Post-Cancer Comeback

That is so great!

I'm currently in my last cycle of chemotherapy and was wondering if any of you have had any experience coming back to running after a few months (wether it be due to cancer, injury or other reasons). I am also committed to run in college for a small D3 school so I would need to get back in shape fast.

Giving it the time needed will yield the best results ... you can't have a specific end date firmly on the calendar, more of a general motivational goal would be better. I'd suggest treating your post chemo like physical therapy - lots of slow high-rep low-weight exercises. Tons of drills and minimal on the hard running. Easy runs plus mix it up with pool, bike, etc. Forget anything but healthy food; your body needs proper nutrients to rebuild -- proteins, healthy fats, and a good variety of vegetables. And appropriate rest days will get you farther than to keep pushing thru.

I'm currently in my last cycle of chemotherapy and was wondering if any of you have had any experience coming back to running after a few months (wether it be due to cancer, injury or other reasons ). I am also committed to run in college for a small D3 school so I would need to get back in shape fast.

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I got this,...

Ran 5K today, solo on flat grass. Not a full all-out TT, more like 95%+ effort fitness test. No warmup, just started jogging.

28:07

• super easy thru 2K @ 11:30, that's about 9:12/mi pace
• 3K @ 16:45 (apparently 5:15 for that 3rd K -- oops, not sure how that happened)
• 4K @ 22:27 (and, right back down to 5:42/K pace)
• 5K @ 28:07 with a big push for that 5:40 final K.

Actually, I do know how that 3rd K happened - it's kinda hard to jog consistently slow and once I warmed up after 2K I must have eased into a less uncomfortably short stride. Aaaand then I paid for it. Ha!

Whelp ... at least I finished it.

This forum is filled with tons of trash and trolls, but man, posts like these are why I still keep coming back after so many years. This is truly inspirational stuff Sub-8 Mile and wish you continued success (and good health!) going forward.

Pushing thru the same pain, dizziness, fatigue, mental fog. Running whenever I can.

I've gotten stuck. Not sure how to progress forward. Ideas, anybody?

I can do 3K / 2 mi every day, no problem. Feels too easy, like I should be doing more. However:

• Just 5k / 3 mi wipes me out. (ok ok, maybe I should do 4K for now? ugh).
• If I run 3 mi, it has to be superploddingly slow, like 9:30 pace and it's hard to deal with slow-jogging for half an hour. (should I just suck it up and go at that pace?)
• If I try to go faster than 8:45 - 9:15 pace, my heart rate indicates it's a tempo run. (maybe a moderate tempo every day isn't so bad, while I am still getting in shape?)
• If I just cruise at 8:45 - 9:15 pace for 2 miles and try to add on drills/strides, it wears me out. For example, I tried running 3K easy + 4x100m hill strides. On the 3rd day, I felt twinges all day in my left knee and right Achilles. So I had to take a few days off. (does that mean, lesson learned, keep doing drills/strides but just not every day?)

After a few days off, I tried an easy 3K yesterday. 16:25 smooth. Almost too easy.

Then today, I did 5 x 1000m easy with 90 sec rest. I recovered easily with HR less than 120 each time. Ran 5:20-5:30 each rep, or right about 8:40 pace. It felt good to be moving slightly quicker. What I noticed was that the last 2, and especially the end of the final rep, was a bit difficult. Aerobically I think I am ok (at this level anyway), but it's like I lack muscular strength/endurance, still, after years trying to recover.

So I figured I'd add a few lunges and calf raises. Just 3 sets of 10 lunges and 2 sets of 10 calf raises. Bodyweight only. On the 3rd set of lunges, I nearly strained a hamstring and fell over. Sheesh. Such a minor "workout" and still too much? Just a bit less and it's too easy? Can't improve intensity OR duration??

What should I do? One or more of the following?

A) Go back to the 3K / 2 mi runs, hopefully the pace picks up over time.

B) Keep up the 5 x 1K aerobic intervals. Lunges etc, just not too many.

C) Add in daily lunges etc for added strength, just not too many to start.

D) Do a "workout" with drills/strides/hills once per week.

E) Forget hills for now, it is too much at this time.

F) Something totally different?

Still eyeing that sub-6 & sub-60. I'm not quitting, not yet anyway. But this "comeback" is a b****.

oh yeah ... almost forgot to celebrate. I just did 5x1K @ 8:40 pace!!! Best session since cancer!

Today I woke up in a lot of pain. Could hardly walk for a few hours. I don't understand.

It has subsided over the course of the day, and now I am walking fine. Gonna run later this evening when it cools off.

Nobody threw out any suggestions - so unless anyone has a better idea, I think I will go with this "keep it simple" plan for now:

- Daily PT/strength exercises plus 3K/2mi easy/moderate + 4 x 50m drills + 2 x 100m hill strides (not fast). And try to build up from there.

