Category: Cancer

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Cancer Family & Friends Running

The Race for the Cure-Full Circle

It’s been a while since I’ve written a personal blog post.  Everything has been going really well, but busy.  I haven’t had a lot of spare time to write, and the last time I wrote about running was in September- yikes!  I’ve been running, but not writing about it, obviously.

The last race I ran was on October 3rd.  I ran in my second Komen Race for the Cure in Denver.  This was the very first race I ran in last year, and it got me hooked on running.  My sister, Mara, decided to run in it as well, so I had company at the start line. 

Mara & I at the start line

Mara and I at the start line

My goal for this race was to get my fastest 5K time, even though this race was not officially timed.  Last year I was just so happy I could run-period, and this year I wanted to take everything I had learned about running, all the training and hard work, and run the fastest I ever have for this distance.  I wanted to do this for me, and for all the cancer patients who can’t run or do what they want to do physically. 

Last year before this race, I received running encouragement and tips from a friend I had been back in touch with from high school.  John used to run in school and gave me a lot of good tips for running in a race, since I had never ran in one.  Over the past year, he has helped me a lot with running, and has given me advice ranging from shoes, to race strategies.  Anytime I had a question or needed advice, he did what he could to help me.  I started to think of him as my unofficial coach.  🙂  This year he came with me to the race.  

Mara and I made our way to the front of the line- amongst the hundreds of runners.  Mara has a bad knee from a rafting accident years ago, and knew she wasn’t going to be able to run the entire race, but started with me anyway.  She made me laugh as we took our place with the “Seven Minute” runners. This means you can run a mile in seven minutes.  Doable for me, but when Mara saw how serious all the runners were with their warm ups, and stretches, (and we do tend to be serious before a race,) she said, “Dang, these people are like die-hards. Oh I guess that’s you.”  It was funny to hear her impression of “us die-hards.” 

As the race started, I told Mara I’d see her at the finish line, and started running.  I felt really good.  Most of the training I have been doing since June was very intense for me, so it seemed pretty easy for the first mile.  But I had forgotten how uphill the beginning of the race was.  I was running my race pace too, so I was getting a bit tired in mile two.  I loved seeing all the people cheering along the street. 

A big difference for me this year was I have started running without music. I started training in July without it. I was training to run in a race that didn’t allow music.  I felt more focused and in-tune with my breathing and pacing.  I was glancing at my Garmin to see what kind of pacing I was on, and it was going well.  Right around the end of mile 2, I got tired and forced myself to slow down some.  I remembered towards the end of the race, with about half mile to go, there was a steep hill from the off ramp waiting.  I knew I was in good shape, but wanted to make sure I saved some energy to tackle that hill.

I found out later that Mara’s knee gave out after her first mile.  She walked the rest of the race, and was able to take some pictures since she wasn’t running.

Looking at this picture afterwards made me appreciate all the more, how fortunate I have been regarding my health.  The entire time I was running, I could see the people ahead of me, and the guys riding the bikes, outlining the course.  At one point I could look down over the runners ahead of me and figured there were a few hundred.  Last year, I was running more like in the crowd in the picture.  It always makes me run a little faster when I realize there are more people behind me than in front of me.

Before I knew it, the hill was there.  It was hard, and I was trying to increase my speed since the race was almost over.  I ran over the summer on some 21% grade dirt hills, in the very hot sun, so I was telling myself this was nothing compared to that. 

I finished the hill, and it was a sprint to the finish line.  There was only about .15 miles left.  I am sure I glanced at my Garmin, but I don’t remember at what time.  But I do remember I was on pace to beat my previous 5K best of 24:59.  I ran as fast as I could to cross the finish line.  I hit stop on the Garmin, but before I looked at the time, I took a few seconds to just appreciate that I was at the race at all, and how much fun I have had running during the past year. 

I looked down at my time, and there it was: 24:53.  I ran my fastest 5K time!  Last year I had finished in 36:25- what a difference a year makes- in more ways than one.

I saw John waiting for me, smiling with the camera at the end of the finish line. I was happy to see him there, and after a year plus of me asking him about all the in-and-outs of running, and him helping me, it was nice to be able to put it all together and achieve what I was hoping for.  Even though this picture is blurry, I still like it.  It captures the spirit of the race for me:

I am sure I had a huge smile on my face after this as I showed John the time, and told him I just ran my fastest 5K.  We went to find some water and wait for Mara.  When she finished, I told her I was very proud of her- it would have been very easy for her to sleep in, and she agreed, but I think it is wonderful she got out and gave it her all!

