2012 Running Thread

Well, exactly 8 weeks after my last run (which was 2 days before my BMX & DIEP), I managed to get 2 miles of running in, albeit slowly.  My stamina is gone, so I had to keep taking walk breaks.  The good news is my pace is I felt like I was not running very fast.  I still had some weird tingly feelings in my abs from the DIEP, but it was nice to not have the tummy jiggle!  I have to keep reminding myself that I've got to take time to build back up.  I'm probably going to just still to 2 miles of running each time this week and hope that the walk breaks become less frequent and shorter!

Paradiju, I had a similar course of treatment (chemo 1st, lumpx2 in the fall, rads thru winter), am 3 months out today!  But I also get shooting pains and all kinds of bizarre twinges.  It happens at times other than runs, but does seem to occur iwth more frequency when I run.  I figured it was just the nerves doing their thing aftrer so much trauma.  Not sure if that helps.

My Couch to 5K group graduates this week!  Some people have accomplished their 30 minute runs and still others will this week.  All in all, 6 newbie runners completed the program.  Their comments are just the best: "I feel like the little engine that could!" and "I never thought at my age I'd actually be doing this."

I ran with the group, then, on the drive home, decided that wasn't enough, so I went for another 30 minutes around the neighborhood.  All in all about 5.5 miles run today...

Kat...Congrats on the run...and on the wonderful job of leading new folks.  I am impressed...:)

I am reading the Kathrine Switzer autobiography.  It is rather interesting.  She refers to running as Her Magic.  I am inclined to agree.  And I wonder how my life might have been different if I had run when I was younger...

Anyway...ever since I ran my 5K, my 7 year old daughter has decided she wants to run.  I told her she could train with me this summer.   I will find a way for us to run different paces but in the same area...a track or something.  Any suggestions, words of caution or other are very welcome.  I don't want her to push herself too hard...and that is her personality.  So I will be trying to help her funnel her efforts into only safe and healthy endevours...:)

Hope you all are having a good evening...

Claire

Name the bra please!

C25K week two, workout one, check.  1% incline but no faster yet.  (c:

It certainly feels good to get back to running.  My BS asked me yesterday if I'd gained weight in the 8 weeks I didn't run.  I actually am the same weight (which is pretty good since I certainly haven't significantly decreased my caloric intake!).  The good news was that she suggested that my weight might go down once I get back to my previous activity level!

The only thing that I've noticed since I've started running is a weird tingly feeling in my abs (from the DIEP).  It seems to diminish after about a mile.  Since I'm still kinda out of shape, I haven't yet tried to run for more than 2 miles yet.  Anyone else experience weird tingling?

HI Running girls...Adey so proud that of you that you are keeping up the running. I have 13 more days then summer vacation come run with me. I have a good sports compression bra from Champion. It really keeps you tight. Since I broke my rib this has helped me alot. No jiggling for me.

Jocelyn..glad to see you are running the Chicago Marathon too. Are you running for a charity? I am running with the American Heart. WE have a kick off meeting tomorrow. I am so excited to meet some new people who are running too. I will be running at Busse woods. Maybe we can meet and run in Chicago sometime.

CLC..I have a running club at my school for 1-6 grade. They can walk or run as they feel that day. Just getting out and seeing everyone else running even me, that really gets them motivated to stay healthy. So seeing you staying healthy is a positive right there. I say enjoy her company as they do grow up so fast.:)

Hope everyone has a wonderful evening. It is pouring rain and lightening here...very dark and scary.....

BJ

Oh, forgot to say, great job to everyone in their running progress! 

Wow!  I just found this forum, I feel just in time.  I am so inspired by all the posts I have read and I have only ready about 20% so far.  You are all amazing.

I just finished my last A/C treament yesterday (feel icky today) and if it is anything like last round I will only do a 3-4 mile walk today, tomorrow and Friday.  Taxol begins in two weeks for 4 rounds over 8 weeks.  Everyone is telling me this is "easier to handle" than the A/C, any comments?? 

I have begun to get very discouraged with my running and the negative thoughts run rampant as I struggle at a slow pace (2 - 3 minutes per mile slower than what I ran 8 weeks ago post bilateral mastecomy). Since I am able to mountain bike, road ride and swim I have considered not running for the duration of chemo but....seems like a cop out the more I consider it, and the more I read the posts here. 

Last year I had one of my best athletic seasons ever as an amateur triathlete and runner.  My diagnosis hit me hard mentally as I was preparing for a solid year of mountain bike racing and off-road triathlon. My, how one's perspective can change and I am sure you all can relate.

 I look forward to reading on here and sharing my journey and experiences!  

Since my diagnosis on Jan 20:

Temecula 5k - 1st Place Female (morning of Jan 21)
Tinkerbell Half Marathon  12/1428 Age Group (I trained hard for this and got food poisioning the night before! So I was about 8 minutes slower than I had hoped, oh well!)
San Diegito Half Marathon  8/96 Age Group (I did not train for this super hilly course, but very happy with my time!)

Since Bilateral MX Feb 23:

LA County Race for the Cure - 1st Place overall & 1st Place Survivor! (after 4 weeks no running, legs were rarin' to go!)
Coaster Run, Camp Snoopy - 3/81 Age Group (Day after LA, that just hurt BUT felt so good to run!)

Since Chemo began April 1:  (Doc said "no competitions", but my cousin was running the 1/2 so I signed up to "jog" the 5k)
Orange County 5k: 2/161 Age Group (the race was actually 2.6 miles!  RD's made a big error in course set up, I was not really upset about it!!)

