I am 60 and live in West Dorset. I have a past history of breast cancer and am taking anastrozole.
I decided to embark on Couch to 5k as feeling very unfit, slightly overweight and lethargic, although I try to walk regularly.
I did the first session two days ago which I found really hard. Running for 60 seconds was nearly impossible. Since then, I’ve been so stiff and in so much pain with all my muscles hurting! I’ve had two days off now and wanted to be able to do the second session tomorrow, but not sure I will be able to.
The medication I take which is to prevent the breast cancer coming back has side effects of joint pain, so is this why I really struggled? The medication reduces oestrogen. Just wondered if anyone is in the same position as me and whether it will be worth continuing, bearing in mind the side effects of the medication.
Would welcome any replies!
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jaxtuck123
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Welcome to the forum and well done on getting started.
You probably ran too fast. Could you speak clear ungasping sentences as you ran...........if not you were going too fast for your current fitness level.
If you stretch after every run you will reduce aches and stiffness and improve recovery.
I finished chemo for prostate cancer just a few weeks ago and have just restarted C25K. It is perfectly possible to overcome the effects of ongoing therapies by keeping moving on your rest days and rebuilding your stamina slowly and progressively.
If you have to repeat any runs, no problem, every run is making you stronger.
Hi and welcome! I have just completed c25k for the second time as i had terrible knee/ hip pain after I finished last summer but was determined to continue! It is so important to stretch before and after running and it has made such a difference to me this time round. I have no idea if it’s down to your medication so cant offer you any advice on that im afraid! Hopefully you can persevere and enjoy it as much as i do now, it does get easier believe me, I never thought i’d enjoy popping out for a run!! X
Hi Jackie. I had the same as you breast cancer and now 9 years past. I was her2 positive and got chemo radiation and herceptin. I didn’t take anastrozole but took letrozole for 9 years. My joints as well were sore to start with never really gained weight but got severe osteoporosis thinning of the bones one of the side effects but took as better than the cancer coming back. Have finished letrozole now . I started running whilst having breast cancer not couch to 5 km but just run jog more or less the same and can now run 5km and two week ago ran 10 km. Try to keep running doing the couch 2 5km taking things slow very slow pace , doing exercise will stop you feeling lethargic and increase your water intake as well . I struggled as well with the joint pain but found exercise like jogging took my mind off the pain and actually helped it.
With joint problems often (but not always) the best thing to do is to make sure they get some motion regularly.
Did you do any exercise at all before starting C25K? Could a few weeks of brisk walking help before you continue trying to run?
But don't just take the advice of some random folk on an internet forum. If you're in pain, mention it to the medical people who are in charge of your medication.
When I first started C25K I was also on medication (Roaccutane) which could cause joint pain and muscle wastage with exercise. Once I realised these side-effects were possible, I stopped the running until several weeks after I'd taken the last dose. I know that's not going to be an option for you.
I see you’ve had lots of answers, I have no experience of cancer or the medication you take but as an older lady the first few months of running gave lots of aches and pains, I treat myself to a soak in a warm bath after a run and find that helps though Good luck in your running adventure, it’s hard work but if you can keep going it’s well worth the effort
If you sustained a running motion throughout all the run sections and a walking motion throughout all the walking sections (and it sounds as though you did) you are doing well (and far better than I did) Everyone has suggested slowing down, I'm going to add that includes the walking as well. The idea of the walk sections is to recover from the run whilst keeping moving, that's all you need to do. When running gets tough, smaller steps, run on the spot if you have to in order to sustain the movement right to the end of the segment.
Most people are very keen on the stretching. I don't find it helpful to do before or after my run... but if I skimp on those walks at the beginning and end of the session, then I do need to. Right now my body is reminding me that I skipped the walk and didn't stretch after my run two days ago. Nor have I done any gentle yoga practice.
A lot of us do ache very badly early on - we're asking something new of our bodies and we are probably rather tense about it, especially when we're pushing to keep going to the end of the run segment. I suffered from pain in my shins for years and starting running made it much worse and then... much better, to the point of cure. If you are aching enough you really are not going to be able to achieve a running motion, it is worth getting out for a gentle walk (not a brisk walk in my view)
I’m on letrozole and when I first started taking it my joints ached all the time. however I started going to the gym and after that it eased off. I’m now attempting the c25k and have got to week 6 and staying there for the time being. My joints are finding it difficult so I’m not pushing myself further.. Keep going, do the stretches and apply the voltarol! Good luck!
