Monday 2 November 2009

Today..... I Ran!!!!!

Today, I bit the proverbial bullet and started my running programme and it made me feel amazing.

I am following the ZEST Running Made Easy Plan and have started where I have never had to before, at the complete beginners place! Last year I was following the same plan but for a 10K race and was almost through it when I was diagnosed with cancer.

These recent weeks, one thing I have noticed is that although I feel so much better than before, my body is weaker than it has ever been in my entire life and I get tired quickly. Bearing that in mind, I have decided not to do my usual "jumping in with 2 feet" but to pace myself and take it slowly. So today it was 60 seconds run and 3 minutes walk x 3.

I read a running book once which advised a slow run/walk training programme because apparently your CV system gets fitter alot quicker than your body which is why alot of people succumb to shin splints and tendon injuries. Now, I know that I do have a dodgy hip flexor and delicate knees so I am bearing this fact in mind.

As I ran today, I remembered that it was this time last year that I was attacked by a German Shepherd whilst out on a run. I had planned to do a 5K run to a small village called Doddleston and back. I was happily running along when with no warning at all, the dog ran out onto the road and attacked me. He punctured my thigh and my instinct was to run so the dog continued on her attack. In a blink of an eye I took control of the situation and my two thoughts were, one: I must stay on my feet and two: I mustn't let the dog have anything to grab onto. I then turned my back on the dog, pulled my arms over my face and head and tightened my body. The dog was obviously making a go for my arm but instead, bit into my side just milimetres away from my breast. She bit through a base layer, a running top and a very heavily constructed running bra.

The farmer called the dog off and I reported the incident to the police. The dog has been put on the bite register and if there are any further incidents then she will be destroyed. I declined the offer of a lift home and instead walked the 2 miles back. I grabbed a quick shower to make sure that the wounds were clean then off to the doctors for a tetanus and antibiotics!

My mum is adamant to this day that the shock of the incident is what triggered my breast cancer. All I know is that for 6 weeks after the attack I succumbed to every illness going including cellulitus to my arm.....

I think back to this time last year and although only 12 months have passed, it seems like 12 years, like another lifetime.

6 comments:

  1. Good for you getting that run in!! There is no question that our bodies are weaker than they were before the breast cancer and I believe that while we can get back into condition, we will never really be at the place we were before. I know that I am not as fit as I once was...but part of that is age as well. The main thing is getting back into a routine of doing something good for our bodies which also makes us feel good about ourselves.

    What a nasty attack that was you suffered!! Good thinking on your part to how you saved yourself from further injury in that. I know what your mum is saying but I'll take it from a different angle Sara. It was synchronicity.

    You moved and the dog bit you near the breast. The cancer (not sure the size of the tumour) will have been growing for some time before it was detected...I'd say that dog attacking you was to catch your attention to your breast.

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  2. Congratulations on your first run!! I'm not ready to start yet, but I'm so looking forward to it!! In the past I also followed a similar running plan that worked you up to running 10 minutes, walking 1 minute. By John Stanton, who has a chain of Running Room stores across Canada. Excellent program.

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  3. what you have been through in the last year is amazing. you are an inspiration for sure.

    the dog attack sounds very scary to me. here the dog would have been put to sleep after an attack like that.

    have a great week!!

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  4. Good for you!!! Listen to your body: if you are sucking air, start walking until you are breathing normally and then resume running. When I started running after chemo (I did run a little during chemo but less and less as the chemo wore on) I could barely get in a minute before stopping and less if a minor hill was involved. Now I'm good for over an hour but it was the hardest in the beginning. But you took that first step...

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  5. Sherry, how intuitive you are! My friend Sian thought the same thing about the dog attack!

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  6. Good stuff ... I am so glad you are doing it. Make sure to pace yourself ... chemo takes a lot of you.

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