2011 Running Thread

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  • KSkier
    KSkier Member Posts: 467
    edited April 2011

    So, to explain the new avatar.  I am no-where near the athlete that some of you are; I haven't run more than 5 miles at a time more than -- oh, ten times in my life?  I've never run more than 8 miles.  But, I keep plugging away at my "maintenance level" or mental health jog for going on 25 years now.  Friday I climbed Mount Washington in order to ski down it.  This is the third time that I have attempted this feat of strength, the first since dx.  Like other times that I have endeavored to do more than I am accustomed to, I came close to that point where you say "this sucks, why am I doing this, when is it going to be over, I could just quit now, I hate this".  But it was different this time.  This time I was more motivated than ever to push through those feelings.   I was so driven to prove to myself that cancer has NOT made me weaker, cancer has NOT given me an excuse to quit.  I was with my younger and fitter brothers, and I really don't know how much they had to hold back for my pace, or if they know how hard I was working to keep up with theirs. All I know is that even though I started out telling myself that since chemo was just 15 days ago, it would be okay if I didn't make it all the way,  there was NO WAY I was going to allow that to happen.  What a feeling.  f%&k cancer.  It was like Melanie_Ann said, cancer is such a motivator.  Can't wait to tell those chemo nurses who just can't figure me out.  Thanks ladies for this forum where I can explain myself.  

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  • Adey
    Adey Member Posts: 3,610
    edited April 2011

    Made it a mile without stopping... yay.

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  • KSkier
    KSkier Member Posts: 467
    edited April 2011

    Go Adey - you're right at the place where you will easily see improvement over the next couple of weeks/months. You've made a major breakthrough and will be pleasantly surprised how easy it can get from there. I say don't worry about speed - take it slow; don't overdo it...just do it. Remind yourself constantly that regardless of how slow you are going, you are still doing better than sitting on the couch!! I'm a stuck-in-a-rut kind of person - same workout, same distance, same time for 25 years. You've got nothing but potential! Keep us posted.

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  • Adey
    Adey Member Posts: 3,610
    edited April 2011

    Thanks KS!

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  • Charley
    Charley Member Posts: 255
    edited April 2011

    I'm running a half in the OKC Memorial Marathon this Sunday.  I'm so excited!  Hopefully the weather will cooperate.  I think the temps will be good but I'm hoping the winds are calm.  This is my first half.  Hoping to do it under 2:10.

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  • goldlining
    goldlining Member Posts: 1,178
    edited May 2011

    Overcame the head cold and then the cold winds and finally got out today. It was just 3K but it felt especially nice when it stopped!

    Tomorrow, Charley, under 2:10! Holy cow! GOOD LUCK!!! I just hope to survive a half May 15. (Thanks to the double cold, I've run a total of 7km in the two months since my last one.) But by Labour Day I hope to be (dream time) 2:30. I will never do 2:10. But I'm just about the bling anyway. :-D 

    Happy running everyone! 

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  • wenweb
    wenweb Member Posts: 1,107
    edited May 2011

    Hello runners!!  I was referred to this thread to ask a question.  I started taking Tamoxifen 4 weeks ago and since then, have been feeling nauseous and ill after my runs.  I am wondering whether any of you have experienced this, and if so did it go away.  I took Arimidex for 14 months and had no such effects.  

    Thanks!

    Wendy 

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  • Charley
    Charley Member Posts: 255
    edited May 2011

    Well I finished the half in OKC on Sunday in 2:06!  This was despite the soaking rain, gusty wind, and falling temps (from low 50s to 40s). The marathoners even got some hail!  It was really the most brutal race (weather wise) I have ever run and gear wise I was NOT prepared. Shorts, short sleeve tshirt and a light running jacket is all I brought. I was so glad to cross that finish line ... I am stronger than I thought!

    Wendy - when are you taking the tamoxifen?  I take it at night and haven't had problems.  I do get nauseous if I take it in the morning.

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  • wenweb
    wenweb Member Posts: 1,107
    edited May 2011

    Charley-thanks for the suggestion.  I do take the T in the AM, but don't feel nauseous until after I run which is usually several (if not more) hours later.  Worth a try I guess.

