2019 Running Thread

edj3

Andraxo, still a sub-two hour time. But I feel you, I'm four weeks out from surgery and just started radiation yesterday. My speed, alas, is not where it was. But I'll get there again and so will you.

IronCJ

Hi! I've recently had a bi-lateral mastectomy (with a couple nodes removed) -- I'm 20 days post-op. Drains have been out for a few days... It sounds like a few people were running again 3 weeks post... Am I reading that right? I feel like everything I'm reading has running being 6 weeks or more post, but I've got a fall event that (Ironman) it would sure be nice to start running sooner than later for. Thoughts?

edj3

Hey IronCJ, while I did run a week after surgery, I did not have a mastectomy but a lumpectomy. What's your breast surgeon say?

Moderators

Hi there, IronCJ! We want to welcome you to our community here at BCO, we hope you find this to be a supportive place!

You'll likely get many different answers to your question, as it really depends on the person, their surgery, and how they heal. We know how much you want to get back to your routine and running! Normalcy (and physical activity) can do wonders for your physical, mental, and emotional healing. We definitely suggest bringing this up to your surgeon, and seeing if you can't establish a timeline for getting back out there. Hopefully sooner rather than later!

The Mods

macmomma

So, I was able to run in the time around my mastectomy and recon, but the AI is killing me. Every time I run, there is a new acute pain. Shoulder (yes, really) knee, even my hands hurt when I run. Any thoughts?

panthrah

I signed up for a bucket list race... The Dopey Challenge . its 4 races in 4 days for a total of 48.6 miles . Thurs 5k, fri 10k, sat half, sunday full marathon = 6 medals . Im not actually too worried about the miles. Ive heard the hardest part is waking up at stupid o clock 4 days in a row :P and the wonky weather at Disney world. When I did the full there in 2018.. it was so cold the 5k had ice in the water cups and the high for the full was 55 i think. this year it was cold during the 5-half and then a heat advisory for the full . I guess Ill just pack all the things lolol being its 6 months away.. still have an ultrasound and mri... so as long as my boobs play along.. I should only have the weather to deal with.

Hope everyone is doing well

IronCJ

Thanks for the note @edj3. (Not sure how the protocol works in this forum--if the @ sign will make sure you get a notice?!)

Surgeon is supportive of getting back at things 'as I'm ready'... She's a boston marathoner so she gets that getting back to some kind of exercise is important. I don't see her again for another 2.5 weeks.

Now 3.5 weeks post I'm feeling pretty good. (It's all relative, of course. ;-) By good I mean, less tender, some range of motion, and comfortable walking without a binder or sports bra for support of the incision. Drs & Nurses say incisions are "beautiful" (as if ;-) and healing "wonderfully", and are attributing that to being an athlete going into the surgery. Still not used to calling myself an athlete (geek still fits better ;-), but either way I'm happy healing seems to be going faster than anyone expected.

The only firm guideline I've gotten is not to get back in the water until 4 weeks, which would be next Wednesday... And I assume that means if all the scabbing is gone, which it's not yet, so we'll see.

My longest walk so far is ~4 miles; most walking in a day ~5 miles... And I'm thinking in a few more days / at the 4 week mark I might try a mixed walk/run workout and see how it feels. I'm not in a huge rush because I don't want to cause any sort of setback... I might wait another week and focus on ramping back up on cycling (indoors) in the short term instead. It's just interesting hearing how other women have approached getting back to exercise, because there's very little info to go on...

IronCJ

Good for you @panthra! I agree that the most daunting part of the Dopey challenge sounds like getting up at o'dark thirty so many days in a row! It can be done though! I did something similar this year--4 triathlons in 3 days (mini sprint on Friday, 2 olympics on Saturday and a half iron on Sunday) and we did manage to make it to the start on time each time. I still think what we did is easier than the Dopey challenge because it was in a state park and we rolled out of our cabins in the morning and walked down to the start... At Disney, it sounds like getting to the start is half the challenge! And yes, I'd pack all of the clothes. :-) We packed everything from winter to summer gear for our 4 races, because the variance can be huge--it gave me peace of mind to know at least I had that covered. :-) Good luck with your training and race(s)!

edj3

What I love about this thread is that you guys are my people and know at that heart level what running means to me (to us all).

