2012 Running Thread

Anonymous

Wow!  You are so fast!  Good for you!  

orangemat

Wow, you are smokin' fast, eulabt! Congrats!!

goldlining

I would like to know how it feels to run that fast :-)

Congratulations eulabt! 

eulabt

Thanks! There were a lot of teenagers in the race and they were kicking my ass! That really helped my pace! I may have to run a nother fun one next weekend:)

iswimibikeirun

Jealous of those of you who are out there running! Still, I can't complain since I'm still just home from the hospital yesterday. I've found that my race belt has been great for holding my drains. I can get up and down stairs, but DH has proclaimed I'm still not going to make the 6 hour cut off (for a marathon) for even a 5 k.



Keep up all the encouraging stories!

Anonymous

So here's my exercise report for the week.  Last year I was in the final weeks of training for my first marathon and this week.....I walked almost 4 miles...in 5 days!    Today is day 17 after my BMX with TE put in.  I walked 1/4 mile, 1/3 mile, 1/2 mile, 1 mile, and today 1.5 miles!  Hooray!  My goal is to walk 5 days a week, and I would like to build up to 1 hour a day.  Before my diagnosis back in February, I signed my family (except for my 6yo son) up for a 10K that that my husband, three older children and I run every year.  It is on May 5.  For the first time, I signed my up my 8 year old daughter too.   February 1, she began a training plan (kind of like a couch potato to 10K plan).  I had planned to run the 10K with her.  Now I can't.  She will be too fast for me!    So my husband is going to run with her, and I hope that I can walk it!  I have never walked a race before, but I will be so proud if I can do it this year!!

goldlining

Yay Roan! Impressed by your family squad. My daughter (16) seems to be on a 21k to couch plan. She did two half marathons with us but says she's done, and has also hung up her nose clip after many years of synchro swimming 16 hours a week. She has juvenile arthritis so says she isn't comfortable running despite being in remission. Still, there's no telling a 16 year old anything.

Is it wrong that whenever I sign in to BCO, I save reading this thread for last? It always leaves me in a good mood! 

groovygirls

Eulabt- that's GREAT!

iswimibikeirun

Roan, it'll be fun to have a goal.  I missed my first long run in a long time this past weekend.  Suffice it to say, I was very happy the temps were in the upper 80s with high humidity making me very glad NOT to be there.

One week post BMX/DIEP, I will say that the stairs were more of a challenge post first marathon than they have been post surgery.  Although it's slow getting up and sitting down, there isn't the accompanying muscle pain in the legs!

 There's a lot to be said for a good exercise program pre op!

eulabt

iswimibikeirun- so glad to hear that you are doing well. It is amazing how being in shape helps with your recovery.

iswimibikeirun

Thanks, eulabt!

The funny thing is, if you go strictly on  a BMI chart, I'd be considered obese (DH says I'm on the bigger side of being a medium sized person--which I guess is good since he doesn't like the bony types or the really squishy ones).  I certainly don't consider myself that athletic or active, but after coming to the boards and talking to the doctors, I can tell that it really makes a big difference.

groovygirls

I just signed me and DH up for the Run for your Lives- its a 5 k where we will be chased by zombies. A warrior dash with a twist (warrior dashed are also super fun!)

iswimibikeirun

I've been reading lots about this zombie race!  I guess you're not signed up to be zombies.

Anonymous

I walked 1.75 miles this morning!  Yay!  But I have been wiped out all day.    I am not used to being tired, I am used to being the energizer bunny!  

I cannot figure out what kind of bra, camisole, tank top, or nothing to wear!  My incision site and really my entire breast is so super sensitive.  I don't want any fabic moving around on it.....and when I get a bra (mostly I am trying super soft sports bras) that doesn't dig into my super sensitive rib cage, the cup part is too loose and rubs my sensitive skin?  Does the sensitivity get any better?  Also all around my underarm area is sensitive too.  I am 19 days post BMX with TE.  Not that I'm counting days or anything!  Ha! 