After the race- we did it!

Since this wasn’t a timed race- there are no stats- no official times, or age group finishing places.  John told me the first man finished around 14 minutes, and the first woman was a few minutes after that.  He said he didn’t see that many women who finished ahead of me who looked like they were in my age group. 

It was my best race yet, and I was thrilled I was able to run my fastest in this race, when last year it was an accomplishment just to run.  I took over 11 minutes off my 5K time in a year.  I am proud of that, and am so thankful to everyone who has helped and encouraged me during the last year.  John especially.    

Finally, for all the cancer patients and survivors who are still fighting- many who are my blog readers- I think about you every time I run.  I think about my own battle with cancer, and how it pales in comparison to what so many others have to go through to fight and beat cancer.  It is humbling and inspiring.  It is why I started to run.  Over the course of the year, it helped me make the shift in my thinking from a cancer patient to a cancer survivor, and to focus on what I can do, not what I can’t.   

The Race for the Cure is where running started for me.  I will be marking my running years by this race.  I’m excited to see what this next year in running holds for me.

Categories
Cancer Health Running

Running to Defeat Cancer- A Year Later

A year ago, after recovering from thyroid cancer, I decided I wanted to support others who were fighting cancer.  I signed up for the Komen Denver Race for the Cure, supporting breast cancer.  I had never run in a race before, and didn’t particularly like running.  But I felt very thankful for the fast recovery I had from my own cancer, and figured it was the least I could do.  

My doctors told me it could be a year recovery before I’d even start to feel “back to normal” again.  My doctors warned me it was a very gradual upswing, and not to expect to feel better for a long time.  If you have followed my cancer journey on my blog, or know me in real life, you know that this was not the case for me.  As soon as I was on Synthroid, I felt the difference in hours.  To date, I still have not had to have one medication adjustment, which is almost unheard of.  My surgeon, who warned me of how hard the recovery was, and who has been treating thyroid cancer patients for 17 years, including his own wife, told me he had never seen someone recover as fast, with zero complications, like I have.  He told me I was a bit of a medical miracle. 

When I wrote my blog post last year, deciding I was going to run in the Race for the Cure, I was thankful I was doing so well.  A year later and a year wiser, I am more thankful and grateful than I can express.  I have no idea why I recovered so well. I am still in contact with a few people who had thyroid cancer surgeries the same time I did, and are still trying to get their thyroid replacement medication right, so they can start to feel back normal again. 

Running in this race last year was very healing for me.  I didn’t feel like I was a sick cancer patient, but I felt strong.  I felt like I was on the right path for recovery. I had no idea at the time if my recovery was going to “last” or if I would experience the problems and complications my doctors had warned me about.  It had been less than two months since I completed radioactive iodine therapy and had started on Synthroid.  But I was so optimistic I was able to train for this race and run in it. I had a lot of support and encouragement and I still remember while running it- for the first time, in a long time- I felt alive, well, and healthy.

I was hoping to finish the race in under 40 minutes, and finished in 36:25.  The race is self timed, and there are no official results.  But crossing that finish line was monumental for me.  I wasn’t sick with cancer anymore- I was a cancer survivor.  And that day, I became a runner.

I was hooked. I loved it.  I loved every second I was running the race. I loved the adrenaline, I loved the strategy, I loved I was smiling through the race, I loved pushing myself, I loved trying to pass the person ahead of me, and then trying to keep someone from passing me.  I loved the fact that I could actually do something as physically challenging as running.  I loved the fact that I was proving that cancer wasn’t going to define my life.  When it was over, I loved the fact that I had accomplished something just weeks ago, had seemed impossible. 

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I know now what I loved most about that race.  I moved from surviving cancer, to healing from cancer. Two very different mind sets.  I never looked back at being a cancer survivor- I started focusing on healing from cancer, and being the strongest person I could be- mentally and physically. So the Komen Dennver Race for the Cure means the world to me.  It put me on the path to heal from cancer.  It helps breast cancer patients who have to fight a much harder fight, for much longer than I ever did. 

I am running in the 5K again this year on October 3rd in Denver.  I am well trained for this race, and plan on going for my personal (unofficial) fastest 5K time.  I can’t think of a better 5K race where I would like to achieve a personal best.  But just to be there again- strong, healthy, able to run, and cancer free is a gift.  It’s a precious gift not everyone gets, and one that I am aware of every time I run.  So I am going to give it my all, and run it the strongest I can.  For myself and for all the cancer patients and survivors who can’t.

