5 Runners on Battling Breast Cancer

5 Runners on Battling Breast Cancer

Article by: Paige Smith

Runners are no stranger to adversity, but these five runners were confronted with one of life's greatest challenges: being diagnosed with breast cancer. Below, they talk about their treatment, training, and shifting perspectives on running and life.

1. Leesa Drake, 51, Chicago, Illinois

Running history:

I first started running in junior high, ran track and cross-country in high school, and then ran for stress relief and weight management in college. By my mid-20s I was running about 70 miles a week. I read an article that asserted you can run a marathon on 35 miles a week, so I decided to try it. I've now done over 100 marathons, which cover 31 states and seven countries.

Diagnosis:

I was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer in May 2017. My first thought was of my 7-year-old son. The doctor had tried to reassure me that my cancer was very treatable, but I felt sick to my stomach thinking that he might grow up without his mommy.

Training:

I couldn't run for a few weeks after my double mastectomy surgery, but I didn't otherwise stop running during treatment. There were plenty of days I didn't feel well enough to run, but on those days I would walk. It was important to me to maintain as much of my “normal" as I could.

I ran the Chicago Marathon in October 2017, between my sixth and seventh rounds of chemo treatments (eight total). That marathon was one of the best days of my life. I had a number of family and friends who came out to support me that day, either to run a little bit, or cheer.

What she learned:

It helped me to have had the experience of powering through so many marathons. In running, the miles can be long, but if you stay at it then step by step you get closer to the finish line. That's how I looked at cancer treatment, too. Every doctor appointment, every chemo or radiation treatment, every day I felt crummy or night I couldn't sleep, was one more thing I had to get through to get to the finish line.

Where she is now:

I had my last reconstructive surgery in mid-August 2018. I have just been cleared to start running again and I feel great. Running was always something that made me feel better when something else in my life wasn't going well. Nobody's life is perfect—mine certainly hasn't been—but running has gotten me through a lot.

2. April Peck, 39, Seattle, Washington

Running history:

I started running cross-country in junior high when running four miles seemed far. Running has always been a constant in my life. When I was a child and my family life was not good, running gave me a purpose and a team, and developed my confidence. As an adult, running has kept me healthy as I train for marathons.

Diagnosis:

Officially, I knew I had breast cancer on August 20, 2018. I didn't know much about breast cancer and that uncertainty made me scared. On the day of my diagnosis, I ran 14 sets of a grueling 136-step set of stairs. That challenging run allowed me to release some frustration and see my diagnosis more clearly.

Training:

Since I know I'll have to take a break from running after [my double mastectomy] surgery and will likely have down days during chemo, I've stepped up my running game until then. I'm also eager to resume running between surgery and chemo. I have three young children and I want them to see me as strong as I can be—mentally and physically. I know there will be days I just can't run. I know I will have hard days, but I will continue running, even if it's a bit slower pace than I'd like.

What she learned:

Running taught me that my mind controls a lot of things. If I allow my mind to say, “I'm done," my legs will stop. If I help my mind say, “You can," I know I will. Running proved to me that I can do hard things and push through pain.

Where she is now:

I don't know why I have cancer or why I have cancer at a young age. Cancer just happens. Although running didn't prevent my cancer, I believe it will offer me a longer, healthier, high-quality way of life. I have a lot of reasons to stay positive: my family, my children, and my company. I'm confident that I will be healthy again and that there will be an athletically-suited surgery reconstruction option for me. I'll rebound with an impressive pace and can have the Boston Marathon in my sights.

3. Gretchen Howard, 45, Atlanta, Georgia

Running history:

I was on the cross-country team for all four years of high school and the track team for one. I kept running after high school—it became a part of who am. Now, I've done countless 5Ks, six half-marathons, and one marathon. I run for pure enjoyment, exercise, and a mental break.

Diagnosis:

I was diagnosed with breast cancer on May 24, 2017 at the age of 44. I've always been conscious of my mind, body, and spirit's health, so it came as a complete shock.

Training:

I had a double mastectomy on June 30, 2017, so I literally could not get out of bed for weeks. I was released by doctors to run three months after my first surgery. I have never been more grateful to get back out on the trails—because I was alive and able to do so. I had two reconstructive surgeries after my mastectomy and was not able to run for three months after each one. It was May 2018 before I started running again regularly.