orangemat

Roan, I've been wearing the Champion zip-front sports bra 24/7 as per my PS's instructions, but I put some gauze pads on all my incisions spots and that protects my skin better. There are adjustable tabs on either side of the bra band that you can make tighter or looser, so for the first couple weeks I had the right (my UMX side) on the loosest setting and the left one on the tightest. As my swelling has gone down, I've made the tabs be on the tightest setting on both sides. Now if only it had adjustable bra straps, then it would be really ideal. I actually had to sew up the straps to shorten them. The PS fitted me in a medium after surgery, but usually I wear a small to an x-small in sports bras. Oh well, only three more weeks of wearing them... 

iswimibikeirun

@Roan-

When I had my lumpectomy, I ran with a double bra and a panty liner over the incision.  That help keep the rubbing to a minium.

groovygirls

Roan- first few weeks are rough. What I did was to go to the runnng store and get several bras and brought them home to try on. At first what worked was a zip front (moving comfort I think) and a size smaller than what I usually wear compression top over that (under armour). I would even put my surgical bra over all this.

6 months post op I am feeling almost back to normal. Push ups are "interesting" but things are feeling better

Anonymous

orangemat,iswimibikeirun,groovygirls--

Thank you for your recommendations!  This morning I put on a size small sports bra for my walk (I walked 1.6 miles in 30 minutes!), and it has felt so comfortable, that I still have it on!  I had been wearing the size medium, and the size small felt much better today on my rib cage, and it was a better fit in the cup size.  If it wasn't for the rib cage issue, I would wear my normal sports bras, which are a very compressing size small.  

It's good to hear that you can do push ups, groovygirls!  I had just finished the Insanity workout program prior to my BMX.  I wondered if I would be able to do push-ups again one day! 

orangemat

You'll do pushups, for sure. I was back to doing them in physical therapy... of course then I sprained my shoulder... only me.... 

I hired a running coach tonight! Went to the track workout, jogged a bunch of easy laps with my friends, and talked to the coach about setting something up one-on-one. I figured for my 50th birthday that's coming up, I could treat myself. Also in light of all that I've gone through this past year, I could use a little something special, especially since I love running so much. So while my fall marathon is still an unknown quantity right now, I'm going to have a personalized training plan for it. Woot!

paradiju

Hi all!

I'm new here -- wish I'd found this site sooner -- I tought I was alone. I ran all the way through chemo and radiation and felt fine most of the time -- of course I did slow down to about 5mph but I got right back up to my normal base of 6.2mph right after chemo ended -- even during radiation.

I was so happy that I did so well that I am getting together a group to discuss writting a book -- something like "A Positive Approach to Breast Cancer." Don't know about you ladies but when i was diagnosed all i got was gloomy and doomy -- how sick I should expect to be, how tired i was going to be and so on and on -- most of it never happened. I think there is a lot of room for some positivity. Anyone interested in collaborating? Or at least sharing? 

Besides the gloom and doom everyone told me I was nuts to work out and run every day and kept saying I should "take it easy" -- they just didn't get that running is what made me feel normal. I ran 8 days after my lumpectomy and wore two jogging bras -- that helped. In fact even after the radiation was finished my boob was often tender and I had some shooting pain for about two months so I kept wearing two bras.

I am not much of a "racer" but have done 10 marathons in about as many years and 6 triathlons -- I am now 61 and training for another tri this summer. My pb marathon was 4:15 -- 5 years ago

I am trying tamoxifen and have been on it for three months but I am seriously thinking of quiting -- not worth the side effects -- joint pain, hot flashes, anxiety attacks, even depression -- who needs it! The way I see it, life is about quality not quantity.

goldlining

Welcome to the happiest thread on BCO paradiju.

I have been loving my lululemon "bust stops here" bra, but I am still grumping about the lymphedema just on one side. If I was 100% sure that it didn't matter, I could put up with it swelling and unswelling. I am just worried that if it gets used to swelling, it won't go back. So I do want to try more effective compression. The LE therapist has suggested I get a vest but haven't had the appointment with PS yet. The LE therapist taped my up with kinesiotape to try to lift the skin off and drain it but I had swelling again today just working on my computer and grumbling about my students in my head. 

Under our medical regime, I need to see a specialist for rx for compression stuff, specifically what pressure level it is supposed to be. I fear after waiting all this time, I will get there and the PS fellow will say "I don't know anything about compression. You need to see Dr. XYZ." and I will wait another month or more.

