Here's to breaking 20 for 5k (à la EddyLee)

Were you walking or running those 18 minute miles? Shouldn't you be chilling until you are done with chemo?

Awesome!

I've yakked with you a bit in other threads and wish you the best. I have a training thread here that's been going for a few months now and I have yet to get trolled. I hope you can find someone here who can give you good training help.

Good luck!

I was running if you can call it that. I actually walk a little faster than I run now. As far as chilling until done with chemo... My dad is friends with the head of a major hospital's radiology department, so, he's always picking his brain about things. He'll tell my dad stuff he would never mention to people professionally, but, he knows to be true. His comment is that he would get run out of town if he said this as a medical professional, yet, on a one-to-one, personal basis, he can share it, clearly indicating this is not something you can hold him liable for. With regards to chemo he said the most important thing I can do for myself is to boost my immune system and stay strong and healthy. Chemo, radiation and surgery just tear people up. The only thing most normal people can do to combat this is fight with everything they have. He says the biggest problem he sees is people checking in with regards to their health. They take this passive mentality of "I've got cancer and I can't do anything". Nonsense he says. Sure, there are times when it is impossible to exercise because the side effects may be so harsh. With what they give me (a one hour bag five days a week once a month) I get run down for about a week and a half. Yet, exercise helps me feel better, gets it out of my system, and, mentally boosts my reserves. The stuff I'm on now (or will be shortly) is not that bad compared to many others.

Harkening back to your broken leg thread, How is your bone density?

redux wrote:

Awesome!

I've yakked with you a bit in other threads and wish you the best. I have a training thread here that's been going for a few months now and I have yet to get trolled. I hope you can find someone here who can give you good training help.

Good luck!

It's letsrun what would it be without some friction and yakking. Heck, I've got my 2745 other handles too for those not-so-good days. (You can only throw up 25 times a day and constantly be faced with the probability you'll be dead in 2 years so many times without getting a little grumpy.) Thanks for the hoping...

redux wrote:

Harkening back to your broken leg thread, How is your bone density?

Not sure. Once I got out of there, I never looked back. The last test they did was when I was stoned out of my mind during surgery in early October. Can they do those without any sort of invasive procedure?

I always though those tests were done with an x-ray.

redux wrote:

I always though those tests were done with an x-ray.

May be. I quit asking medical questions a long time ago. Just too much information in my case. I'll look into this one.

This sounds like it will be a great thread. Good Luck and Godspeed. I will be reading and maybe leaving a comment from time to time.

God speed, my friend.

This is a wonderful sport and site, eh?

I'm giving it another go this year to see how far I can drop my times. And no matter what training session I'm in, I'll be thinking of you.

efhutton wrote:

Were you walking or running those 18 minute miles? Shouldn't you be chilling until you are done with chemo?

Oh yeah, in my case, the doctors basically say I will do chemo once a month, every month until I die. So, waiting for chemo to end is not really an option. Sorry for the double post...that just came to mind.

eddylee wrote:

God speed, my friend.

This is a wonderful sport and site, eh?

I'm giving it another go this year to see how far I can drop my times. And no matter what training session I'm in, I'll be thinking of you.

Very cool. I wish I were there with in body too. I'm the old bird who got his wings clipped watching the eaglets soar!

Best of luck with the running and especially your health.

For reference, what kind of runner were you before cancer? If you have another thread where your history has already been told I would appreciate a link if available.

joho wrote:

Best of luck with the running and especially your health.

For reference, what kind of runner were you before cancer? If you have another thread where your history has already been told I would appreciate a link if available.

Probably easier to put it here to reduce the chance of a link getting wacked. I started running in 8th grade. Ran slow (like almost 20 minutes for 2 miles slow). I kept at it, got into the 16's at the end of high school and ran around 15 flat for 5k/32 for 10k in my mid-20's. Nothing amazing, but, going from nearly 20 minutes for 2 miles to running sub 10 was pretty good in my book. I was literally twice as fast. High mileage, low mileage, crazy mileage. I've tried just about everything. I quit racing in the mid-2000's after getting married, having kid, lots of insane work related stuff. I could still pop 18 flat on a bad day for 5k but was working like 90 hours a week, 2 kids (well, 3, but one was brand new, an infant), remodelling/trying to sell a house, etc. I moved where I live a few years ago and thought I was ready to get back on track (early 30's more stable job). When I was diagnosed I was running 50-60 mpw at anywhere from 6:30-8:00 pace. So, being told, "Hey, you've got incurable cancer and are probably going to die in less than 12 months" was a little surreal in the midst of being a healthy, athletic, non-drinker who doesn't do drugs, smoke or any of that stuff.

That's a gut wrenching story. Best wishes.

redux wrote:

That's a gut wrenching story. Best wishes.

Yeah, it got a lot worse from there. That was just the start and a high level overview to get folks who don't know the basic history up to speed. : )

I am really, really impressed and really, really pulling for you. All the best.

Ugh, an achy achilles. I remember these things...all too well. Welcome back.

Good luck dude. That's a hell of a challenge and I can't imagine being in your shoes.