2011 Running Thread

Hi everyone,

Glad to find this thread and looking forward to reading more. I thought I'd offer my story, in case it is reassuring or inspiring to anyone just starting out with treatment. 

I was diagnosed Oct 15, 2010, three days after running my first half marathon. Since then I've had a year of treatment including mastectomy, chemo, radiation, and after all that, tamoxifen. There were many times, especially during the Adriamycin phase of chemo, where it was hard to imagine that I'd ever feel well again.

On the first anniversary of my diagnosis (just a few days ago now) I ran the same half marathon again and improved my time by 12 minutes, and felt great doing it.

I've been blogging and videoing my journey through all this, if you're curious, you can find out more here.

Happy running everyone!

Amy

Amy...thank you for sharing.  I have just had my surgical drains out today and been told not to run until I have full mobility in arm, which he predicts is about a month out.  That left me feeling a little defeated...until you gave me a whole lot of perspective....  Congrats on your run!!  

Goldlining...I'm sorry for the postponement...  I hope you still get to go...

orangemat...  my bs really was concerned with the arm movement.  If I get really antsy, I will run with my arm pinned to my side...but I ill try to stick with walking as long as I can...  I am glad you got to run

No recon here...

Thanks, orangemat...  I am trying not to think about what I am losing...the muscle, the stamina... and remember that I got in great shape once, after spending most of my life in lousy shape...I can just do it again...this time from a much better startng point...

 And...walking aint so bad... Also, I do have the clear to do simple ab and leg workouts, so I will do that and try to stay strong...:)

Oh groovygirls, that's so encouraging!!

What kind of recon, DIEP? Let's see, that's 5 weeks. At this point, how long can you walk (time) and what pace?

Fingers crossed you'll have no chemo/rads but if you can do a Goofy, you're tough enough for whatever they throw at you!

Groovy girls did they do the oncotype testing on your tumors? I also had 4 tumors, no nodes... Luckily I had a low onco score so chemo was not recommended. Phew. the waiting was a bitch though, trying to convince myself I could handle it. Best wishes!!!!!!

I think if you can do 7 miles just 4 weeks after major surgery you can handle ALOT!!!

Thanks for the input. I have my oncology appointment tomorrow (fingers and toes crossed)

I am wondering how an exchange compares to the original surgery. I am over three months out and just barely feeling like myself again. Although I am looking foward to having the exchange and moving on with my life I am apprehensive about going through the whole process of getting better again.



Sounds like most of the ps say to take a month off from running. I can't imagine doing that. I only managed to take off two and a half weeks after b/l mastectomy.



Running a 5k with my son next weekend. Hope I can keep up with an 11 y/o.

Started Couch to 5K from Cool Running again this week.  Hope to do a 5K in the spring or summer.  Reconstruction 12/6. 

Hey Adey, isn't that a great program? My husband did it three times before it "stuck" and now he's about to run his first marathon (NYC) in a couple weeks. Best of luck to you!

lewing, I love running in a light rain. And that distance always seems to be optimal, not too long, not too short. Definitely worth one's shower!

I went to sleep last night debating about my January marathon. I saw on the RunDisney page that I could switch to the marathon relay; my husband would be willing to do it, assuming (as he says) he ever wants to run again once he gets through NYC. But to travel to Florida, 8 weeks post-op, just for a half marathon? So now I'm kicking myself for having signed up for this race in the first place. I should've waited, but I was afraid it would close out. The only reason I picked it was because the rest of the fall was booked up with family and other obligations, and I was itching to run a real marathon race already, and so it was the first available date. I shouldn't have settled, I realize now, and just planned for something meaningful to do in the spring. But no one really told me that even though I might feel recovered enough, the risk of having further surgeries was out there. Live and learn, oh well.

Quads are still sore from Tuesday night's track workout, as well as the couple yoga classes I did this week (just starting back there again as well), so I'm thinking a nice long and slow run will be on tap for me today. I haven't done hills in a while, so I'm sort of itching for that, but I think those will have to wait for next week. Happy Friday, all!

Hey orangemat, I went from Canada to Florida for a half marathon 10 weeks post mx. Thank heavens!!I The trip isn't a chore, it's a gift! After sticking out the drain and infection and all the rest, I deserved it!! So do you! It wasn't a good pace (but I did finish ahead of a remarkable number of people). Upright and smiling, baby! I was having a crisis over the Tinker Bell just SIX weeks after DIEP, and my husband said, you know, worst case, you're in California for the weekend in January instead of the frozen north. Still planning to TRY it.

Oops....it was a 10 minute mile- I am not that fast!

I was pretty ticked off that I couldnt run a half 2 months after surgery.  I have run it many times over the years.  But I know myself in a race I will run faster than I should if I am not properly trained and although I could have done it and somehow finished it just wasnt worth the risk of injury.  I will be annoyed all over again in Nov when the marathon I was also planning on running goes off without me.  But this is easier advice to give than take for myself, there are other races and there is next year.  So dont feel too bad about missing any one race.

Love the couch to 5k program.  Have helped a number of people through it over the years.  It really does turn non runners into runners in a pretty short period of time. 

Have a great day everyone. 

Hi everyone! After a day off from running yesterday (had family commitments), I thought I'd do a nice long run today, just because. Ended up with 12.5 miles around noon, using my latest technique of stopping for a couple sips of water and two Chomps every three miles as I ran in the county park. I wonder how long the water fountains will be active as we move further into the fall and winter, but up until then, I can maneuver the loops to come across a water source like that for up to 18 miles in total without retracing my steps too much. Too bad I don't have a marathon to train for....

Yeah, I'm totally fine about scrapping January now. It is what it is.

Nice 10-er, lewing! I run with music whenever I run by myself, and have had no issues with my ipod regardless of the weather. Is it really that cold by you that you need gloves already? It was 60F and sunny throughout my run, and I had on a running skort, short-sleeved top and arm sleeves. The arm sleeves were primarily so I could have a pocket for my ipod, otherwise I would've worn long sleeves. And though I don't have LE, with all the referred arm pain I've been having, when I wear these sleeves it makes that area of my arm feel better. Massaged, almost. Also, my deconditioned triceps muscles didn't flop about as much as I ran, so I got to be more aerodynamic. Yeah, that's it, exactly.

My husband's in the blue start, third wave. Here's a link to his blog, where he's been documenting his story of fundraising and training, since this is his first marathon.

Has anyone here ever done a Ragnar Relay, or any other sort of relay? I did Ragnar New York in May and loved it, and can't wait to do another one. At the start of my team's training, we all went to see the one-time showing of the movie "Hood to Coast" last January. I knew no one on my team at the time, and had just answered an ad posted on my running club's newsletter that they were looking for a couple extra people to complete the roster. I was DX'd about two months later, and postponed my surgery until after the relay in May. Since it was low-grade DCIS, my BS was totally fine with that. So now with this upcoming marathon dilemma, I've got the same sort of situation again. But this time I don't want to postpone things anymore. It's a BTDT sort of thing, get it? Time to take care of ME first, and the running will come later.

Sorry about being so wordy, but after two hours of running my brain goes on overdrive! Have a great rest of the weekend, all!