2016 Running Thread

littleblueflowers

Hi ladies, may I join you? I'm hoping to do a half marathon in 2 weeks. Very excited to meet all of you!

goldlining

welcome littleblueflowers! What's the half marathon? We'll put it up top.

geewhiz

Welcome LittleBlue!

I am fascinated too, about Ultra's. I would love to be able to do one someday! It's very motivating to read about.

Keep on keeping on cupcake!

littleblueflowers

Goldlining- its Snowjoke, local race here in Montana. I love all the talk about ultras here! My brother has done a few, and my RO and MO are part of our local ultra running group. My goal is to join them!

goldlining

Boy that looks cold! It's in the top post, so we look forward to hearing how it went!

My new shoes were delivered and I couldn't resist a short run, just 1.5km to see how they felt. Very nice, and pretty too. Seem to have a little pace improvement, but that could just be the excitement They're Adidas Boston Boost in the new blue colour.

Lunderwood

Welcome Little Blue! I have always wanted to run in Montana but I would definitely need to think about a summer run. I have lived in Texas too long now and can't handle the cold winters any more. Goldlining your shoes sound great. My favorite road shoes are Brooks Glycerin's and for trails I wear Brooks Cascadia's. New running shoes are one of the little joys in life.

Oh and I have signed up for the A-OK 25k trail run on March 7th.

cupcaker

Welcome littleblueflowers!

goldlining - that's so awesome that you get to take your running trips around the parks. I would love that.

Thanks ladies for the encouragement and positivity! I saw that the Disney Paris Half had additional bibs available and couldn't help myself. I still can't believe that it was only $77 USD for registration. I'm waiting for that lightbulb moment when you realize you've done it wrong.

I'm planning on doing 10 miles tomorrow morning with a friend and then I'm hoping that after my surgery this Tuesday that it'll only be a couple weeks til I can get up and moving.

Take care everyone and have fun running!

goldlining

I was surprised too that Disneyland Paris was a cheaper registration. I bought the package with hotel and tickets from Get Travel, but I did a mental calculation and figured the bib was cheaper than it is in the USA. Don't forget you need a specific medical permission form. I think it is EU law. I have a note to get it closer to the date.

PS I put you in the top post as the Half - that's what you're doing, correct?

Rseman

oh wow how I have fallen off the running regimine since NYC. It's almost like my body wants nothing to do with it. I hope it's just the weather and this doesn't last because I am running Chicago Marathon Oct 9!!!!! Whoooohoooo.

goldlining

Rseman, I'll double down on the weather hypothesis. I was planning on a cold run around Niagara Falls, but my back is in spasm and I can barely get in and out of a car.

cupcaker

Yes goldlining, I registered for the Half. I downloaded the form and I saw that it had to be submitted before June. I started looking at airfare and hotel. There's a cruise I would love to do either before or after, so I'm gonna see how the next couple months unfold before booking anything - Carnival has a brand new boat with an Imax theater and they're going to be doing the Mediterranean in it's first set of sailings this summer.

I wish it was a little colder here - I tried to go for 10 miles yesterday but had to give up at 6.5. With the sun beating down on me, it felt like nearly 100 degrees. We're in a heat wave.

goldlining

Good luck with the surgery Cupcaker!

(Take it easy with the drains in, because getting those out takes so much longer if you're active.)

HockeyCat

Nice to see our run calendar is filling up! Goldlining, thank you for updating! I'm so jealous you are running Disneyland Paris.

10+ week till Tinker Bell! I need to start my training soon. I've been running here and there but not very motivated lately. To motivate myself, I signed up for Hollywood 10k on April 9. Should be fun running through heart of Hollywood. It starts at 6am though...

littleblueflowers Good luck with your half marathon!

littleblueflowers

Thank you! Getting pretty excited!

cupcaker

This is such a nice thread to peek into and see all the positive thoughts and words! My surgery went well. Hoping to have the drains out soon since they're not producing very much. Been sleeping mostly but today I've been awake for most of the day and strategizing as to when I could possibly start going for walks again.

The Hollywood 10K looks good HockeyCat - I saw a youtube video of a guy dressed up as a wookie at last year's race giving out hugs. That looks fun.

littleblueflowers - Have fun with your half-marathon!

Lunderwood

Cupcaker - I am so glad your surgery went well! You are such an inspiration to already be thinking about walking already. Take care of yourself and I am sure you are going to be up and running very soon! This is a good time to look at all the great runs for this summer and fall. I will be thinking of you.

I ran a small 5k in my hometown this morning. It was a 9 am start so I even got to sleep in. I was very pleased with the good results too - I haven't done speed work in ages. It was called the Mustang Gallop 5k (Gainesville, TX)

panthrah

I did the hollywood half a couple years ago. the medal is prettttttyyyy. my friend ran as C3PO

I caved.. The mouse won.. I signed up for the Disneyland Half...Sept 4th, 2016 :P The Mouse always wins hehe

cupcaker

Thank you Lunderwood. Congrats on the 5K!