Last year I entered this race as a cancer survivor and ran.  This year I am entering this race as a runner, who happens to be a cancer survivor.  This is the spirit of the Komen Race for the Cure. I encourage all my readers to make a donation to the Race for the Cure, or better yet- sign up to walk or run in your local race.  You can find a list of races here. 

If you would like to make a donation in my name, to help raise money for breast cancer, you can click here.  Thank you!  🙂

Categories
ACS Blogger Advisory Council Cancer Health

Hope Lodge-New York City

When I was in New York, I was invited to tour the Hope Lodge facility, as a member of the American Cancer Society (ACS) Blogger Advisory Council I serve on.  

The ACS has more than 30 Hope Lodge locations in the United States and Puerto Rico.  Their purpose is to provide cancer patients and their caregivers a temporary free place to stay when having to travel to another city for cancer treatments. 

As I toured the Jerome L. Greene Hope Center in the heart of New York, I was deeply touched.  I had no idea the scope of services they provide for cancer patients.  There are lovely and homey rooms, which don’t feel like hotel or hospital rooms.  Each floor includes a kitchen, dining area, a quiet lounge, and laundry.  In addition, Hope Lodge helps cancer patients with the healing process.  There are support programs which include meditation, touch therapy, support groups, yoga, and nutritional seminars.  Patients also have access to ACS services such as Look Good…Feel Better, the Wig Program, and Man to Man. 

If a patient is staying at Hope Lodge- all of it is free.  They have 60 rooms at Hope Lodge and they are booked every night, months in advance.  To stay at Hope Lodge, a patient has to be referred by a hospital social worker, as they try to serve the patients with the greatest needs.  I was very impressed as the director told us even if a cancer patient isn’t staying at Hope Lodge, if they are in the city for cancer treatment, they can still come and use all the services free of charge. 

I took a lot of pictures of the facility, but there is a virtual tour you can take as well.  I think that captures the lodge much better than the pictures I took. However, as we walked by the common area, there was a party going on.  There was a woman playing the piano, patients and their caregivers listening, talking, and visiting.  There was so much food, much of it baked by volunteers.  There were beautiful cookies which volunteers baked.  These pictures aren’t on the on-line tour:

 

This really touched me because of the amount of time, care, and sense of community that exists here.  We toured the facility for an hour, but you could tell there was a lot of love, and dedication, not just by the staff, but by the volunteers, caregivers, and patients themselves.

While I was listening to all the information, and seeing this facility, I couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed in the facility.  It is a wonderful place for any cancer patient.  I wish there was a Hope Lodge in Denver, because I would definitely benefited from their services, even if I had not needed lodging. 

The moment that touched me the most, was as the tour was finishing and I was having a few words with Karen Radwin, the Senior Managing Executive.  She had taken us on the tour and had answered all of our questions.  We were standing somewhat away from the group and I told her I had thyroid cancer last year.  I am sure she can’t count how many times she hears cancer stories, but she listened to mine as if it was the only one she had ever heard.  She asked me questions, no one else had ever thought to ask about my cancer and recovery process.  Even though our conversation was just a few minutes, it still is with me.  

I’ve thought a lot about how to write this post.  There are so many wonderful things Hope Lodge provides, it is hard to pinpoint just a few.  But as a cancer survivor myself, the element I felt the most, from the moment I walked in, and what was confirmed by the tour was care.  The staff really cares and does whatever it can to help cancer patients.  Our medical professionals are so busy, it isn’t always possible to get the feeling of care and love in a hospital. 

The fact these lodges exist to provide caring and healing services to cancer patients is priceless.  It is a major step in the recovery process from cancer, and I am so glad Hope Lodges are there for cancer patients and their families in the direst time of need. 

No asks to have cancer.  No one really plans to have cancer.  Not everyone knows what to say or do when a loved one has cancer.  If you live near a Hope Lodge, seek them out.  They can help, even if the patient isn’t staying there. 

In a world where a disease like cancer is ruled by medical diagnosis’s, invading procedures, surgeries, and drugs, to be able to have services on the flip side, care, love, understanding, and support, is invaluable.  It is the difference between surviving cancer, and healing from cancer.

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ACS Blogger Advisory Council Cancer Family & Friends Mothering Parenting

Home & Vacation

I am back from New York.  Wow!!  I can see why people either love or hate it.  I loved it!  It was such a different experience for me.  I’ve lived near Boulder, CO almost my entire life.  I’ve been to Los Angeles several times, but New York was by far the biggest city I’ve ever been in. 

