2019 Running Thread

My sisters in more ways than one! I started running at 51 in 2015 and did my first marathon in 2016. In 2017, I ran Chicago Marathon. I had a lot of aches and pains during training, but I attributed it to high mileage, speed work and hill work. It was an awful race that I almost didn’t finish, but I had traveled from CA and spent a lot of money, and damn it, I was going to get that medal, 😂.

Three weeks later, my lower back began to ache and the following morning I couldn’t stand up. An MRI a week later revealed a disc herniation at l5-s1, with motor control lost to my calf. I couldn’t tip toe nor do a calf raise. Needless to say, my running was over for a bit.

I had a discectomy in January 18 and began physical therapy in February 18 and therapist was fantastic in working with me to get me running again. Memorial Day weekend i did my first walk run, set a goal to do a tri sprint and 1/2 marathon in February this year. My avatar is the finish of my first 10k back in September. Then, October 18, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had gotten up to 8 miles, which I ran right before my first chemo 11/18. I haven’t run since for fear of herniating my disc again. I’m so sad, it was my sanity.

I’m going to follow along and update when i start training again, hopefully the same time frame as last year - Memorial Day. I should be done with most or at the tail end of my treatment.

I’ll be living vicariously through you all and my run club friends for the next few months. Sorry for the long winded tale, but as you’re all runners, I thought you’d understand.

Good luck & happy training!
Lisa

Samnjb - usually the implants are much more comfortable than the TEs, but feeling winded isn't the same as discomfort. not sure why you're feeling that but I hope it improves soon!

Erin - did you find out what restrictions you have for activity? Often you can run and bike as soon as drains out, swim when your motion allows and no open wounds. Swimming will be out during radiation though - likely because of the markers (unless they tattoo them - I had that) but also the skin over time may weep like a wound. During chemo you can't swim if you have a port, but even without a port, you may not want to be in pool water. Likely you can run and bike during both chemo and radiation. I also had B mastectomy and chose not to mountain bike during chemo or radiation because at the time my skills weren't great and I tended to fall/crash on every ride. Road rides were fine. I hope you get back to the sports you love very quickly and can exercise as much as you want during chemo and rads - it makes a tremendous difference in how you feel.

Running cats - take your time and try to ease back into running...even if just for your sanity during chemo! nothing crazy, just a little at a time (start with walking, no hills, no rough terrain if on trails) and listen to your body. Hope you recover faster than you think! And...Keep doing whatever exercises your PT had you do to recover from the disc injury. Back care is lifelong. I'm a PT and I also have my own back exercises I must do a few x/week for my lumbar spine and imagine I will have to do them forever

- xo

Hi kec1972!

As an athlete who was also blindsided by this diagnosis, I think Tamoxifen sucks (for lack of a better word right now). I was on it 2.5 years (mastectomy, chemo, radiation, then started Tam) and now I'm in the middle of an oncologist approved "holiday" from it which is supposed to be 4 weeks, but it will be 5.5 off it when I see her. The holiday was to tease out all my complaints - are they from are from Tamoxifen, being perimenopausal, or just getting old, or combination (most likely)? My head/brain/mood was way off, my muscles felt 'dead all the time and workouts never felt right. I couldn't push my muscles at all and the last year in particular I felt like a shell of my former athletic self, and that I had somehow aged 10-15 years in a short time. note: I ran ALL through chemo - up to 10mile runs - , weight lifted etc, super active. The first year on Tamoxifen was ok, or maybe I was blaming what I was feeling on other things, but the longer I was on Tamoxifen the worse I felt, and I finally said enough, I need a break. It takes 2 weeks to get out of the system because of long half life. I'm at 5 weeks off it now. These last 3 weeks have been the BEST my head/brain and muscles have felt since being on it. I feel awesome off it! I didn't realize how much I didn't feel like myself anymore until I started feeling like myself again being off it (hope that makes sense). I am so much happier!!! Still have joint pain, but not as bad and that is likely multifactorial or will simply take longer to improve. I will not be going back on it, at least not at 20mg. Willing to try lower dose despite the lack of published research for lower doses. Seeing oncologist this Friday to discuss it.

- xo

Any other streak runners here? I run every day, at least 2 km, and have done so for over 410 consecutive days now. I started running after my treatments in 2014, essentially from couch to 5 km. I have now ran 11 half marathons and training for my first marathon in 2019. I too had issues with tamoxifen and running, got frustrated and told my oncologist to find me something else. I’m now on exemestane (in menopause...long story...ask me if you really want to know). I am happy now. Running every day has brought back my health and happiness.