I have only one other race on the calendar and it is in Janurary 2013 - The Goofy Challenge at DisneyWorld, FL.

Thanks for letting me share and keep up all the good work and RUNNING! 

TriChick, welcome!!  I am far less seasoned a runner than you are (was finishing a 10K program a the time of dx; only one season of running under my belt really), but our chemo regimens sound quite similar.  If you look back on my posts on this thread (and the 2011 one), you will see my frustration with trying to run during chemo. I basically gave up on it; many days, walking or yoga was the best I could do.  Struggled with a lot of guilt over that but now that I have the benefit of perspective, I can honestly say I did the best I could while preserving my energy for the rigors of work.  I basically tried to maintain a basic level of fitness with the promise of building back up after the worst was behind me.  I'm not saying that discourage you, just to share in that "feels like a cop out" feeling.  The people on this thread are awesome - don't let that discourage you either!

A/C and T are no joke - especially when done dose-dense!  I did do better with T with regard to the yucky feeling, but in my experience it was true what they say about progressive fatigue.  I had bone pains; in the last two rounds I took painkillers at night on the worst days, so I could sleep comfortably enough to take the next day on.

BUT - all of this is leading up to the silver lining, I promise - about two weeks after the last T you start to feel more and more like your old self with every day that passes.  After I was done with chemo I still had surgery and rads to go, but I did start experimenting with running again.  And I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly my body responded to the challenge.  I started out with no expectations but was able to build back up to 5K ability within a few weeks.  My pace was about 2 min/mi slower than usual, but it just felt so good to be out there I didn't care.  I maintained that ability through surgery x2 and rads, and about a month after all treatment ended, I got a bunch of co-workers to do Couch to 5K with me (for me, it helped me get back into a routine and immproved my speed).  That's just ended and I can now say I'm back to where I was about this time last year, shortly after dx.  Have my sights set on my first 10K in June.

This is turning into a long post but I really just want to encourage you to do what you can, but be easy with yourself. Your body is going through hell, but it's temporary.  And before long you will make a triumphant return!!  

So glad to have you with us.  Like I said, I'm not near the level of many of the folks here, but they have let me share and rooted me on and all things wonderful and welcoming.

Ha, Kat, no worries. And thanks. I certainly don't have what you'd call "shy thighs" ... They're my potential for strength.



Welcome TriChick!

Great picture orangemat! Thanks for sharing.

blackjack...thank you for the input on my daughter.  I like your advice...just go and let her run...  We will do just that.:)

orangemat...great photo!!

Trichick...hello, and welcome!

CLC I have to say bathrooms are one reason I love the runDisney. For those of us who do not do 26 miles in 2:20, it's a necessary evil that you have to stop sometime. (I can't even do 13 miles in 2:20.) Plus there is a long wait at the start in some of the races. If you time it right, you can use the bathrooms IN the parks, actual bathrooms with plumbing instead of smelly plastic boxes with no proper handwashing. At the WDW Princess Half, the bathrooms are at about 4.5 to 6.5 miles in the Magic Kingdom so I have had to use the portapotty just before the start, and then the Tomorrowland bathroom is my next stop. At the Disneyland Half and Tinker Bell Half, you pass through the parks in the first 3 miles. I've never needed a potty stop after that as the sweating and the drinking cancel out. My poor husband got food poisoning at the Tinker Bell Half like TriChick, and hit nine separate porta potty locations and barely beat me. I was just 6 weeks post DIEP and came in halfway down my age-gender group. (What on earth were the rest of them doing?)

The nutrition advice from TriChick is what I follow - practice the nutrition as well as the running (i.e., Rule #1 is Don't do anything different on race day, and Rule #2 is See Rule #1.) I take the gels they hand out in the runs, but I put them in my pocket and give to my daughter who likes those. I consume what I bring myself, which is the Clif Shot Blox. I've been thinking of trying the gel in practice but the chewing is a nice distraction ... and I am not moving fast enough to choke. :-)

@clc - I'm lucky in that even for a marathon, I don't usually need a bathroom.  Only once for a full.  I find that the earlier the race starts, the less likely I am to need one.  My husband, on the other hand, is ALWAYS on the lookout for one.

As for nutrition during a long run, when I was slower (even slower than I am now), I could chew/swallow easily, so I'd eat chocolate covered nuts or muddy bears.  Plus I needed more protein since I was out there so long.  Since I was slow, I needed more fuel.  Sometimes I'd get someone on the course to have bbq chips (I craved the salt & carbs).  Frequently, a wedge of orange will do the trick for me.  Of course, it depends on my nutition the previous week and the weather.  Once, I was so carb depleted after a race, I couldn't raise my hands above my head and felt nauesa.  But, generally these days, I like the gel blocks--Gatorade has some really good new ones.  I like clif blocks (although they're kinda big).  Sport beans are ok.  Honey stinger is ok.  I hate the gels b/c they're so messy.  I've also recently tried the powerbar chews.  For the Nike Women's, I've enjoyed the chocolate and oranges.  Just make sure you practice to see how it works for you.  I don't usually worry about nutrition unless I'm running more than 1.5 hours.

Thank you all for your feedback.  I guess I am a little naive...I thought everyone was running without any breaks...potty or otherwise. 

I really cannot wrap my head around a marathon.  But, I can wrap my head around what a half-marathon is, particularly with porta-potties available.  I will focus on my 10K...and train for it.  If it goes well, I will consider the half.  But I am just in awe of all of you marathoners.  I just can't get my head around running for 4.5 or more hours. 

You all are very awe-inspiring...:)