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  • goldlining
    goldlining Member Posts: 1,178
    edited May 2011
    Charley you rock! Congratulations!
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  • BlazerFanC
    BlazerFanC Member Posts: 71
    edited May 2011

    I'm new to all of this and this is my first post.  I am a walker but I think your advice will still be helpful to me.  I had 2 lumpectomies for DCIS in March and April.  I'm scheduled to begin radiation around Memorial Day.  I walk a lot of 1/2 marathons and I'm registered for 2 this June.  My biggest concern about continuing the 1/2 marathons is my skin and if my sports bras will cause problems with chafing.  Although since I haven't started treatment yet, there may be more to deal with.  I would love advice from all of you.

     goldlining  Congratulations on your Disney runs!  I walked my first Disney event last year for the Disneyland 1/2 5th anniversary race.  I'm registered for Disneyland again this year.  I was very excited to hear about the Tinkerbell 1/2 because a California trip is easier for me to make at that time of year, and then I can enter the Food & Wine 1/2 marathon and still get a Coast to Coast medal.  It sounds like Coast to Coast is in your future for 2011.  Isn't the Disney bling great?

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  • Just_V
    Just_V Member Posts: 841
    edited May 2011

    I started running three months ago at age 51 having never been a runner before... found a running technique called Chi Running - check out the site - worth a look - works really well for me... i also began running / walking / running -- started with fhe following schedule i stole from some UV running club site... i am loving it but, having newly been diagnosed with BC, worry about my training schedule (never EVER thought that would be a concern - LOL)....

    Week

    Time in minutes 

    Total running time

    1

    Run 1-1-2-2-1-1 (2 min walk in between)

    8

    2

    1-1-2-3-2-1 (2 min walk in between)

    10

    3

    1-2-3-3-2-1 (2 min walk in between)

    12

    4

    2-5-5-3 (1½ walk in between)

    15

    5

    2-5-8-3 (1 min walk in between)

    18

    6

    2-3-10-3 (1 min walk in between)

    18

    7

    4-12-4 (1 min walk in between)

    20

    8

    3-14-3 (1 min walk in between)

    20

    9

    2-16-2 (1 min walk in between)

    20

    10

    20 non-stop

    20

     
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  • Just_V
    Just_V Member Posts: 841
    edited May 2011

    I started running three months ago at age 51 having never been a runner before... found a running technique called Chi Running - check out the site - worth a look - works really well for me... i also began running / walking / running -- started with fhe following schedule i stole from some UV running club site... i am loving it but, having newly been diagnosed with BC, worry about my training schedule (never EVER thought that would be a concern - LOL)....  Sounds like you are already half way through my schedule!

    week 1  -  Run 1-1-2-2-1-1 (2 min walk in between)
    week 2  -  1-1-2-3-2-1 (2 min walk in between)
    week 3  1-2-3-3-2-1 (2 min walk in between)
    week 4 2-5-5-3 (1½ walk in between)
    week 5 2-5-8-3 (1 min walk in between)
    week 6 2-3-10-3 (1 min walk in between)
    week 7 4-12-4 (1 min walk in between)
    week 8 3-14-3 (1 min walk in between)
    week 9 2-16-2 (1 min walk in between)
    week 10  20 non-stop

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  • kks_rd
    kks_rd Member Posts: 363
    edited May 2011

    Hi all! This is my first time posting and I am so glad to know there are people who run through their BC experiences.

    I am fairly new to running - started about 4 months ago with Couch to 5K. This week I am on schedule to commplete the Bridge to 10K program which still kind of amazes me..... 

    Running has been an incredibly positive life change for me.  When I was diagnosed (9 days ago), I wasn't sure what the implications would be.  My BS says people who are physically active have a 40% bless chance of recurrence, don't know if that's true but I'll take it! ;)

    The first run after my dx was really hard. My pace was significantly slower and basically I felt like my heart couldn't take it.  Worse than that, I didn't come close to feeling that runner's high or anything, the whole thing was miserable which just reinforces what I learned while completing C25K - so much of learning to run is in our heads.  Not more than 2 months ago, I was petrified of trying to run a whole five minute interval (!), I thought surely I might croak... now I don't think anything of it...

    The second run after dx was no better, but today's run was pretty damn good.  My pace is closer to my usual (about 10:30/mile) and although I had some passinig moments of that anxious feeling, I didn't once think I should give up.  I did 6.5 miles including my warm-up and cool-down and am ready to move on to the last week of B210K, which is a week of 1-hour continuous runs.  

    I am probably having surgery in the next few weeks so the plan is to maintain my current fitness level until then, and work back up as able after the surgery. Chemo seems likely and rads are a definite but I will cross those bridges when I get there.

    Thanks for letting me share. :)

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  • TreadSoftly
    TreadSoftly Member Posts: 192
    edited May 2011

    Hi fellow runners!