IronCJ, sadly we can't tag people on these boards

panthrah

Dopey is 6 months from now.. and Im starting my packing list part 1 and then Ill have the sub list for hot weather, cold/freezing , and wet weather

RunningCats

Hi ladies! O’dark thirty is the killer. I used to be a morning person but then...my 7 month break from work cured that. Now, kitties wake me at five for breakfast then I go climb back to bed and get up at 6:30 to get ready

I had a nipple sparing mastectomy on May 22 and refrained from any physical activity.I have one expander and it gets sore

Anyhow, I set a goal to do the Long Beach half in October and I’ll do my reconstruction after. Just started training this past Sunday w/ walk run. Today, I was able to do 5k, with a couple of hills and only a .10 of a walk at the end of the larger hill.

So happy we’re starting to get back to what we love.

panthrah

annnnnnnnnnnnnnd now you having me looking at the Long Beach race .. cause its on my birthday ......

RunningCats

hahahah, go for it! It was my first marathon. I have a feeling that's a long way off. Happy early birthday

Andraxo

IronCJ - I had Bilateral mastectomy and an axillary node dissection. My surgeon said no running or lifting weights until drains were out. Day 4 post-op I walked/hiked 8 miles at 10k elevation with those drains!! (hey, it wasn't running ! ) After drains were out I didn't have ANY restrictions, so I ran 6 miles the day after...which was around 2 weeks post-op. I wore a sports bra despite having no breasts/being flat - it is good to support the healing tissue. It was certainly much easier to run than to get back to cycling (mountain bike). Note: I am also a physical therapist.

Have fun out there!!

- xo

2019whatayear

Hi All, I wanted to check and ask about any experiences running some during Taxol? I am getting my last A/C on Wed and have been able to run the good week before the next A/C after treatments. I am only running 30 minutes a day when I can- and it's some really slow running but nevertheless- it's running.

Any feedback would be great!

Andraxo

2019whatayear - I ran ALL through chemo and radiation. Didn't have taxol, but had taxotere and cyotoxan. I ran 6 miles the day after every chemo and longer runs on the weekends up to 10 miles. While they were slow and crappy runs compared to pre-chemo, some days the running was the best I'd feel ALL day! Do what you can and whatever feels good for you!! Yay running of any kind!

- xo

2019whatayear

Thank you for the reply you are inspirational!

Tahoemama3

I’m so happy to have found this thread! I have been on Tamoxifen for 2.5 years and I have really noticed that my running is suffering. I thought maybe it was just that I’m getting older (I’m 43), but I do think that it might be the Tamoxifen. Although, I can’t figure out why it is affecting me so greatly....My pace is so much slower and it is hard for me to run as far as I did before Tamoxifen, even though I’m running regularly and cross training as well. I ran 8 (very slow) miles today and I have been wiped out all day and everything hurts. Ugh! Sounds like others are having similar complaints?

Andraxo

Tahoemama3 - My running also suffered (along with other sports) on Tamoxifen especially the last 6 months of my first 2.5 years on it. My legs always felt 'dead' and no ability to push up even the slightest hill. There were other non-athletic related side effects too. I took a 3 month break from it and BAM! my running was greatly improved by even two weeks (didn't have the dead/overworked muscle feeling)! I stayed off it for 3 months because my athletic performance just kept steadily improving (Oncologist only wanted 1 month off, but my body/my choice). By the end of the break I had much better muscle endurance, speed, and no joint pain. Just about all my side effects resolved! I did go back on it, but only 5mg. It's been 5 months and I do notice that I'm taking it again, especially since I added 2 days/wk of 10mg about a month ago, but my running and biking are still much better. Maybe talk to your oncologist about a break to tease out your symptoms, and then possibly a lower dose? Hope it goes well! - xo

Example: I ran 5 trail miles last Friday morning followed by a hard mtg bike ride with 2k elevation gain and starting at 10k elevation in the afternoon, then ran 12 miles Saturday at a 10:30 pace, and then did another really tough/rugged mountain bike ride on Sunday also with 2k elevation gain. There is no way I could've done that much back to back, or even spread out in a week, last summer on 20mg Tamoxifen. I am sooooo much happier on the lower dose. I almost feel like a did the summer I was diagnosed with cancer (late July 2015)...before surgery/chemo/rads. Yay!! Maybe it will mean a shorter life on the low dose, but there is no evidence to prove that (absolutely no evidence for lowest effective dose) and I'm choosing quality of life!

