Will I ever compete at same level again? lost my mojo

crazypenguinsfan

Just curious about other athletes experiences with playing their favorite sport competitively after treatment for BC and how long it took you to feel strong again and have confidence after treatment ended.... I had mastectomy at end of Feb 2012, had bad cellulitis infection at the end of April that took a couple of weeks to resolve. I have been slowly working my fitness back, it really took a beating. I finally am able to do push-ups without aggravating my pec muscles and the rest of my workouts are almost at pre-BC levels.... I feel almost normal.... except, I have zero confidence. And I feel like the weak link on my hockey team and when I play tennis. Sports used to be where I excelled and I got a lot of confidence from being able to do them well. Now when I am out there and I can't do what I used to be able to do, it is frustrating. I am thankful that I can even play, don't get me wrong. I feel deflated. I know I also have a lot of other issues that surround a diagnosis like this- the financial hit, the worry it might come back, the worry my good side might be not be good..

anyway, I got recruited to play on a higher level team based on my pre-BC play (and play over summer post-bc, but it was more relaxed pick-up) and I had my first game with my new team last night, let's just say that it wasn't so pretty....  Thanks for letting me pour out my insecurities....

Steph

everyminute

I was running 5ks at a 9:30 min mile runner pre cancer, I was pretty new at it and just starting to find out what pushing myself meant when I was diagnosed.  I was training for a half marathon and tore my meniscus and had knee surgery two weeks before I was diagnosed.  Chemo, bilateral, hysterectomy, radiation - I had it all. I also had 5 bouts of cellulitis so I know.  

Can you do it - yes.

1 year to the day from diagnosis - I ran a 5k in 27:51 - under a 9 min mile. Tore my meniscus in the other knee a few months later, surgery again.

2 years later - I ran the same 5k in 25:31- an 8:12 min mile avg.

3 years later - 24:14

This past Spring/Summer, almost 4 years from diagnoses, I ran a 5k at 23:31.  I placed in the top 3 or won my age group 4 times - and it is a competitive age group (women 40-49 is very competive, believe it or not)

I have also run 7 marathons in the past 2 years - first marathon was 2 years ago (2 years out of treatment 4:52, fastest marathon last year 3:52) and my goal is to qualify for Boston in a few weeks when I run my next one.

 Don't let cancer take any more than it already has.  Work hard, play hard.

Feel free to message me.

crazypenguinsfan

Everyminute, Thank you, thank you!!!! Your story is very inspiring And I wish you good luck qualifying for the Boston marathon, that is in my neck of the woods!

I am feeling down on myself and feeling like I want to quit so I don't let my team down. I have been putting so much pressure on myself to try to get back to where I was before, I think I need a better plan of action so I enjoy the ride more because right now it is just making me crazy and feel bad.

I will definitely be pm'ing you after a work meeting I have today. PS- I see you are in the Albany area, lots of my family have lived for generations in the upstate NY area, Bainbridge, Norwich, Cairo, Homer, etc....

Thanks so much for responding.

Steph