this. I get the odd bout of chest pain if I raise my heart rate above 150/160 or push that bit too hard. I have plenty of time to work towards my goals in triathlon and running in 2011.

Speaking of which: here is my race plan options for 2011!:

Jan / Feb – Rempstone Roast duathlon series

20th Feb Brighton half marathon (got place)

March – Either Mad March triathlon in Dorset or Bournemouth Bay half marathon

17th April London Marathon (have my beloved place!)

8th May Try a tri, Dorset  or maybe New Forest Olympic on 1st May

June – London to Brighton bike ride (have place), Bournemouth pier to pier swim, maybe Summer Sizzler tri in Dorset

July – Bournemouth Olympic, London Triathlon (have place)

August – not sure about this one. Maybe Hyde Park on 6/7th or Swanage on 14th

September is 70.3 time! Options are New Forest middle distance 25th Sept, Vitruvian. Depending on pennies there are some M-Dot events abroad (New York, Mexico, Canada, New Hampshire!!!)
Have entered pre-reg for the Great North Run as well

All very exciting.

The above plans were jotted down for this year but my heart had a ‘mechanical’, so to speak! My mind never stopped believing in my ability to achieve, hence the endless frustration and disappointing times despite good training. I have many people around me who provide great inspiration. These include my friend who ran the London marathon for the first time this year, despite injury and an age 0f 63. We run together regularly and she really keeps my spirits up. Also, a new training friend inspires me – she has taken up triathlon despite health problems. It’s great to have strong people around you. I love following stories on Twitter about people who have gone from overweight and unfit to triathletes qualifying for Kona world championships! When in the pool, on the bike or out on a run, I imagine I am Chrissie Wellington and all seems effortless and easy! Role models are amazing motivation.

Check out this for motivation:

For most people, it is difficult to make a living out of sport unless you are gifted and have the determination to work excessively hard. But everyone can use sport to improve the rest of your life. Like holidays, sporting events give you something to look forward to and work towards.

12 weeks ago today, I had heart surgery for a large hole in my heart. My heart was stopped and I was put onto a bypass system during the operation. I woke up in intensive care sore and feeling very sick. I spent 8 days in hospital before returning home to spend the next 12 weeks recovering.

Last night, re-running this in my mind kept me awake. Since my operation, all my focus has been on getting better and the future. I never let myself think about the lead up to surgery, my time in hospital or any pain during recovery. I can now admit it wasn’t easy. It hurt. I was scared. I saw my cardiologist last week who told me I would have died in 8 -10 years if I hadn’t had the surgery. At the time, I laughed this off. Afterwards I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach! This information has only made me more determined to achieve now. Achieve in business, in triathlon, in running and my life in general.

Niggling fears and doubts are starting to bug me! Two of my hospital consultants have told me that it is ok for me to train again. They both know my aims to return to triathlon and running (ironman hasn’t been mentioned though!). Both were quick to tell me I wouldn’t be able to be an elite athlete. This hasn’t been an aim of mine but why is it when someone tells you you can’t do something, it makes you want it even more!! I am now questioning why not. Physiologically, can my heart not stand intense exercise? I’ve been told my heart is as good as new now so this doesn’t make sense. Should I be scared to push it on a lone 20 mile run or 50 mile bike ride? What if I feel like I did after the Berlin marathon last year (hideous!). Feelings of sadness have filled me this week. Sadness at what I have missed in terms of races and at what my body has gone through.

There I’ve said it. I admit to feeling rubbish this week. However, I have had the best training sessions. Running on the treadmill with the occasional 1 minute walk have felt great.  Cycling on the spin bike at the gym was such as relief to get back on the bike. The best feeling of all was getting back in the pool. Lengths felt so easy, I was shocked! No breathlessness or chest pain, not so much as an ache in any of my chest muscles. My sternum has now healed, yipee!! I am finally at a stage where I am going to overtake my progress before my operation. With some trepidation I am starting to believe in what I may be capable of. I  am excited to think of the personal bests that may be ahead. All the frustration of not achieving the times I thought I should in relation to my training is now behind me.

Although my heart was stopped 12 weeks ago today, it has never worked as efficiently as it is now. For that, I am very grateful! Coming soon is my list of 2011 races

To those who have been reading this blog don’t get too excited, I haven’t gone out and done an Ironman!! Until now I have kept this blog post as a diary for my progress following heart surgery in June. From now, I will be recording my journey returning to the sport of triathlon and in particular the ultimate challenge of Ironman.

Over the weekend, I watched a programme on the UK Ironman race. This inspired me to begin serious research into training for the long-distance race. Which Ironman, when is realistic, what training will I need. I have begun looking for a triathlon coach as I feel I will need structure to my training and good advice to keep me on track. Through Twitter and Triblogs I have come across some great people, from local novice triathletes to train with to expert coaches from the US. I fully intend to utilise the powers of the web to aid my training!

The reaction I have had from friends, family and online acquaintances has been mixed! My brother thinks a screw has come loose. My friends understand my obsession with extreme challenges. Friends on Twitter have given me great words of encouragement which really spurs me on. The Channel 4 programme on the UK Ironman showed several participants who had a ‘story’ such as a young guy who had fallen 100ft in the ski accident and was in a wheelchair for months, a Canadian women in her 60′s on her second Ironman and countless others. Whenever I watch footage of a long distance triathlon the strength of human nature is obviously abundant and this reduces me to tears and goosebumps every time.