    I did my first 'adventure challenge' this weekend - 12km  cross-country running, including a steep hill 340 metres, 27km cycling and 2km kayaking. 

    It was great!! I was getting a little bored of plain road running so signed up for this as something new to try out and I loved it!!  I did it in 3 hours 45 mins, and my legs are really sore still but definitely worth if for the buzz I got out of finishing it!!

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  • goldlining
    goldlining Member Posts: 1,178
    edited May 2011

    Okay gals, I ran 4.5km today. That's a total of 3 runs and less than 15km since February thanks to recovering from the Princess Half, then a wretched head cold, then just the worst mood bomb. But I had a temp crown put on a molar this morning and it was a "me" day, so I hit the road and enjoyed myself. I have a half marathon Sunday, and there is a BIG steep uphill from about 4 to 5K them the rest is mostly downhill until the last 1K or so up a slight grade. My time will suck but I am confident I will finish and then I will have a baseline for summer that I'm guaranteed to improve. 

    For Sunday, I bought a hideously gaudy tribal print with neon tulle overlay skirt to wear over my running tights (I hate the idea of spending 3 hours with people looking at my ass, not that there's going to be many people behind me). My big decision is do I put in the beanie foob or go asymmetrical? For BlazerFanC, I am a huge fan of the Lululemon The Bust Stops Here bra. Properly fitted, the two cups support independently so that means that I have perfect support for the soon-to-be-ex-breast, while the already-flat side I can go with or without the beanie. The lining is so comfortable and wicking that there is no chafing and no excessive lumpiness, even with an empty DD cup. Still undecided about the foob.

    Also, BlazerFanC, it looks like you, I, and 13,998 of our closest friends will be doing the Disneyland Half for 2011. I snagged one of the precious registrations just before they sold out! I am looking forward to that so much, and if the DIEP surgeon has an OR slot before that, well, some other lady can play through and I will take the first slot after Labour Day!

    I'd like to do the new Disney Tinkerbell (I bet everyone will run in wings rather than tiaras!), and I had the exact same idea of pairing it with the Wine and Dine in October. I love my two Princess medals and the Coast to Coast is a nice reward. I would also like to do the January WDW Marathon relay, and do the DHS/AK leg as the other WDW Half marathons stick to MK/Epcot. Someday, when I'm faster, maybe the whole marathon there. At my current speed, I think I'd starve to death before a marathon finish line. I love runDisney because it's so cheerful and it's the activity, incentive, and reward all in one.

    Hello to the other new posters. It's so nice to read everyone's successes. kks_rd I found that just walking an hour on the treadmill really helped me turn the corner on the surgical pain after mastectomy. Lumpectomy was harder to get back to running because of the jiggle, but mastectomy was easier, once the drain came out of course. The running for me is a metaphor for healing. At first it was healing from a hand injury, when I started at 51, but that turned out to be just a rehearsal for this when I got the mammo recall on the eve of my first Half. Sometimes, especially at the finish line, I find myself crying, feeling "this is the hardest thing I have ever done, and look, I did it" and it isn't really even perfectly clear to me which hard thing I am meaning. I cherish those medals like I earned them in the wars! I'm never going to win, and yet I win every time!

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  • citykitty
    citykitty Member Posts: 244
    edited May 2011

    Hi, all -- Welcome to our newcomers (but sorry you had to find yourself here!).  It's been a while since I posted.  I finished chemo March 25, and two days later ran a 5K fundraiser for colon cancer.  The race was founded by a runner friend of mine who was diagnosed a couple of years ago and recently marked her first year being cancer-free.  It was sure not my fastest race, but I was glad to be there.

    One month to the day later, I had my exchange surgery, so now I'm off of running for six weeks.  I'm halfway there!  Can't wait to resume running in early June and get training for two fall marathons!  My biggest challenge will be to figure out the right level of training to get to the start line injury-free.

    BTW, keep your eyes out for the July issue of Runner's World magazine.  It's supposed to include special coverage about running with cancer.  My friend who founded the 5K is going to be featured, and there might even be a sidebar with a quote (maybe even photo) from someone on this board....  Innocent

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  • goldlining
    goldlining Member Posts: 1,178
    edited May 2011

    Survived the half. Drizzly and cool and windy in spots. I'm a big believer in comfort, so that took a lot of self talk not to skip it. The first 5K are always the hardest for me. The whiny voice gives up by about 6k though, and I just kept going. Despite lack of training, I even improved a few minutes from my 10-week post-mastectomy time. Now I have a nice baseline for summer. 