People were nice and very helpful.  No one was rude or had an attitude.  I felt very safe walking around Times Square at night- there was only about 50,000 other people around, police all around, and almost every shop and restaurant was open.  There was only negative thing happen, and that was on the way to the airport on the way home.  The taxi I took smelled like gasoline, and I was on the verge of getting really sick by the time I got to the airport.  Other than that, everything went great. 

The tour of the New York Hope Lodge was amazing.  I am going to write a more detailed blog post about that, but I was so touched by what they do for cancer patients.  As I listened and saw what they did, I thought back to my own experience with cancer last year and thought it was great there are facilities like this that help the patients with the most need.  Especially in a place like New York, where it is so expensive to stay long-term.  I was impressed to learn there are 40 other Hope Lodges in the United States.  It was clear to see Hope Lodges are a great asset in helping cancer patients and their caregivers fight cancer. 

I hope to write more about New York soon (with pictures!), but I had a long day at work yesterday, and the boys and I are leaving tomorow for our vacation together.  We are going with my dad and step-mom to Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  My dad has a relative there who lives across the street from the lake.  The boys are beyond excited for a beach/water vacation.  I haven’t been able to go anywhere with them for two years on vacation, so I am looking forward to this time with them. 

As much fun as I had in New York, the boys were never far from my thoughts.  I missed them!  I kept thinking how much they would enjoy the buildings, the firetrucks, the police cars, and all the sights and sounds.  I decided I am going to take them there one day- when they are older- so they can experience New York and all the amazing sights, before they are in their thirties, like me.  🙂  I liked the perspective it gave me, and I want my sons to be able to live and experience other places then where we live. 

As I flew back into Denver, I saw the few tall buildings on Denver’s skyline.  They definitely didn’t look like much after staring at New York’s massive and countless skyscrapers for five days.  They looked tiny by comparison.  But there were mountains, and open spaces.  I could see miles in any direction- something you don’t get to do in New York from the ground.  There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and they announced it was 75 degrees.  It was a perfect Colorado day, I was going to see Ryan and Cole, and I knew I was home.

Categories
Cancer Health Running

Second Place- A Year After Cancer

On July 22, I ran in my first competitive division race in Boulder. It was a 3K race sprint which was 1.87 miles.  It was definitely a different experience from what I am used to.  To start off, the race said it started at six, but there was a kid’s race, and then a downpour of rain with wind and lightning that delayed the race for about 20 minutes.  Then there was the non-competitive division race.  It was almost seven when it was time for my wave to run.

I actually lined up in the non-competitive division for a few minutes, before I realized that wasn’t my wave this time.  It was weird when the announcer said if you are an elite runner, make sure you aren’t lined up in that wave.  I don’t think of myself as an elite runner, and I had kind of a mental moment, where I was wondering if I should really be running in a competitive division.  I’ll admit for a few seconds, I thought about just running in the non-competitive division.  

But I told myself I had trained for this, and I was going to do it.  Walking out of the non-competitive wave, and waiting some more for the competitive female division was hard.  I trusted all of this on the work I had done.  The waiting around was difficult.  It allowed me too much time to keep thinking and second guessing myself.  Since the race was on a weekday in the early evening, no one I knew could make it to the race.  I’m pretty independent, but it was hard to wait around for that long by myself.  

I went and warmed up and tried to get myself into a better mental frame of mind.  When it was finally  time to line up, I felt good.  I felt like I belonged right where I was.  The only thing that was worrying me was the weather.  The sun had come out after the rain, but it was incredibly humid.  We don’t have much humidity in Colorado, and I have never trained in it.  I wasn’t sure if it would affect my running.

As the race started, I started off strong.  It was neat seeing so many people lined up in the streets watching.  They were cheering everyone on, and were shouting encouraging words at us.  I was able to run a good half mile in the six minute range, and then the humidity hit me.  I couldn’t breathe.  I couldn’t take in deep breaths.  I had to slow down, so I could breathe. 

There was a pretty steep hill we had to run up twice- the course was two loops.  After I ran up the hill the first time, I couldn’t breathe, and I felt so tired.  I wasn’t getting the oxygen I needed to run.  I felt like I was running in a steam room.  I slowed down a bit more, but it wasn’t helping.  I felt so frustrated, but knew I wasn’t going to be able to finish if I couldn’t breathe.  So I did something I have never done in a race before.  I stopped running and walked a few paces, breathing as deep as I could.  I probably didn’t walk more than five seconds, but it felt like an eternity.  A few people passed me, and I hated that.  But I decided even if I finished in last place,  I was going to finish. 