panthrah

I pushed my mom in her wheelchair for her first ever 5k! holy mother of ceiling cat.. that was .. different. the start line was an side slopping grassy hill! i just repeated to myself * dont launch mom out of her chair* LOL legs were solid.. upper body though.. I might need to that a bit.. whoa. she had a blast and has wore the race shirt for 2 days ( its lime green!) she is still giggling about it

andraxo - your post op "hiking" recap cracked me up

RunningCat- the LB full got vetoed .. going to a Pirate party on a real life pirate ship the night before won

Andraxo

Wow panthrah!! Pushing a wheelchair (with your mom in it!!) for 5k is an amazing feat! yeah...I can imagine your arms were noodle-y feeling afterwards. Usually arm workouts are not that long. Bravo!!! - xo

edj3

At the 10k race on Sunday, I ran with a pacer who'd run a 5k with his running group the previous weekend. One of the group is terminal (lung cancer) and she wanted one last 5k race. So one of them pushed her. The pacer told me he got home from that race and immediately signed up for Angel Wings (think that was the name, they run races w/ the terminally ill). I thought that was pretty neat.

panthrah

we have Ainsleys Angles in San Diego ( i believe they are all over )

edj3

Bet you're right, bet that's what it was!

RunningCats

Panthrah, that sounds fun! I registered for Long Beach but I know it's going to be a challenge. I just want to finish. I hiked Bridge to Nowhere in Azusa on Sunday, it was 12.5 miles so I know I can do the distance walking, but I feel like I got hit by a bus It hurts so good, lol.

Take a look at Surf City in February. I'm so/so on that. I'm having my exchange surgery two days after Long Beach.

I love SoCal, we can find a race somewhere just about every weekend.

edj3

I just finished the Heartland 30K Challenge (three specific 10K races, one per weekend for three weeks). And I'm pumped--no my times are not where they were before any of this, but I won first place in my age group in two of the races and it's looking like I may well win first place in my age group for the Challenge.

I'm going to enjoy the hell out of my beer this afternoon as I watch the Singapore F1 race--big fan of Lewis Hamilton and Team Mercedes.

RunningCats

Great job! I ran a 10k last night, was happy I ran the whole thing and finished. Hope to follow in your steps and at least be competitive in my age group.

panthrah

I am suppose to walk surf city half with my friend. she is just coming back to races after making twins Also being I signed up for Dopey .. Our goal is to walk it all.. i know i can walk the 5k, 10, half. Ive never walked a full but ive done the 3 day walk twice ( 60 miles in 3 days) so i feel like we can walk Dopey ( 48.6 miles in 4 days) i walk a half in 3:20-3:30.. so i feel like walking a full is doable . obvioulsy we arent going for a good time.. we are going for a Good TIme

Andraxo

Yay edj3 and running cats! woohoo!!

Panthrah - when is the surf city half?

Even though this is a running thread I'm reporting that I was in a mountain bike race over the weekend (Albuquerque Dirt Fiesta)...my very first one! My spouse was signed up with a friend for the 12-hour race as a duo, which is as many laps as they could do (alternating) on an approx 12.5 mile loop course. I didn't want to be standing around all day cheering/supporting and I do mtn bike a lot these days (but never competed), so I signed up solo for the 12 hour event thinking I would ride 3-4 hours in the morning and just stop when I got tired. I usually ride 3-4 hours straight on the weekends on pretty aggressive trails. I ended up riding for 9 out of the 12 hours and did 6 laps! It was a total of 76 miles and 7200 feet of climbing!!! The last lap was probably a mistake as I was a bit clumsy on the rocky/technical sections and much slower - thankfully I didn't crash. Overall it was big fun! You'd think I'd sleep well that night but my resting heart rate stayed over 100 until the middle of the next day, so it was hard to sleep. I may sign up for another 12 hour race like that in December the weekend of my 50th birthday!

- xo

DogMomRunner

All of you are inspiring me to get back out there. Hopefully in a couple of weeks, I'll be out there