1:05:03. Very hilly, I did my "radiation run" - the hilly run that did I almost every day while I was going through radiation treatment this summer. I am so very happy to say that today I ran it nearly 5 mins faster than I did during this time. This is a milestone week for me. I think I am breaking out of my, not clinical but serious - non-training-induced, depression - that many of you might not have known that I have had ;-). I have been sad because I missed my key marathon last year (Houston) because of a stupid sinus infection, which in the end I should have just done anyway, and had I known what was to come I would have. I missed my back-up marathon (Woodlands Marathon) because of a diagnosis of very early stage breast cancer (I feel compelled to point out the early part - because we need to educate people that breast cancer still in fact kills and is *not* "the best cancer to get" for many women - even though MINE was - and I am lucky indeed). I then missed an entire 6 months of "training" and "racing" because of surgeries and treatment for said breast cancer. I then had what would end up being unrealistic expectations at how long it takes to recover from said treatments/surgeries. I really really thought that I would have 3 months to train for a 50K for my 50th birthday (I mean, I thought, I finished radiation in early July, I should have had July-August-September to train, no problem) -- but, I did not think that it would take well over 2 months (and counting) to recover from the tissue damage caused by the surgeries and radiation. I am so very lucky, I will have to admit, I have been able to run every day through the whole ordeal (except for the couple weeks after surgery, of course). Hallelujah -- this week was the FIRST week that I actually ran two runs in the same week without pain (since March after my second biopsy)!! I think that the exercises that I have been doing for my poor abused chest and arm muscles, and lymph system, are working!! I had NO idea, in my defense how would I have known?, how much damage is done to underlying tissue by radiation -- nor did I realize how sensitive the lymphatic system is to invasive surgery to the chest wall. But, now I know, and when I FINALLY realized that it had only been 2 months since finishing radiation, I actually snapped out of my depressive fog, and just concentrated on making little steps in my running improvement. I ran a little harder on my fartlek day - I ran the last 10` of my Tuesday run a little harder than my usual pace. And, this week I felt good, this week I made small, but measurable, improvements. And, I think I am finally at peace with that. ... and that, is that ;-) ... I think that I can turn 50 with the past year being done, and looking forward to better year this year ... albeit a little more slowly than I had hoped! Happy Trails bloggers!
| 