Running after chemotherapy

[Juliespooly]

Hi everyone. Used to run a bit before my breast cancer diagnoses at Easter this year. Throughout my treatment (2 ops and 6 cycles of chemotherapy) I have been looking forward to the day I could get back to it. Today was the day. Harder than I thought but day 1 under my belt. Be pleased to hear from others getting back after chemo etc and how they found it. I still have radiotherapy to go.

[Ibot]

Well done for completing Chemotherapy and for doing your first run

Listen to your body and trust in the process

Good luck

[uncle_wiggy Graduate]

I can't offer any advice Juliespoorly but I can tell you that you're an inspiration!!

Wish you the very best of luck and health 🍀🙏👍

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Welcome to the forum and well done on getting started.

This guide to the plan is essential reading healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

There are plenty of us giving the Big C a kick up the butt by running.

As Ibot says, listen to your body.

I ran right through radiotherapy for prostate cancer, but if you have to ease back, then no shame. We are all different.

The running is great for giving you targets for the future, as well as keeping your body in best possible condition to fight the cancer and treatment side effects.

Best wishes and good luck with your journeys.

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Welcome,

You already have everything this takes and more for sure. Run nice and slow, if you can’t talk in full sentences, slow down some more. Chemotherapy will have taken it out of you, but we pretty much all start this with 30 minutes being impossible and the fitness levels rise really quickly. Good luck with the radiotherapy and on your running journey... you can do this.

[Languid_Lil Graduate]

Go you! I have no advice, just admiration and lots of good wishes xxxxxxx

[flossieflyblow Graduate]

Fantastic to have finished the chemo and good for you to get running again. I think that i got a bit hung up on wanting to run the same as I was doing pre-treatment, which, in hind sight, is ridiculous. Just go gently and enjoy moving, being outside and the changing colours and autumn leaves falling.........Ommmmmm! Good luck

[Hidden]

Hi Julie, congrats on completing the awful treatment so far. I completed DXT in February after BC surgery and 6 rounds of chemo too. I don't know if it was the combo of radiotherapy and starting tamoxifen, but I felt so so fatigued after. I'm still struggling to get fit and am quite stiff and achy - again maybe the meds. Anyway, good luck and take it easy. Best wishes to you and your continued recovery x

[grumpyoldgirl Graduate in reply to Hidden]

I felt like this mands, it was 10 years ago now. I know you will be so frustated that you can't just "bounce back", but I wanted to let you know that it does, eventually, get better. (I think it was the tamoxifen, too! The body does get used to it in the end.)

[grumpyoldgirl Graduate]

Hi Julie, I had my treatment long before I even thought of running, so my advice is general. Some people seem able to carry on as normal during or after treatment, for others it takes longer to feel 'normal', sometimes a lot longer. I was like mands, easily tired and strangely achey for months afterwards.

So be kind to yourself and don't feel there's a level you "should" be capable of. As flossie says, just enjoy whatever you can manage. You may need more rest days, that's fine. Take care, and my best wishes to you and everybody else going through this.