2011 Running Thread

J9W I am clumsy too. I laughed at visualizing the "I've fallen and I can't get up" scenario. It is so me. I did it on the sidewalk right downtown, like the mainest main street in this big city, not even in running clothes, but in dress pants going-out-to-dinner-with-former-colleagues clothes, and people just looked at me like, "ugh, what an odd thing to do". Not a single person offered to help me. I was right in front of a pharmacy so I hobbled in for Advil, water, tape and gauze.... but I digress. 

Summoning help -- I run with my iPhone and I use the Wahoo fitness app to receive GPS as well as heartrate and stride data from the little Fisica transceiver thingie. It uses the iPhone's proximity sensor so it blanks the screen to save battery when you put it in your pocket or hold it in a way that covers the sensor. The minute I am eating dirt, I think I would pause the run and switch to text message mode. (I am deaf, so I'm not phoning anyone or even hooting for the help of a companion.)

In addition to summoning help, text messaging can also convey the necessary amount of cursing that might be appropriate. 

When I run trails, I take my cellphone. I don't have a very nice one. I have a couple of running tops with small zippered pockets & one pair of running shorts with a key pouch that will fit my cell. Goldlining's Iphone sounds much more fun though  I almost always run trails alone & once tweaked my ankle & couldn't complete my planned route. I worked my way up to a road & called my husband to come get me. He was more concerned than I was. But I guess this won't work if you are in too remote of a location without coverage.

Hi all, not sure if it's already been mentioned, but any thoughts on Kara Kennedy's heart condition after chemo and radiation?

It scared me b/c sometimes when I run, my heart beats SO fast, i feel like I should slow down, even though i know my body wants to continue going faster.  

I know many women complete treatment and go on to run marathons, so not sure if her condition was a special one, but just if anyone can give any special advice on how to continue working out during/after treatment, such as taking it slow,etc.

Im not too familiar with Kennedy's case, such as what specific exercises she was doing, but it scares me.. her heart was still damaged almost 10 yrs after her cancer treatment!

My best friend has something called supraventricular tachycardia.  Her heart rate will soar every once in a while.  She does NOT have cancer.  This started for her with the onset of perimenopause.  The cardiologist said it was okay and wouldn't damage her heart.  She was offered medication and a surgery to correct it, but passed on both.  She uses various techniques to bring the heart rate down that the cardiologist taught her.  So...I would have it checked out by a cardiologist if your heart rate zooms...it may have absolutely nothing to do with breast cancer or breast cancer treatments...

After a week of nausea that started with my fall, and then the onset of palpitations, I took my icky self to the family practice and the nurse practitioner consulted with the MD and said there is no reason the bruise would make me nauseated so take maalox for indigestion. After trying that for 24 hours, I had additional unpleasant symptoms, quite akin to a colonoscopy prep, so I headed back to the doctor on Friday. 

Saw the other MD, who did a more thorough examination and said it seemed like a concusssion. That's what I had thought in the first place when I was reflecting on all my symptoms, like "I'd guess it was a concussion if only my brain was in my @ss" but I thought that was just silly. However, she said the brain can impact inside the skull without the outside of the head striking anything.

So I switched to Gravol (dimenhydrinate - OTC here in Canada, but I don't think so in U.S.) which improved the nausea some. I had a pretty good day Saturday and was feeling a bit better and decided I would do the Run for the Cure since my students had signed up in support of me, after all.

It was actually not a bad 5K except for the cold and the rain. After three weeks of rest since the half marathon, I was enjoying the run. But afterwards, holy crap. The nausea was back plus the sinus headache (I'd had it before but thought it was my sinuses, but in fact I think was also the concussion). So I took more Gravol and some Sudafed and slept all afternoon, woke up for some bland spaghetti and went back to sleep. I think I will not do any more running until my head is better. Have some good runs for me, ladies!

Thank you lewing! Still feeling post-concussed. Not as nauseated, but going to stick with taking it easy!

Welcome Esther! We're a bunch of optimists here. Until the night before the Disney Marathon weekend, it's still on the table :-)

I've got DIEP on Dec 8 and am registered in the Tinker Bell on Jan 29! The only person I have to beat is the guy driving the bus for stragglers! It's on until it's not on. :-)

(My legs are screaming for a run, but the head isn't ready yet.) 

Hi everyone, thanks for the welcome. Yes, it's good to be around positive people, I agree. When I first starting poking around these forums, I found a lot of threads where it was a good thing to bitch and moan about everything, and I think reading all those posts was dragging me down even more. All throughout the time of my diagnosis and through both my surgeries I've been maintaining a positive attitude about things, and yes, being a runner has helped tremendously. I think this current setback, of having to undergo one more surgery (which was totally unexpected on my part) is what threw me for a loop. Well, they do say that it's expectations that mess us up the most, right?