Nice, panthrah, on the DL Half entry! I feel the constant pull of the mouse...he's always there. lol I ordered a custom costume for the Tink Half and now I think I'm going to need to register for the Tink 5K or 10K so that I can wear my Tink tutu.

panthrah

i just found mickey mouse glove leggings that i could wear to the half.. like i need another pair but i think my darkside outfit is set... the top might not get picked til i see what the wonky wdw weather will be doing

littleblueflowers

Did my half marathon in the pouring rain last weekend! It was great, aside from the icy road conditions. 2.24. Not to bad being 7 months PFC.

Lunderwood

You gals are such inspirations to me! I love the themes and costumes - I may need to add some "fun" to my events. Right now I struggle to keep my focus and concentration in my races hence the short distance 5k's. (and I am only doing HT at this point) This weekend will be the test for me with a technical 25k trail run. Rain is in our forecast but I love rainy muddy runs.

panthrah

always add "fun"! My friend and I would even make shirts for races with a fun phrase on the back because the people behind you really seem to like them. ex: doing the Avengers Half.. It was advertised as "Run as your favorite Avenger" well we picked a color palate of our fav, I chose Hulk she chose Thor.. and on the back of our shirts we put "Be your own Hero" people LOVED it!. wear fun socks.. silly leggings.. tutus ( none scratchy kind) and go for it dress the part act the part is what I always say mud runs .. even not intentioal , are fun.. just be careful

goldlining

Anybody doing anything interesting?

I got an email from GET travel indicating some more Disneyland Paris packages had been released to them. If anyone is interested, the link is http://www.gettravel.com/dlhmparis/

(After I got over the idea of dealing with an agency not called "runDisney", I satisfied myself they were not an imposter, and have used them to book accommodation and tickets for the DLHM in Anaheim as well.)

panthrah

oooh good point.. i would have been a little apprehensive as well

Fe_Princess

Hello Goldlining, I am a runner too but have only done one 5K since I moved to Zürich last year. I was at the top of my game right up to my mastectomy. I was putting down 10 miles easily. I have not been able to run past five yet, but I do extensive hiking in the Alps which I am up for due to the running. I always would listen to music but now since I run mostly in the woods I like the quiet. I have a question. I am having a SGAP reconstruct to replace my horrible implant. What was your recovery activity like after diep? Could you go on walks? How long did your breasts hurt and how is to run with them now? Thank you for creating this thread!

goldlining

Thanks and welcome Fe_princess. I'm just this year's custodian of a great thread - best one on BCO, in my opinion.

For me, DIEP was really something.... First of all, I had terrible back pain (shoulders) from the asymmetry of a year with one mastectomy plus prosthesis, and one DD. The prosthesis is held on with shoulder straps while the natural breast is fastened all around with skin. My back was killing me from top to tail and I was constantly in physio and massage. When the day came, I could barely wiggle onto the surgical table. I had arranged a bilateral DIEP with the mastectomy on the second side all in one procedure. The moment I woke up, the back pain was gone. I guess 12 hours of anaesthesia is relaxing!

I would compare the first couple of days to Caesarian section. However, walking is important to get the gas out of your lungs and get your digestion moving, and so on. Once the catheter came out, I tried to get started. The first day was in a surgical ICU, but after moving to the surgical ward, I did walk around the ward on about the 2nd day, holding the hall railing for support. I did 50 laps in batches of 10, a total of 5K that day. It took a looooong time though.

I had just enough belly to manage a DIEP, and I was pulled very tight. I did not manage to straighten up for six weeks. However during that six weeks, I walked on the treadmill for 60+ minutes once a week at about 4mph. At the 6 week point, I did my famous Inaugural Tinker Bell Half (in 3:06, obviously a lot of it walking).

I would say none of my movement was limited by the upstairs portion of DIEP. It was all related to the abdominal part and how tight it was and how pathetic my core muscle strength was (and is). I think the donor body part is going to determine recovery more than the chest part. There is a thing where they have to monkey with the rib to get the blood vessel connection. In my excitement to get through this whole deal, I missed that memo, so was a little surprised to be asked if I had pain there. I had great pain control in the hospital and it only was noticeable if I was to press on the spot.

I did have some swelling around the upper incisions after that first post-DIEP Half, which was literally the first run after the surgery. I am not sure if it was lymphedema or what (I did get the LE clinic to do some drainage and give me advice, and fit me for a compression vest, etc.) I don't notice the problem now, but I have also lost 20 lb more and have switched to a more immobilizing bra (was Lululemon, now Shock Absorber B5044).

I'm very super-happy with the overall. It put the 15 year old "baby weight" to good use and I am now finally shaped like a runner!

Any other flap surgery people on the thread this year with comments?