With that background, I was really interested in today's posts with ideas about other sports bras. I tried on the new underarmour sports bra last week and they seem to come up a bit higher on the front, so as to make for less jiggle. However I tried on sizes from B to D in two rib sizes and I could not tell which fit me. I think my actual regular size would be too loose for getting the benefit of complete immobilization/compression to stave off the swelling. However in the trying-on, the putting them on and off made the swelling flare up and I just looked like a big sausage, and I didn't want to blow 70 bucks on the wrong size. It was a really nice bra, though. I'd say take a look at it if you're in the market.

orangemat

Glad you made it over here, paradiju. Interesting thought on your book idea. The reaction I kept getting from people, runners and non-runners alike, was that they were so surprised and impressed as to how positive I was being throughout the entire process. "You're such an inspiration" was the constant comment. Really? I didn't have radiation, didn't need chemo, just a couple surgeries, so all in all, my case has not been all that horrrible. And anyway, what were they expecting, that I would just roll over and die once I got my diagnosis? Of course I kept my positive attitude, it was a no-brainer. Why choose to be negative, when being positive is clearly still an option?? It is, after all, all about CHOICE.

goldlining, I wasn't aware that you're dealing with LE. Oh man, that stinks. Were you told that you had it, or did you just realize it yourself and start seeing the LE therapist? I worry about that a bit, though I only had one node removed. I did see a LE therapist on my own last fall when I noticed a bit of puffiness around my shoulderblade that didn't look the same on the other side. She told me it was just "back fat", but did work on breaking up the scar tissue that had formed around my implant and into the armpit. Even though I'd been going to PT regularly since my first surgery back in May, there were areas that she could address that my regular PT did not. I'll go back to her in a couple weeks to assess how I'm healing from this current surgery, once I have my 6 week checkup with my PS.

kks_rd

Totally agree about the positive attitude thing. While some of the treatments took a physical toll on my body, I kept working full-time and staying active in all areas of my life.  I couldn't always run but I always did what I could.  People simply didn't understand that I needed that!  Just as I couldn't understand their amazement at how I was "handling" the dx and tx.

It IS a choice. No doubt about it.

Paradiju, you might like reading this article: Smile! You've got Breast Cancer.

A little off-topic...or is it?  I think this is one of the post positive threads on BCO.

My little Couch to 5K group is taking off!  Many people have written me to tell me that even though they're not running with us at work, they're following the program on their own and will be running the Chase Corporate Challenge with out team in May.  Last year our organization of over 1000 employees had a sad little team of just 5 people.  This year, it looks like we'll have more like 25, most of them new runners!  Of course, the group accountability is helping me from being "too busy" to run regularly.  In other words, I can safely say I'm back into a real routine, despite how insanely busy work is (70-90 hour work weeks) right now!

Should be a beautiful day to run today.  Low 60s and partly cloudy....

runnergirl4life

Hi all, I've been taking vicodin for the pain I've been having for tumors in the lymph nodes. Haven't run much because of life, cancer, and injury issues so I feel my fitness level rapidly dropping.

Yesterday I ran/walked three miles. I haven't had to walk in a three mile run in I can't tell you how long. But, I'm determined to continue to run as much as I can. It was also the first time I'd run while on pain medication. I take half a pill so it's not much, but I was afraid of the pain getting to be too much if I didn't take anything. Well, needless to say, I have no pain while running or much after. It's the only activity that doesn't irritate. Strange, but I love it!

What are your experiences of running while on pain medication? I'm going on an extensive hill walk/jog today and will try without pain medication to see if it makes a difference in my performance.

Blessings to you all,

Renee' 

paradiju

Reading your posts is like hearing myself -- why be negative when you can be positive? I too had many people say how "brave" I was being. Brave is volunteering to put yourslef in the line of fire -- I don't think any of us volunteered to do this -- we simply had no choice about cancer but we do have a choice about how we deal with it!

Yeah runner gals. Even at our worst we are better than most NorthAmericans when it come to fitness -- runnergirl4life -- run/walking 3 miles is great given you are in pain. Funny how it's better when you run -- duh i gues that is why we do it. kks_rd -- what on earth do you do? How do you have time to run and work 70 hour weeks? Does your family call you superwoman?