So what is my personal reason for wanting to do an Ironman? My heart surgery set me back in my marathon and triathlon training. I had set out goals for each year up until 2012 and as a result of my heart condition, didn’t seem to be getting anywhere fast! My aim for a sub 4:30 marathon went by the wayside in 2009 as my symptoms worsened. I couldn’t understand why my running was slowing rather than improving. Doctors in March 2010, when they heard the word triathlon, told me to stop training (other than a gentle jog or walk). I found this disheartening and frustrating so tried to carry on working out for a few more weeks. Finally, I was forced to give up exercise. I was told by my cardiologist that I would never be an elite athlete (although this hadn’t been my aim). At this time, my way of getting through was to focus all my energy on ensuring I focus on the future and making sure I had the required surgery as soon as possible. This strategy worked and carried me through the tough times.

Here I am now, nearly at the golden 12 week date. 15th September to me is the start of my future as a triathlete. On that day, I will celebrate the end of my recovery period with my first cycle and swim in the pool. I have a long way to go with my training as over the last 6 months I have obviously lost fitness, have put on weight/body fat and just a little bit of confidence.

My aims for the next few weeks:

• x 3 runs a week, slow pace (no quicker than 10 min/miles), distance between 2 – 5 miles
• Gentle workouts at the gym, 1-2 x a week
• Yoga x 3 a week
• Massage or reflexology once a month to help with lingering sore neck
• Ease back into swimming, depending on how my chest is feeling
• Set-up my turbo and begin gentle cycle sessions x 2/3 a week
• Research a triathlon coach
• Record my weight/body fat and exercise sessions to keep a log

I love following a training plan and I will start looking into marathon plans that begin at the end of 2010/Jan 2011 but will not follow a plan at the moment. This is because I need to listen to my body while I resume exercise again and make sure I take the necessary rest. There is plenty of time to focus on sub 4hr marathon, olympic and 70.3 triathlon plans!

Brief race plan for 2011 – 2012.

April 2011 – London Marathon. Aiming for sub 4 hours.

Spring 2011 – Sprint distance triathlon as warm-up race

Summer 2011 – 2 or 3 olympic distance races (including Bournemouth and London)

August, September or autumn 2011 – half Ironman.

2012 – Ironman!!

Stats today:

Weight: 9 st 1 lb, Body fat: 25.8%, BMI: 20.4, Waist: 26”, Hips: 36”

My second week training has gone well. Last week I managed 2 runs and 1 gym session and felt great! Today I attended my second cardiac rehab class and enjoyed the company. It was humbling to hear the stories of others who had suffered heart attacks. Several people described the psychological impact of coming to terms with an unexpected cardiac event. I compared my experience to theirs and certainly feel lucky that my heart condition was easy to resolve. I know I did nothing wrong in terms of lifestyle, diet etc to cause the defect so there is no guilt for me to deal with. All my focus has been on returning to my level of fitness. I am so grateful that I have no heart disease and hopefully never will have!

My main concern this weeks is a very sore neck. This is likely muscular pain following my surgery and is a bit of a pain! I have reduced most of my painkillers down and I am keen to stop them completely. I had a reflexology session on Monday which was fascinating and very accurate about my problems! I am trying Indian head massage on Friday so I am hoping this will relieve the ongoing pain.

I have dropped back on my walks in favour of runs, I completed 2.3 miles today. The endorphins I get from running are incredible. I almost had forgotten what they felt like! It all feels real now, and I am not afraid to tell people I am training for a marathon and fully intend to have a good triathlon season next year. I have even had my first offer of sponsorship from the cardiac rehab team.

3 more weeks until I can get back on my bike and into the pool!

Me and my healing scar!

This week I hit my 8 week date, 2 months since my heart surgery. This for me meant I was able to go for my first run in 5 months.

I started the day with my first cardiac rehab session at the local hospital. I had almost been put off before attending, wondering what I would get out of the session and if I would look out of place. Still, always curious to learn more about exercise, I went along and really enjoyed myself. I got chatting to many people with varying heart conditions. I was the youngest there but could still relate to others who had gone through heart surgery. As I told my story, I felt pride at what I have been through and humbled that my return to normal life and exercise has been fairly smooth.

The circuit of cardio exercises and stretches was fun and I was able to push myself in a safe environment. This gave me the confidence to push my heart rate on my first run.

Again, to feel safe, I used my friend’s treadmill with the door open and safety key firmly attached to my shorts! I gingerly warmed up and gradually fell into a jog. Over the 30 minute session I did 2 minutes running followed by 1 minute walking. I remembered the Borg scale taught to me the cardiac rehab class and kept my exertion to 4/10 in order not to push my heart too much. On future runs, I will wear my heart rate monitor to keep my heart rate below 164. I covered 2.2 miles in the session and felt good afterwards. I had no chest pain, discomfort or shortness of breath but my legs did ache!!

After a busy few days with family down and lots of walking, I have decided to limit my runs to one more this week, on Sunday with my friend. This will allow me to recover in the meantime and start out fresh for run no. 2!

I have read about others who have returned to running quickly after heart surgery (some after only 2 week!) but I felt I should follow doctor’s orders and stay within my limits. With a tough marathon time to work towards, there is plenty of time for the pain, strain and sheer exhaustion that accompanies running. For now, I am focusing on little and often, slow and steady