13. Listening To Your Body
Jun 20, 2013
(Lauren Warren) What would you do if every
month you doubled over in pain, convulsed and ended up in the
hospital for over two decades? What if the doctors didn’t
know what was wrong? What if some people told you that this
was all in your head? Would you resign yourself to a life of
despondency? Would you live in anger, frustration and
hopelessness? Although many people would, Lauren Warren,
decided she would compete in Ironman triathlons.
The first time Lauren menstruated
she was hospitalized. Her body broke down and she felt as
though she was dying. When it happened the next month and the
month after that, her family suspected that something was severely
wrong. Doctors could not find out what was causing these
flare-ups and a range of suggestions from anemia to psychological
counseling left a young Lauren feeling confused, embarrassed and
living in fear that she would have an episode while at
school.
Entering into adulthood Lauren
faced a tough decision – become a victim or decide to champion the
monster that reared its ugly head. Lauren chose the latter
and dug in; Lauren decided to take on Ironman triathlons (2.2 mile
swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run). Despite her health
challenges she became surprisingly good at racing the distance even
qualifying for the Ironman World Championships in
Kona.
How could a woman, who became
powerless for almost a week every month, compete and excel in one
of the most grueling races on the planet? Listen to this
amazing journey.