It would be a year and a day after undergoing heart surgery that Ed Ansems ran to a first place finish for his age group in a half marathon.
Ansems had run the 21 km Scotia Bank marathon in Vancouver before but this would be his first time taking the top spot.
“I ran as hard as I could,” he said of his 1:31:06 finishing time.
Ansems started experiencing chest pains last year and was lucky to get to the doctor in time, as one of his main arteries was 90 per cent blocked.
Once admitted into the hospital, Ansems was told he was lucky to be alive and underwent heart surgery where wire mesh was inserted into his artery to prop it open, allowing for 100 per cent blood flow.
Ansems feels that keeping physically active for most of his life is what saved him, as it kept his heart strong.
Throughout his marathon training and recreational running Ansems has at times run 120 km a week, although these days he keeps that number to around 90 km.
Ansems got into running years ago as a way to relieve stress and be physically active.
And it was something that obviously stuck with the 63-year-old retired Terrace teacher as he estimates he has run the world two and a half times over in his lifetime so far.
And Ansems doesn’t plan on stopping there. Next on his agenda is participating in a full marathon in Victoria this October in order to qualify for the Boston Marathon in 2013.
Ansems is positive about his past heart problems and wants people who have been through similar situations to know they can remain active.
“I would like to make people more aware that something like this doesn’t hinder you,” he explained.