I had two nodes removed and radiation on the same side. While I do not noticed any swelling, my shoulder and pec muscles certainly deteriorated from the radiation - I wish they had told me that would happen, stupidly it did not occur to me. I have been doing phsio for three months and my range of motion is getting back to normal -- although the shoulder still aches at times.  

I am signing up for a triathlon this summer -- 1.5km swim, 42km bike and 10km run. A bit easier on the old bod than running a marathon.

I try to do two events a day -- tomorrow is swim (great for the shoulder) and run.

cheers

goldlining

re swelling or LE, I noticed nothing in the year after my mx, or even for six weeks after the DIEP, but then I did the Tinker Bell Half, the first long run after the surgery, and when I took off the sports bra, I noticed I was all swollen out on either side of the horizontal scar line on the delayed-DIEP side. I checked with the surgeon and he was sort of wait and see about it but I already had an appointment booked with the LE therapist suggested by my regular physio. She works on the scars and tightness, but not really expert with swelling, plus my 30 minutes is already full between the shoulders and the hips.

It seems to go down when the LE therapist does the drainage massage, and also when I am horizontal overnight, especially sleeping in a compression shirt (which is only going to work until summer kicks in), but within half an hour of waking up, it has already swollen mildly. When I am very active, it swells more. By the end of a busy day, my cleavage has moved an inch to one side. I also have it at the corresponding area on my back, from shoulder blade out under the arm. Also at the same time as the swelling started, I started having shortness of breath that doesn't respond to my asthma medication and is not connected to any sickness. Maybe the whole drainage in that side of my chest is buggered up.

Although it is a soothing hour, it's really inconvenient having to drop everything and take a half hour subway trip each way, and she wants to see me weekly. I have been going alternate weeks, because I just can't spare the time. So I think I want to try a compression vest to see what it will do. The LE therapist said a vest should prevent the swelling before it happens, which would give me more independence to run without worrying about setting it off. I don't think I have much in the way of arm swelling, but will probably get sleeves and leg sleeves for travel, just to have. If it needs ongoing drainage massage, I may have to look into finding a LE therapist downtown closer to work.

Keep those run reports coming folks. I did an easy 6km around the neighbourhood Sunday afternoon and it was great. Ran along the beach boardwalk and back, dodging the Sunday strollers and dogwalkers. I wanted to do a 5K spring fun run this Sunday but I'm feeling wimpy about the cold front coming through. Keeping an open mind...

paradiju

I really am a newbie -- there are so many acronyms -- some I knew and some I've figured out but I don't know what DIEP, DX or BMX stands for -- to name just a few -- is there a lexicon of terms anywhere on this site?

But on a more relevant topic -- swam this morning for 1.5 hours in an olympic sized pool (50 meters) -- almost killed me. Amazing how different each exercise is -- I can run 10km with no problems but two lenghts and I was panting. The weakness in my right shoulder from radiaion didn't help but I can only get stronger. Tomorrow is a run day again -- treadmill 8km hills. I too am put off by the predicted cold and wind. 

orangemat

Here's a thread I found when I first joined that lists many of the acronyms: acronym thread

Nice job on the swim! I have an inherent shoulder instability on the same side I had my UMX (that's unilateral mastectomy), so I wouldn't ever think of trying swimming. I just started working with a coach this week, and he asked if I'm able to ride a bike yet. Since he doesn't really approve of walking as a form of crosstraining, he suggested I either cycle or do the elliptical. So I guess I'll be bringing out my old hybrid bicycle this weekend!

runnergirl4life

Since I had my lumpectomy December 2010 I haven't really been able to properly work my arms and chest.Does anyone have any good exercises to do for arms and chest area besides swimming (I don't have access to a community swimming pool) that is gentle and effective?

Renee' 

orangemat

Renee', did you have any physical therapy? I've been going consistently since two weeks after my first surgery last May, and it's made a world of difference for me. Gentle, therapeutic stretching at first, then gradually adding in weight-bearing exercises as the months and weeks progressed. I finally stopped in February, and just restarted last week after my most recent surgery on March 5. Hopefully you can get a prescription from your doctor. The one-on-one care from a good PT is so good for one's recovery, on so many levels.