CANCER to 5K UPDATE:
Immediately following the HALF FULL TRIATHLON was the season Races for both the VA & MD CANCER to 5K programs and our "At Home" CANCER to 5K teammates. I had the pleasure to be in Baltimore, MD at the United Way 5K for the finish of the inaugural Howard County, MD CANCER to 5K Team and then at the end of October, was in Fairfax, VA at the Goblin Gallop 5K for the finish of the VA CANCER to 5K Team.
Both teams ROCKED their RACES and I was so PROUD and HAPPY to see another 2 groups of survivors cross their race day finish lines with SMILES of PRIDE and ACCOMPLISHMENT! In addition we had 3 survivors race with their family and friends in Pheonix, AZ, Portland, OR and Nacogdoches, TX.
Howard County MD - CANCER to 5K Team on race day!
Proud MD Team CANCER to 5K survivors and with Coach Te!
Show us your BLING Ladies!
Proud MD Team CANCER to 5K survivors with their CANCER to 5K finisher's medals!
Libby M-W. ran and finished CANCER to 5K "At-Home" in Portland, OR!
Michelle H. ran and finished CANCER to 5K "At-Home" in Phoenix, AZ!
Nate H. ran and finished CANCER to 5K "At-Home" in Nacogdoches, TX!
Donna Z. (with me) ran her VA CANCER to 5K event at the Wolf Trap 5K!
VA - CANCER to 5K Team on race day at the Goblin Gallop 5K!
In total for the FALL 2010 season, the CANCER to 5K program helped another 14 cancer survivors train and complete 5K events all over the country. We had folks training and racing in AZ, VA, MD, OR, & TX this fall. Since we started the program in Fall 2007 - 47 Cancer Survivors have successfully completed the CANCER to 5K training program through the generous support of the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults and our Coaches and Volunteers!
MEDICAL UPDATE: (TMI WARNINGS APPLY - You were warned!)
The pains that caused me to reconsider the rest of my 2010 racing season, ending with the HALF FULL TRIATHLON are gone now. It is fortunate that the pains went away, yet unfortunate that my DRs and I were never able to identify the root causes of the back pain and the severe abdominal pain except to know that they were not connected in any way.
All my tests (CT scans, Blood Work, Xrays) came back clean - No evidence of Melanoma or anything else for that matter. (YEAH!) The pain and the tests lasted well into early November and then the pain slowly ebbed away and I called UNCLE on any more test, for my own personal sanity.
The only residual side effects? Occasional back/kidney pain late at night (that wakes me) which is cured by a trip to the bathroom. I'd prefer a less aggressive way for my body to tell me my bladder is full but it would seem that I sleep through the more subtle signals so deep back pain it is. Interestingly this is the same pain that I get when I have a full bladder on the road bike. I am suspicious that 12 years of bike riding may have damaged some nerves that traditionally signal a full bladder but since it is just a "signal" issue and everything else seems to work normally, I am not incline to explore this recent development until the next yearly physical. I have had ENOUGH of DRs and tests for at least 6-8 months!
Maybe this is an unexpected "physical price paid for coming an Ironman?" Who knows? My advice to others (any myself) - Get a GOOD SADDLE - Honestly, I have never felt that my saddle has ever been uncomfortable but now I am thinking that maybe I should not have ignored the fact that it takes back pain on the bike to know that I have to pee...
Other than that, I am happy, healthy, a little plumper than I'd like and currently Cancer-FREE. Life is GOOD, ya know!
PERSONAL RUNNING / TRIATHLON UPDATE:
While I was officially done with any Triathlon races for the rest of the season, I never gave out hope that eventually, I would get back to training on some level and that much is true. Once the pain was gone, there was no reason not to get back to training and I had adjusted my winter goals appropriately.
I was already signed up for the MS BLUES MARATHON in Fall 2010 so I simply readjusted the goal to running the MS BLUES HALF MARATHON option instead. So from mid-November through the first week in January, I focused primarily on running with some maintenance swimming on the side.
Sadly there was only ONE Bike Ride the entire fall season but it was a WONDERFUL bike ride with some great Team Z girlfriends! We went down to Cambridge, MD for the Terry Wild Goose Chase. It was the BEST 25 miles on my bike in a long, long time! The TENT SALE shopping was pretty wonderful too! LOL
So after HALF FULL TRI, the rest of my 2010 race season went something like this:
OCTOBER 2010
• United Way 5K - Baltimore, MD: CANCER to 5K Cheerleader!
• Terry 2010 Wild Goose Chase: 25-mile bike ride
• Goblin Gallop 5K - Fairfax, VA: CANCER to 5K Cheerleader!
• Marine Corps Marathon - Arlington, VA: CANCER to 5K Cheerleader!
NOVEMBER 2010
• VA Turkey Trott 5K - Alexandria, VA: 38:38
DECEMBER 2010
• Rivertown Reindeer Race 5K - Conway, SC: 36:53
• Jingle All the Way 10K - Washington, DC: 1:22:53
• Fairfax Four Miler - Fairfax, VA: 49:02
As you can see, I spend the winter logging some miles on my running shoes and I did, indeed, at least stay in the pool until this past January. The reason for my Pool Break? That will have to wait for another BLOG post to follow this weekend but I promise, it's a "fun reason to stay out of the pool" in my opinion.
Also coming, my MS BLUES HALF MARATHON race report and an update on the coming 2011 Race Plans. Lots of great things coming up this year and I am sure, lots of fun stories to share along the way! I am happy to be back to blogging!
But for now, LETS HEAR IT FOR 2010! All in all, it was a WONDERFUL YEAR!
Life is GOOD! LiveSTRONG!
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