What she learned:

I realized when running my marathon that 26.2 miles is completely daunting if you think of it all at once. But if you break it up in pieces and only allow yourself to think of the next three miles, it becomes doable. I used that same tactic when faced with my mastectomy and everything that followed. I constantly had to wrangle my mind in and only focus on the task at hand.

Every time I lace up my shoes, I am grateful, grateful, grateful. I never realized how much running meant to me until I wasn't able to do it. Now, I run as fast or as slow as I feel like. No pressure. No guilt trips. Running is simply a gift.

Where she is now:

I'm back to running regularly about three to four times a week. I have a 5K coming up—it will be my first race since I was diagnosed. The furthest I've run since my diagnosis is about five or six miles, and I typically run only about two or three right now.

Self-care is a priority for me: I eat well, sleep well, hydrate, say “no" often, eliminate stressful situations as much possible, meditate, and focus on things I enjoy.

4. Rebecca Seago-Coyle, 43, Bend, Oregon

Running history:

In 2009, I got it in my head that I wanted to run a marathon. My plan was to run a mile, walk a mile. But a funny thing happened—once I started running, I didn't stop until I crossed the finish line. Despite only having run 10 miles as my longest distance for training, I felt amazing. The weekend before I had done a century ride, (which is 100 miles) on my bike, and biking is what helped me gain the endurance and strength I needed to run.

Diagnosis:

I was diagnosed on June 4, 2010 at 1:04 p.m. You never forget that moment when your world turned upside down. I was 35 and was really expecting them to confirm I was just being a hypochondriac and the lump in my breast was just my imagination.

Training:

At the end of 2009, I set a goal to either run a marathon, run a half-marathon, or ride in a major biking event (like a century ride) every month in 2010. When I mentioned my running and biking goals for 2010 to my doctor, he said those would have to be put on hold. I was annoyed and felt more determined to finish my goals, so I found another doctor.

At the end of 2010, I had completed 13 running and biking events, including a marathon six weeks into chemo. I also realized that I was the project manager of my disease. It was up to me to advocate for myself and communicate with my team my needs. While they didn't always agree with me, they supported me.

What she learned:

It taught me to not give up what I love doing. Today, I mentor newly diagnosed patients and I always give that advice, whether it's running, cycling, knitting, or hanging with your kids or grandkids—do the thing you love.

Where she is now:

I struggle with the long-term side effects from treatment. I've put on a few extra pounds and my joints aren't as smooth (aches and cracks), but yoga and running help keep me in line. Since my diagnosis, I've run nine marathons, 30 half-marathons, and five century rides. Running has allowed me to connect with new people, see new places, and stay healthy.

5. Christine Egan, 49, Bayport, New York

Running history:

I first started running after the birth of my third child in 2001. Running didn't come easily to me. I started training by running between the telephone polls; I would run a section then walk a section until I could run further and further.

Today my husband and I are so passionate about running that we became race directors. For the past eleven years we have hosted more than 1,000 runners for a 5K Turkey Trot in our neighborhood on Thanksgiving morning.

Breast cancer diagnosis:

I was familiar with the statistics that one in every eight women would be diagnosed, but being a healthy eater, runner, and mother I never thought I would be diagnosed at the young age of 42.

At the onset of my diagnosis, I made a conscious decision to maintain feeling healthy, and part of that meant moving my body. Some days I was able to run two to three miles, and some days I opted to walk instead.

Training:

I ran a 5K race while undergoing chemo treatments. I ran a half-marathon two months after year-long cancer treatments and ran a full marathon to celebrate being cancer-free one year later. Running a marathon had always been on my life list, but I never thought I could actually do it. After beating cancer the fear of failure was no longer there.

What she learned:

Running taught me to stay in the moment. I don't get ahead of myself, I don't think about how many more miles I'm running. Instead, I tune into the things around me. I consciously think about the here and now. Running also taught me to appreciate my body for what it can do. Instead of looking negatively at my dimpled thighs, I show gratitude for the run they just took me on.

Where she is now:

My running has evolved. I continue to run my local town's 5K races. I'm currently training for an event this October. I'm climbing Stratton Mountain in Vermont 17 times to equal the height of Mount Everest—29,029 feet. The catch is you only have 36 hours to do it. My training consists of long hill runs, short sprints, and lots of heavy sled pulling through my neighborhood. After battling cancer, I feel like anything is possible.