That said, I've thinking about your words a lot, goldlining. I don't know if I could just "wing it" like that for a marathon. Because I've doing the Avon Walk next week, I haven't really started following a formal marathon training program, and so after the walk, that would only leave me 12 weeks for training. Now granted, I just ran 15 miles this morning (just because!), so maybe I don't need that much training?? Before my first surgery in May, I was regularly logging 40-mile weeks. LMichele, I totally get what you mean about having to take a month off after just getting that month "back". It's so demoralizing having to give up what you've worked so hard to attain and start from scratch after each procedure. See, I only broke through my "running ceiling" last summer, because I always had sacrum pain and could barely make 20 miles a week. And I only started racing this past January! Considering I've been running (casually, I guess you could call it) for close to 18 years now, I'm really tired of waiting now once again.

But I won't complain anymore, because this is the optimist thread. Have a great day, all!

I feel so incredibly guilty for planning on doing a Susan komen run at the end of the month. I was so I'll informed. I will bypass the survivor tent and all the goodies and run my best as "anonymous"

Goldlining, are you facing another surgery after the half? How are you feeling since your concussion?I love your statement...Letting optimism rule. I will think about that this week... Everyone's posts on here are very encouraging to me as I face my first half since my diagnosis and treatment. I've had some tough training runs,and have hit the proverbial wall twice on long runs, which was disappointing. I broke 2 hours finally last year, but am not hopeful that I will do the same this year...but I want to focus on the joy of being able to run and finish, so that is what I am trying to think about this week. It is this Sunday and I am running with good friends and my boyfriend. Looking foward to a big post race breakfast!!

goldlining, I ran two half marathons in September so I guess I'm itching to finally train for "the big one". I only started racing this year. My first major race was the More Women's HM in NYC back in April; twice around Central Park and I was good to go! I had hoped to run a full marathon this fall, but scheduling kind of got in the way (holidays, family commitments... and oh yeah, cancer). Plus I had committed to doing the Avon Walk in October. Which is why I figured Disney in January was the best I could do, rather than waiting for the following spring. Though it feels I'm always waiting regarding my running these days....

I just realized I ran four races in the past five weeks! Sheesh, no wonder I'm feeling so antsy! Track workout tonight, but I think I ate too much, and too late, this afternoon. Oof!!

Hello, everyone!  I had my umx on Friday.  I am at the start of recovery and missing running.  I know that there will be moments when I will feel like I will never get back to it, I will never get back to where I was (which, btw, aint anywhere near where all of you are...I started running a year ago and I log about 15-20 miles per week...but I am proud of that, just the same).  So I decided that I would make a point of popping over here for inspiration.

I have gotten in shape and overcome medical crap before.  I will do it again.  But seeing that you all have done it will help me focus...

So...thanks for sharing...  and happy running...:)

goldlining, are you in CA? I'm in NJ, so traveling to Florida for a marathon makes it even more sketchy for me. Sure, I can run a half with virtually no training, just my consistent weekly running (haven't broken 2 hours yet, but I'm getting close!), but a full isn't so easy. Just sayin'.

I must've missed something: a concussion??

I skipped the track workout last night because I just wasn't in the mood to run. I really had wanted to go out running in the morning, but I knew I shouldn't since I was running in the evening. Sure, last summer and all winter long I would've been fine doing doubles, and had been, which is how I got so strong, but now, I'm just not sure I'm ready yet. I hate this fear of pushing myself, ya know? So anyway, I didn't run in the morning NOR in the evening, ha! Ended up going to yoga class and that was exactly what I needed. Even did a handstand (assisted, of course) and I liked it so much, I did another one!  

Esther, I'm in Ontario, so Orlando and Anaheim are BOTH big spendy trips (although DL is almost twice as far as WDW.) 

We were comparing notes on our prowess for faceplants a few pages back, and while I've always been a frequent faller, the concussion on the way to a massage (which turned out to have been cancelled, unbeknownst to me) was one of the cruelest ironies. Because I did not strike my head, just got a 10" diameter swollen bruise on my hip, it took a week for all of us (both doctors and me) to link the nausea and other symptoms to the fall.

I was a little worried about maybe the bruise would kick up a blood clot or the concussion would be a problem on today's 5-hour flight but I ended up sleeping almost the whole way, and went out for a 5K+ walk (okay, there was a mall in the middle of the route) but it was too hot (>35C) to bring running shoes.

Lmichele, good thinking to put a nice sunny run in the bank before surgery. Enjoy the post-run (and post-surgery) rest and you'll feel like an outing before you know it.

My daughter is too old to nurture or be nurtured, and not old enough to realize you do things like that for your mom when she needs you. (She WILL shuck corn, but not do dishes.) Enjoy it while you can.