- Occasionally a harder session.

Will update on progress.

I had 6 rounds RCHOP and 20 sessions radiation. I found volume and temps most effective in building strength.

Weird day today, after a weird couple of months.

My dizziness and foot pain (neuropathy) and loud sounds in my ears have been oddly ramped up. Fatigue and general pain too, along with the disorientation. I have been trying to work a bit more, so maybe that's why.

As a result, not much running.

Today I was teaching a First Aid / CPR class. I was right at the part where I was explaining & demonstrating how to handle a situation where the person appears unresponsive and may need CPR. At that moment, a guy in the back of the class went limp in his chair and crashed to the floor -- I was the only one who saw it since he was all the way in the back. Midsentence, I leapt to the back of the classroom and went into the emergency procedure. Dizzy AF.

"ARE YOU OK?!? ARE YOU OK?!?" I yell, whacking on his shoulder. No response. No breathing. F.

I turn to the class, who all look shocked. I point to someone and order "CALL 911!!" I turn to someone else and order them "GET AN AED!!"

Everybody stands and stares. Eyes wide with surprise and fear.

The guy's mom, who had been sitting at the desk in front of him, is on her feet but frozen. She hadn't seen him fall. Had I somehow spoken to her son before class and planned this skit? But no, she had heard his head *thunk* into the wood shelf by his desk. This was no act.

Something tells me to check his pulse, to re-verify that he is definitely in cardiac arrest before I begin chest compressions. Maybe his breathing is shallow. With the spinning undulating walls and floor of my world, maybe I missed it. Maybe he is breathing. Had I missed it? F F F

The adrenalin flooding my system makes the dizziness worse. I can't get to his carotid -- his head is awkwardly propped up in the corner. The room careens crazily around me as I pull him down to the floor in an effort to get his chin off his chest.

This adjustment in position opens up his airway. He lurches and gasps. Breathing!! Holy crap ok ok ok

I turn to the room. Feels like 10 damn minutes (probably 3 seconds irl) since I gave the orders- everybody still staring motionless- WHAT THE EFF ARE YOU KIDDING ME

"CALL 911!!" I am screaming "NOW!! CALL 911!!" I look to the guy closest to the door. "Go there" *pointing* "to the dentist office and get their AED" and I look at another lady "Go up to the 2nd floor to their lobby. There is a box on the wall IN THEIR LOBBY and it has an AED. Go now!"

Eff I am blind from the room spinning so hard. I can't hear right. I don't know if anybody has done anything. I scream at the top of my lungs "SOMEBODY CALL 911!! HAS ANYBODY CALLED 911??!!!" The class says yes and they point to somebody.

That was maybe 10 or 12 seconds. I turn back to the guy who is now somewhat conscious and attempting to get up. His eyes look wild. I get down close to him and gently but with strength hold him down to the floor. I speak calmly to him -

"Hey it's ok, welcome back. You just had a little adventure ok?. No, don't get up. Stay here. Stay right down here with me ok?"

He isn't fully hearing or understanding. His body tenses and for a few moments he has a mild seizure. The shaking ends as abruptly as it started, he regains partial consciousness, he tenses against me and struggles to rise- I hold him down-

"Stay down here, it's ok, it's ok, we're not getting up. Here let's go on your side" *lifting and shoving him as he halfway fights me to get up* "No no we're not getting up, here lift up your arm, that's good now put your head on your arm come on roll to your side here no we're not getting up."

I hold him down, partially on his side for a minute. Finally he comes to and looks up at me "What happened?"

I talk to him and keep him calm. Somebody helps me get him fully onto his side, into the recovery position. I stay knelt down by him, hand reassuringly and yet firmly on his ribs. I can't let him up.

He wants to get up but I convince him - not that I am giving him an option - to stay down.

EMT/Paramedics arrive and take over. The guy goes unconscious and starts seizing. We take the mom to the front of the classroom. The guy regains consciousness. He doesn't look good.

They load him onto the ambulance and take off. Mom declines my offer to drive her car to the hospital and uber back. She goes to her car and drives away. Everybody who was not in the class leaves. The class stays.

They all get back in their chairs and stare at me.

They opt to continue. So I finish the class.

Later in the day, mom and son call to say he is ok.

Whew.

Scans & bloodwork yesterday. Results next week

Scans & bloodwork clean. Cancer free.

That's fantastic that you're clear. Your progress is still inspiring and the story about the first aid class almost surreal.

If anyone's reading this and doesn't know the story behind this remarkable individual, I recommend reading from the start. It'll put things in perspective for you.

As for what training is going to work best for now I can only make a blind guess, which would be mainly strides/speed reps, fairly light but fast, sometimes hard/strong maybe on hills but not to exhaustion, and very short weights sessions. It's just a hunch.