I started running again and right before I reached the half-way mark, there was a woman on the street clapping.  She looked right at me and told me I was doing great, and to keep going.  I waved at her, and for some reason, that really gave me a lift.  I had resigned myself to the fact that I wasn’t going to have my best time, or even place (which I was shooting for, but not expecting), so all I could do is run and finish.  I told myself running up the hill again, even if I was last, this was a competitive division and I had come so far in not even a year, to even be running in this race.

I started running downhill faster, and could see the finish line ahead. I could hear footsteps behind me, and I was determined to not let anyone else pass me.  The humidity was still a factor, and I was still struggling with the deeper breaths.  People were cheering and clapping and I just gave it my all as I saw the finish line get closer and closer.  When I finally crossed, the clock said 14:40.  I stopped my Garmin and it also said 14:40. 

I was surprised at the time.  It was a personal record for me running the distance outside.  I had run it faster in the air conditioned gym, with no hills on the treadmill, a few weeks before.  But this was 30 seconds faster than I had ever ran it outside.  There weren’t that many people behind me, and I knew I had finished towards the last quarter or so of people.  Even with having to walk, I has still achieved a personal best. 

I found some water dumped it over my head.  I was so hot and tired.  I was still trying to catch my breath.  Some of the other ladies I had run with were also talking about the humidity.  It seemed like it was a factor for a lot of people.   

I cooled down and then watched the men’s elite division run.  They were lightning fast. The announcer said there were a few Olympic runners running in this race and you could tell.  The first man hit the half way point just over 4 minutes!  It was fun watching them all finish, and the winning time was just under 9 minutes! 

I have a lot of respect for how hard everyone worked to finish this race- not just the competitive runners, but everyone.  It definitely is a hard distance when you are trying to run fast.  It tests you.  Under two miles doesn’t sound very far, but when you are running as fast as you can, and pushing yourself, your body hurts, your lungs hurt, and you have to dig down to keep strong. I have never wanted to quit a race, but I wanted to quit this one.  I remember telling myself after this race I was done running- this sucked!  I had to fight myself mentally to stay in it. 

When it was time leave, I walked by the announcer’s booth and he said the race results would be on-line the next day.  But I saw a few people with race result papers.  I walked over and asked if I could see the results.  The guy said they were the competitive results, and told him that was what I ran in.  He gave me the paper, and as I found my age group and my name, I was shocked.  It said I had finished in second place for my age group.  I looked at it again, and asked him if these were official results.  He said they were.  The 14:40 was the official time, and I placed second!

I still can’t really describe how I felt.  It seemed unreal- from where I was physically and health-wise a year ago- I was a cancer patient, to placing second in my first competitive division race, and getting personal best time too.  In Boulder of all places- a town known for its die-hard and excellent runners.

I went to a party afterwards my friend was having and she snapped this picture of me with my race number. I had good feeling when I saw the number.  🙂

I was on cloud nine for a few days afterwards.  I thought a lot about cancer, recovery, running, and all the support my family and friends have given me during this past year.  I thank all of you for that. 

And to all the cancer patients and survivors who read my blog, in that last quarter mile when I wanted to quit, I thought about all the e-mails I have received from you all.  I thought about how hard every cancer patient has to fight and how it changes our lives.  I thought about how inspired I am by your stories and how hard some of you have to fight.  One thing cancer patients know how to do is fight, and not quit.  I thought about how I would feel if I had to write on my blog I quit the race.  That provided me that extra motivation to keep running until I crossed that finish line. 

Running and cancer have taught me over the last year, when I am at my limit and feel like I can’t go another step or day, I can.   They have taught me the greatest rewards come from the hardest trials.  If you believe and are true to yourself, you will accomplish what you thought impossible.  And never give up.  Every step you run (or walk), is a step closer to the finish line, and every day you fight through cancer is another day you are closer to beating it, or a cure being found. 

This race was the hardest race I have ever ran in, but also the race where I had the greatest success.  I am very glad I challenged myself by running in it.  It will serve me well for my next running goal, which I am very excited for, and I will be writing about it in an upcoming post. 

Second place.  I still smile when I think about it.

Official Results
  
Time: 14:40
  
Division Place: 2nd 
 
Overall Place: 19th out of 24 finishers
  
Average Pace: 7:49