Hi jaxtuck123 I have just switched from tamoxifen to letrozole due to tamoxifen side effects. I completed C25K in June 2019 after completing radiotherapy and I was on tamoxifen at that time. I had a long spell (Dec 19 to Feb 20) when I couldn’t run due to more surgery and I was desperate to get back out there! I had read about the joint pain side effects with Letrozole and I do have a bit of aching but whilst it’s early days on the drug for me I think moving really helps. As the others have said just take the running really slowly and repeat weeks if you want to (I did). Getting out there has so many benefits both mental and physical and weight bearing exercises like running will help to improve your bone health which can also be affected by oestrogen lowering medication. Very best wishes for your journey.
Hi can I ask what side effects you got on Tamoxifen? I was on it for 5 years, not taking anything now, will be my 9th year this July....I had lump removed and radiotherapy, did not affect lymph nodes.
Hi there, I was put on tamoxifen jan 2019 (after surgery for breast cancer in Dec 2018) but was told I would be on it for 5 years and then probably switched to letrozole for5 years. However last year I had some bleeding & a polyp which was benign but had to removed. I now have another polyp (also benign) and they suspect its side effects from tamoxifen so I have now been moved onto letrozole.
Thanks for replying....sorry to hear that, but glad its getting sorted. I was told 10 yrs on Tamoxifen or possible change to another type. When I went for my check after 5 years, said it was up to me to continue, but the protection offered for another 5 years was minimal, so I decided not to continue. I will be going for my 3 year mamogram on 22, doesn't help the anxiety, fingers crossed though....
Jackie I am 57 and when I started I was overweight (still am) and very unfit. Like you the first few sessions were really hard but I am now on Week 6 and loving it. I swear by five mins stretching at the end of each run, I have never once had any aches and pains and I think its the stretching that has helped me a lot I make sure I stretch a lot . Also don't put any pressure on yourself, if you need to repeat some runs until moving to the next stage then listen to your body you will know when you are ready. I would never have thought that six weeks ago I would be able to run for twenty mins without stopping but here I am so trust in the programme and keep going, your stamina will build slowly but surely without you really noticing it all of a sudden you will be able to push yourself for longer. I use "run" in the loosest stage I am doing the slowest of slow jogs but hey I am still doing it. Good luck to you! Keep going you will feel brilliant once you move up to the next stage.
Hi Jackie, I am 41 and carry 30 extra kgs with me. I started couch to 5k in August and it was v difficult for me to finish the 60s. What I did was I continued with week 1 and will continue until I can do it and then graduate to week 2. I never ran in my life and I find it very difficult. What I did notice was the runs get easier and hope to graduate the whole program. I think for people who used to run, the program might be easier and they can do the weekly increments but I just can't go to the next week when I have issues with my first week. Perseverance is more important than fast progress. I have a friend she passed from week 1 - 5 and then she gave up, but I am still going out for runs at my own time.
Keep plugging away - I love your never-give-up attitude. The programme's different for us all and, like you, I was carrying 32kg too much when I started but I worked at it and then, on Christmas day just gone, I ran my first half marathon so it can be done!Someone much wiser than me once wrote on here that "comparison is the thief of joy" which really helped me to focus on my own (slowly-slowly) progress and stop worrying about theoretical milestones. You'll get there, I'm sure. Good luck!👍🏴☠️
Hi Jackie - welcome aboard! I can't off specific advice on your situation I'm afraid, but your experience of stiffness on starting C25K is very common. IannodaTruffe 's advice is always top notch and in this instance he has relatable personal experience too and so is worth listening to.I hope that you continue with the programme - I'm only one of many, many thousands for whom it has changed our lives and it would be great if you joined the crew. I was plagued by Achilles problems at the start (probably mostly due to weight that I've now shed) and found myself starting and restarting several times so don't be surprised if it takes a few "run-ups"; you'll be soooo glad that you stuck with it. The stretching pre and post is a bit boring but it works. Good luck! 👍🏴☠️😀
I am sorry to hear you are having problems and hope you can keep motivated and are able to make progress. I am glad to see so many helpful and supportive messages (as usual here).
I think it is useful to separate the two aspects of difficulty people have with exercise:
- "struggling" meaning you find the exercise itself difficult
- "complications" meaning you are doing harm, such as medical or bio-mechanical issues (for which you should seek professional medical advice).
My strong opinion is any exercise that you can manage is very helpful to health happiness and well being; struggling with the exercise actually means you really need, and therefore really benefit from the effort you are putting in.
So, keep motivated, keep exercising - but keep safe.
