Lisa Perterer has revealed how she underwent surgery at the end of last season in a bid to resolve a rare vascular condition which was prohibiting both her running and cycling ability.
The Austrian was due to make her 2026 debut at IRONMAN Texas two weeks ago, but as a severe cold put paid to those plans, she now accepts that her recovery will just have to take a little longer as she is forced to restructure her season.
Having felt discomfort in both legs for much of last season, she was finally able to put a name on her condition last November when, having just secured an impressive win at Cozumel, doctors diagnosed her with iliac artery endofibrosis.
Arterial wall thickening
Primarily affecting young endurance athletes and cyclists, the condition is caused by repetitive hip flexion and high blood flow, leading to arterial wall thickening and reduced blood flow.
It can result in leg pain, numbness, or cramping, and while some athletes have been able to recover using treatments, it is normal for surgery to be required.
Perterer had done all the hard work. After going under the knife in the immediate aftermath of last year’s T100 Triathlon World Tour finals in Qatar, she had battled back to full fitness and was on course to make her return at Texas… But her body had different ideas.
Writing on Instagram this week, she said: “Ok, this is a tough post to share after a very disappointing DNS. I felt happy, ready, and honestly really proud that I had made it to race week in that kind of shape. The past months were far from easy. Actually, they were some of the hardest I’ve had.
‘You’re just getting older, Lisa’
“After IM Cozumel, I finally got a diagnosis I’d been searching for over the last 2.5 years: iliac artery endofibrosis in both legs. ‘Luckily’, it has mostly affected my right leg, but that’s also the one that has caused me so many problems.
“Countless doctor visits, and the most common answer I got was: ‘You’re just getting older, Lisa’. But I wasn’t ready to accept that. I tried everything: treatments, adjustments, and pushing through, but nothing really solved it.
“Running faster than tempo/IM pace? Not possible without my leg shutting down. On the bike, my balance was off (60/40), with constant pain.”
Having decided that surgery was her only option, the 34-year-old set herself the target of an April return to competitive action and the hope of being able to race pain-free.
‘Dealing with daily pain was exhausting’
“Last year looked great on paper, but mentally, dealing with daily pain was exhausting,” she admitted. “So I made a decision; my only chance to get faster and truly enjoy the sport again was to take the risk and go for surgery straight after T100 Qatar.
“The next two months after surgery really tested my patience. Four weeks of no movement, followed by another four weeks of just light walking. The marks from surgery are still there, but over the last few weeks, I’ve tried not to focus on them and instead on what’s ahead.
“My goal for the beginning of the season was simple: make it to the start line at IM Texas. And I truly believed I would. I started preparing four weeks out, and everything went better than expected. My body responded; I felt strong again.
“Then race weekend came, and with it, the decision not to start. I caught a pretty nasty cold. Fever went up on race morning, and the coughing got worse. It hurts. A lot. But sometimes the right call isn’t the easy one. Maybe it’s just my body asking for a little more time. So we adjust. We keep going.”
Pro series is still on the radar
And so with a new race schedule in place, Perterer is confident that she can still challenge for the Pro Series this season, starting with a June date in Germany.
“New plans are already in place: a DNS won’t stop me from chasing the Pro Series! My next goal: European Championship at IM Hamburg and IM 70.3 Aix,” she confirmed.
Having achieved five podium finishes (a win, three runners-up spots and a third) last season racing with her condition, it will certainly be interesting to see how she fares feeling 100% fit again.