    Happy running everyone. 

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  • citykitty
    citykitty Member Posts: 244
    edited May 2011

    Congrats on finishing the half, goldlining, and on your time!  I'm with you -- if I can just get past the first three miles, I usually feel better! 

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  • Charley
    Charley Member Posts: 255
    edited May 2011

    Congrats Gold!  Way to go!  Hard to find a race with perfect conditions so good thing you talked yourself into it!

    City - you've peaked my interest.  I will have to check out the July issue.  Hmmmm.

    I ran 7 miles today.  I can't believe I ran 13.1 miles 2 weeks ago.  I just about bonked on the last mile today.  Oh wait ... today the weather was sunny and 65 and the race was rainy, cold and 45. I was numb ... that's the difference! (:

    Hugs, Charley

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  • Member_of_the_Club
    Member_of_the_Club Member Posts: 3,646
    edited May 2011

    Hey SeRundipity!Are you also hanging out at RWOL, or just here?

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  • citykitty
    citykitty Member Posts: 244
    edited May 2011

    I've been lurking just a little over there.  I've been planning to post soon on the BF but haven't gotten around to it yet.  Seems like the RWC forum has died down quite a bit.

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  • goldenmom
    goldenmom Member Posts: 134
    edited May 2011

    Hi ladies. I am pretty new to this - diagnosed in March, and now waiting for surgery (right MX and TE to begin reconstruction) on June 8.  I am inspired and encouraged by all your posts!  I'm running/jogging/walking now, but am concerned about how I'll be able to continue post-surgery.  Reading your posts really helps!  Thanks.

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  • Just_V
    Just_V Member Posts: 841
    edited May 2011

    goldenmom - I, too, am waiting for surgery (right MX and TE to begin reconstruction) on June 8. Sounds like we will be going through this journey together.  My DX was April 14th and I felt like I am waiting forever to get going with the surgery - guess I am just impatient.  I also am a runner (new to it - since early March) and walk my girls (dogs) each night... you and I will need to compare notes.

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  • goldlining
    goldlining Member Posts: 1,178
    edited May 2011

    Nice out today so I went out for 30 minutes and managed 4km, so I'm still sluggish although fully recovered from the distance run. Now I am in the market for some training gadgets to bide my time over the summer as I prepare for (I hope) DIEP. My Nike+ doesn't have heart rate, stride rate and all that cool stuff (but the Nike+ GPS app is temporarily free in the app store for those who don't have any gadgets and gizmos and want to play.)  

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  • goldenmom
    goldenmom Member Posts: 134
    edited May 2011

    I love the Nike+GPS app.  It's great to just run without having a set course and still keep track of mileage and pace. There's also a challenge to support breast cancer awareness.

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  • CiaoVino
    CiaoVino Member Posts: 15
    edited May 2011

    hi all! i'm sneaking into your group. :) i am a runner! ironically, this past October I ran the Chicago Marathon for Susen G Komen in honor of my mother, who is a BC survivor. never did i imagine that 4 months later, at the age of 29, i, too, would be dianosed. but...i kept running. it's the only thing that has stayed "normal" for me. and 2 chemos in, i'm still running. not my usual daily 8-10 milers. but..enough. for now. prior to my diagnosis, i had registered for a half in July out in Napa and for the full Chicago marathon in October. come hell or high water, i'm running both.

    it's such a huge inspiration to see all of you fellows runners fighting the fight.

    run on. - mary

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  • goldenmom
    goldenmom Member Posts: 134
    edited May 2011

    Hi CiaoVino - Congrats on your running - and for not giving up on your upcoming races!  What an inspiration! I completely agree with you about maintaining a degree of "normalcy" through running. Sometimes it seems like that's the only thing I can actually control when everything else seems so surreal.

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  • goldlining
    goldlining Member Posts: 1,178
    edited May 2011

    I think that's it: control. I control running, whether I go or stop, how far, how fast. I decide. I can't choose the other stuff. I get rewards, like big blingy medals (lovvvvve them) and the destination runs (Napa, hmm...) are rewards themselves. I also think it's a heavy metaphor for strength. Each and every time since my dx, before surgery and since, when I cross the finish line, my mind always says "that was the hardest thing I've ever done." and then it says, "And I did it." I am not very "good" at it, but it has been good to me.

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  • kks_rd
    kks_rd Member Posts: 363
    edited May 2011

    Did the Chase Corporate Challenge 3.5 mile race last night and rocked it!  I also got to enjoy a blissful 37 minutes NOT obsessing over BC. :)

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