Hi Jackie! I can't offer any advice about your particular medical situation, but I'm 55 with wonky hip joints, so I'll offer you my limited experience in the hope that it might help you. I started C25K last January, and almost packed it in after the first couple of outings: my knees & hips were so sore! I believe that if you've just started you will feel sore for a while, as you're asking your body to do something unfamiliar. However if you can stick with it (take as long as you need - doesn't have to be done in 6 weeks), I'm sure you'll feel much better as your body gets used to it. I love running now & would hate to be without it, although since I'm now waiting for my other hip to be replaced I'll have to curtail things a bit - my 10mile target will have to wait! There's so much good advice on here - rest, stretch, hydrate, warm up/cool down properly (probably more than you think you need), and take your time, but obviously check with the professionals when you need to. Good luck & happy running!
I am in exactly the same position. I took up Couch to 5k to maintain my bone density because of side effects of chemo and anastrazole. It took me much longer than 9 weeks to complete and I just repeated each run until I could breathe at the end of it. I did suffer a lot of angst but eventually worked out it's not a competition and just going out was beneficial. I am still very slow but think that's due to fatigue side effect and I find it is difficult to lift my legs when I run...also struggle with stairs. My nurse specialist said anastrazole adds 10 years to your age but when you come off it you feel amazing.😀I suffered a significant amount of pain ,that took quite a while to improve. I also found that on a run day I was wiped out for rest of day but that has also improved. I still run after 2 years and think it's one of my better post cancer choices ( lots of shopping we still don't talk about!). Very best wishes.
Oh thank you that's very helpful. That means I'm 70, no wonder I hurt! Interesting though. Is it 10 years we have to take it for? I've just been on the second run/walk. A little bit easier but not much. I am determined!
I'm taking it for 10 years...it was five but then evidence suggested 10 was better. TBH I occasionally think about stopping but generally feel I couldn't deal with the anxiety if I did!!!🤔
Hi Jackie - firstly well done for starting the programme! taking those first steps is the hardest part but you have began! I am 68 and started it last year and like you had breast cancer for which I take Letrozole. If you are having bad joint pain as I originally did, have you tried changing your drug? That is what my oncologist recommended as my joints were very painful but now on Letrozole they are fine - no joint pain at all. I have also developed osteoporosis due to the drug and that was one of the reasons that I decided to take up running as I need to strengthen my body and bones as much as possible as I get older. So I can't actually answer if your joints are suffering more than others, because of your drug treatment but would suggest that you could perhaps revisit the drug you are taking.
With regards to not being able to complete 60 seconds, I was exactly the same. However I am very pleased to report that I did the W5R3 which is a continuous 20 min run so it really is possible. I am still a newbie so can't comment on how to make it easier but I did find that I was running too fast and have now slowed down to barely running any faster than a quick walking pace and that makes it much easier. I haven't been able to run for a few weeks, as I have had a painful foot - this is now resolved but I am a fair weather runner and will not venture out while there is the slightest possibility of ice on the ground - so intend to start again as soon as the weather warms up.
I usually leave two days between runs so that I can completely recover before the next one - my goal is to get to the end of the programme rather than completing it in 9 weeks. We need to listen to our own bodies to get the right tempo.
I hope that you do continue - you will be so proud of yourself as you achieve the milestones! I am looking forward to actually completing this now which I hope to do during May sometime. Good luck!
Thank you so much for your comments which were very helpful. I have jus been on the second run/walk and it was marginally easier, but not much. I am very determined! Like you, my running is very slow! I think the first run I did much too quickly, even the walking bit, so slowed down today and it was a bit better. This is my second drug as I took Letrozole before so I can't change it again. I'm just looking forward to the day when I can stop taking it (although in a way it is a bit of a security blanket!). Best wishes. Jackie
I completed C25K afew months ago and stayed on some weeks for a couple of weeks or a few more circuits.Theres no rush.Well done for making a start,you can do this👍
Hello Jackie, just reading your message and then the responses fills me with admiration for what you've all been through - and are still going through with those drugs. I'm 61 and started the programme to force myself to get outside and take exercise. I stayed on week 1 for about 3 weeks (I think I did it 9 times) before I felt ready to move on to week 2. I was then ready for the slightly longer run. I jog very slowly (I think I might even walk faster than I jog!) and now I've started week 3, and I might stay on that for longer too. There's no rush, and I figure that just the fact of getting up off the chair and moving, however slowly, is better than not doing it. So well done for doing it! Best wishes
Hi Jackie, I'm another one near you on Devon / Dorset border. It's a great part of the world to be running in. Easier said than done, but try to find a route to begin with that isn't too hilly! Just take things really slowly, repeat weeks if you need to and you'll get there. If you've got any doubts at all about your health, speak to your GP so that they can put your mind at rest. x
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