Hi everyone! I am excited to find this thread. Before my diagnosis in May, I had run my first 5k and was lengthening my runs to some 6, 7 milers in hopes of doing longer races.

Fast forward to now, just over 4 months past chemo.. I ran five miles in 50min today, my longest run and most consistent mile times since before diagnosis!! I was ecstatic. Glad to find other runners, as other folks just think it's bragging sometimes when we're excited over such a milestone.

I do have exchange surgery coming up on 3/1, so I’m bummed to have yet another round of restrictions, but after a few weeks I should be back to it.

erin, i swam during chemo. I waited until my mastectomy incisions were healed but did have a portacath. I didn’t like how hard it felt to run so I walked during chemo. I started running again during radiation but had to stop swimming. I ran a half marathon 6 months after the end of radiation. The restart after each reconstruction surgery has been a pain bu whatever. I’m slower at everything but again, whatever. I remind myself that I am moving again.

Welcome, accentmj! We're so glad you've joined our community, and hope you find this to be a source of support and encouragement as you get back your routine. It sounds like you're on the right track, and we hope meeting with the physical therapist helps!

The Mods

Hi everyone!

So my half marathon is just 6 weeks away. I had stopped Tamoxifen for 3 months (Jan-March) and felt so great at 3 weeks off it, that I bumped up my running intensity and immediately injured my foot. I'm still a bit injured, and now back on Tamoxifen and my muscles are hating it, but I'm running again. Managed a 9-miler this past weekend. Slower than I'd like, but I did it. Still thinking I can run the race though no where near my pre cancer tx pace, or even immediately post cancer tx pace (which was before Tamoxifen side effects). I have so many friends doing it that I'd still go even just to support them if I can't run. It's in Moab UT - so pretty to run there and smart to have a 6am start time to beat the heat! Hope you all are enjoying spring and getting outside to run!

- xo

Hi - I was just diagnosed with IDC (haven't gotten the final biopsy report so don't know much more than that) on April 24th. I have been training for a half marathon since December. The race is May 5th and I am so glad that I get to run this race. I hope to keep running through whatever treatment I get.

It's nice to see other runners here

Thank you Andra (or Andraxo)!

My husband said that he saw the phrase "high grade" on the preliminary report and the radiologist said that my tests seemed to be low estrogen/progesterone. From what I read here that may point to a more aggressive tumor. If so, I have already decided bilateral mastectomy would be what I prefer. I'm 56 and quite frankly will not miss having to buy running bras. Plus - I would be more aerodynamic.

I will definitely be on here seeking advice as I go along. My husband has a planned full marathon (big mountain route) in July and I want to be able to run the last few miles with him. I'm not crazy enough to run the whole thing.

De

Pretty pleased that I completed the 10 mile Broad Street Run 7 months after surgery. More surprising was that my time was a little faster than last year so tamoxifen hasn't beat me yet.

hello my friends, hope everyone is doing well.

I’m scheduled for mastectomy with expander tomorrow. PS says no running for 4 weeks, we’ll see about that 😂. I made some progress after I finished chemo and was able to get to 3 times a week and up to 2.5 miles. But....I’ve encountered a problem, constant diarrhea. It hits me about 1.5 miles in. Ive tried Imodium and it doesn’t seem to help much. I’m on maintenance Herceptin until November.

Anyone else experienced this? Found a solution or an adult diaper that works? I keep a bathroom within 1/2 mile range but that’s a little tight. Am I going to have to become a cyclist!?

Thelma and Louise half marathon done! Beautiful day, beautiful course along the Colorado river and orange rock walls of the southwest. Whew that was hard! My muscles were already sore in the last 4 miles, with the final mile being really painful and ugly. I'm still so freaking sore now at 4 days later, despite not getting sore after a 12mile run 2 weeks prior (though that was much slower and with dogs). I pushed as fast as I could the entire time. 1:58 - I'll take it. That's about 13 min slower than my pre cancer time, approx 1 min/mile slower. This is probably they best I can do with this Tamoxifen body and all my ortho conditions/injuries. I'd like to run another half at the end of the summer, but not sure I can find one nearly by that works with my schedule. Actual races make me push myself in ways I just cannot do when I'm out on a regular run or a run with my dogs. One of my dogs is almost 14 and she can't really run anymore, or go long distances, so she walks fast at her own pace off leash for 2-3 miles and I double back repeatedly to keep encouraging her. That's kind of what my spouse does to me when we run together - hahaha! Hoping I can really start doing more aggressive trail running. I mostly run on dirt, but flat. I miss rocky courses. They seem to injure me now.

Hope you all are getting out for some miles! - xo