LuvLuLu

Hi Fe_Princess,

My experience was quite similar to goldlining's - I had a TRAM flap rather than DIEP, but pretty similar surgeries. I also was pulled very tight and had to walk bent over, gradually straightening up over the weeks. I had very little discomfort in the breast area and minor discomfort in the back/belly area. My back was sore from walking bent over, but you really will get walking sooner rather than later. The 2nd day after surgery I was slowly walking the hospital corridors. At about 2 weeks after surgery (July 2012) I was walking 4 miles twice a day. About 4 weeks after surgery I was on vacation by the beach - in a 1-piece bathing suit. And I was walking about 5 miles and would throw in a few "jogs" from telephone pole to telephone pole just to test it out.

By October I was pretty much back to my normal routines - running about 30 miles a week, lifting, yoga and horseback riding. I just looked back on my journal of the time and noticed I complained a bit about my lack of flexibility - especially with back extensions, and when I did a bench press, or anything lying on the bench, I had to keep my feet on the bench rather than the floor. That's better now, though. Although I still feel I need to work on flexibility for all areas of my body.

FYI, the reconstruction looks great. The reconstructed left breast is slightly larger and rounder than the right. I almost want to go back and have the right one made to look the same (with an implant?) but really don't feel it's worth it. Now, however, 3+ years later I almost feel it's starting to "sag" a tiny bit - could be my imagination, or it could be true as I ain't getting any younger!!!

Overall, I've been pretty happy with my choices. As runners I think we really have an advantage - we are fit to begin with and determined not to lose fitness, so we will not sit on the couch feeling sorry for ourselves!

Happy to answer any questions!

Lulu

goldlining

Just remembered to post this: my physio just did a very cool thing last time, using a suction cup sliding all over my abdomen while pulling up, which apparently helps break adhesions between the layers that form after the tummy tuck part of the DIEP. The massage therapist was trying to do the same using what I called the "murder weapon": a big steel blade that she would slide forcibly along the surface to stretch the skin, I guess, more than the underlying layer would go. I feel the suction cup was much more effective. I still have adhesions in the abdominis muscle layers even 5 years later, and that messes with my core muscle activation to support myself running. I just did 5K this morning (so out of shape, and also 28C temp - my heart rate was up to 188 and I am too old for that!) I think I would like to get my hands on a suction cup to use at home.

scrunchthecat

Hi ladies - I posted the following in the Stage IV cancer area, but I thought you-all might be interested in this study as well. I spoke to Dr. Lee Jones about his study on the impact of exercise on Stage IV breast cancer, but he is investigating the impact of exercise on all stages of breast cancer. Check out the link to his lab below for more info.

I had a wonderful phone conversation with Dr. Lee Jones of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City today. Dr. Jones is head of his own lab that investigates the impact of exercise on cancer (https://www.mskcc.org/research-areas/labs/lee-jones). He is beginning the first-of-its kind study on the impact of exercise on advanced breast cancer. He is currently conducting a Phase I trial to test the safety of his exercise prescription. He has a few more spots open, if anyone lives in NYC and is interested in this. The study requires participants to come to MSKCC three times a week for 12 weeks to undergo specific exercise regimes that vary from easy (about 50% of your cardio maximum) to hard (about 80% of your cardio maximum). He is soon going to be recruiting for a Phase II trial, which will extend outside of New York City. If anyone is interested in participating in these trials, I encourage you to contact Dr. Jones at jonesl3@mskcc.org.

Dr. Jones was delightful to speak with – he is very enthusiastic about his research, very knowledgeable and was very generous with his suggestions. The most important point that I took away was that it is important to vary the intensity and duration of your exercise. Like most people, I have a routine that I follow that I am comfortable with and rarely deviate from. He said that our bodies need variety in intensity and duration of exercise in order to reap the maximum benefits. Specifically, he said we should all strive to incorporate easy, moderate and hard workouts in our exercise routine, that this variation gives us the best benefit and potentially the best outcome for dealing with cancer.

How can exercise help cancer patients, you ask? Dr. Jones has been involved with studying the link between how well patients tolerate cancer treatment, whether patients who exercise have a better response to treatment, longer remissions, etc. He has conducted population studies, where he surveyed cancer patients about their exercise habits and compared their self-reports to their response to treatment, remission, etc., and found a connection between exercise and better outcomes. The work he is doing now allows him to precisely account for the amount and intensity of exercise that his subjects undertake. For the record: I have no financial or other connection to Dr. Jones, I just think this is very exciting work, and I told him I would be happy to participate in one of his Phase II studies if it came to South Florida.

Lunderwood

Scrunchthecat - this sounds like a very good study, I wish there was a similar study in the Dallas,TX area. I believe that my exercise and running have helped alleviate at least part of the side effects from the hormone therapy meds and injections. Hopefully it will also help me during surgery and recovery, Thanks for sharing!

I ran the St Patrick's Day 5k for Calera Fire Rescue this morning in Calera,OK. I wasn't quite in top form due to stiffness from this week's injections and nausea from the meds but still glad to spend time with friends. Running (at moderate pace) really helps me get through the soreness from those injections.