Getting Fit after Chemotherapy: 2024 roundup
2024: A wonderful year!
Looking back at my 2023 achievements, I celebrated the hard-won return of both my health and fitness after nine years of dedicated effort. Chronic fatigue was a thing of the past, as were the shadows of cancer and chemotherapy. Swimming and cycling were back in my life at fulfilling levels. However, running remained a persistent challenge due to recurring injuries. Consequently, I made the strategic decision to defer my 2023 Manchester Marathon entry by a year, making it my central focus for the following twelve months. My aspiration was for 2024 to be my marathon comeback year.
While I might be overegging things a little – I am certainly no Paula Radcliffe – back in 2014, before my health took a nosedive, I was capable of a respectable marathon time, with a personal best of 3 hours and 21 minutes. Ideally, I would love to approach that level again. I know it's within reach; I simply need to maintain consistent effort, and in time, I will get there. Perhaps not immediately, but with many years ahead of me, I'm in no rush.
Below are a few highlights from what has been a truly great year for me. May this positive momentum continue!
April 2024: Manchester Marathon - feeling very pleased with myself
2024 Manchester Marathon
Woo hoo! I did it! 😊 However, in all honesty, race day presented a significant challenge. Having openly declared my ambition to achieve a 'good-for-age' qualifying time for the 2025 London Marathon, the reality of the day fell considerably short of that mark.
I started with a target pace aimed at finishing around 3 hours and 50 minutes but ultimately crossed the line in 4 hours and 23 minutes. While still a respectable time, it was far from the 'good-for-age' standard for my category. My ever ambitious mindset led me to set off at an unsustainable pace, resulting in a rather long and painful second half. As runners often say, I had to dig incredibly deep simply to keep moving forward, even resorting to a run-walk strategy for the final 10 kilometers. Although not the ideal scenario I had envisioned, I successfully achieved my primary goal for 2024: completing my first marathon since navigating chronic fatigue, cancer, and chemotherapy.
This experience has reinforced for me, and hopefully demonstrated to others, that truly anything is possible when we wholeheartedly commit to our goals. My passion for running and my desire to compete, at any level, have remained constant, even during times when simply getting out of bed felt like a monumental task. Maintaining movement, in any form, undoubtedly sustained me throughout...
Mallorca 2024
Prior to 2014 and the onset of chronic fatigue, I regularly went on training camps, generally cycling focussed, always hard work but loads of fun too (if you have slightly masochistic tendancies as I clearly do…). Given how physically demanding they tend to be, often cycling between 50 and 80 miles per day, interspersed with the occassional run and swim, I needed to be sure that I was fully recovered before committing to another.
This camp, therefore, marked another significant milestone post-chronic fatigue, cancer, and chemotherapy – an incredible week shared with the fantastic members of @knutsfordtriclub. Together, we cycled over 400km, swam around 7km, and we ran a little bit too.
I firmly believe that maintaining and prioritising my nutrition and healthy lifestyle habits over the past decade has been instrumental in regaining this level of health and fitness. While my classic ‘Type A’ personality has its advantages, I'm acutely aware of its contribution to my earlier health challenges. My current focus is on achieving a balance that allows me to push my limits at times while ensuring sufficient recovery to sustain my well-being. Thankfully, the focus has now shifted from rebuilding to maintaining my health, and that remains a key priority.
May 2024: Knutsford Triathlon Club’s unofficial Mallorca training camp.
2024: A few more highlights
2024 has been an amazing year for me. I achieved my goals and had a lot of fun with family and friends. I also worked hard, primarily focusing on helping others navigate their recovery from chronic ill-health, a job which I feel blessed to be able to do. I feel a significant shift in my life and health, moving towards a place of stability and growth rather than constant repair and recovery. It feels wonderful to finally be here, and truthfully, I'm in a far healthier and happier place than I was before becoming ill.
Wherever you may be on your own health journey, I sincerely hope my path back to wellness offers some hope and encouragement. The human body possesses an extraordinary capacity for healing when provided with the necessary support. As a living organism and intricate ecosystem, our body’s fundamental drive is towards health, healing, wound repair, and recovery. However, it relies on us, as its stewards, to prioritise its care in order to achieve this.
So, what does 2025 hold?
While numerous future goals are swirling in my mind, regarding my recovery from ill-health and the regaining of my fitness, there remains just one significant ambition: completing an Ironman distance triathlon – a 3.8km (2.4-mile) swim, a 180km (112-mile) cycle, followed by a 42km (26.2-mile) run. As readers of my previous blogs or followers of @anticancerliving will know, I used to compete in these events shortly before my health declined. Although I don't believe they were the direct cause, my overtraining and insufficient attention to my body's need for rest, repair, and recovery certainly played a part. However, I now understand that this doesn't have to be the case and that the human body, when properly cared for, is indeed capable of such incredible feats. Proving this to myself is something I've long desired, and now I'm finally in a position to do so. After a long ten-year journey of recovery, 2025 is finally the year. Bring on Ironman Barcelona! I'm excited about the training ahead; the journey itself is often as important as the event. However, for me, in 2025, this October 5th event is the pinnacle – the culmination of a decade of hard work and unwavering determination to rebuild my health and regain my physical fitness and strength. Let's do it!
May 2024: Sa Calobra 10km climb - Mallorca
“People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits, and their habits decide their futures.”
— F.M. Alexander -
The adage "people do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures" holds profound truth, particularly when considering the creation of a bodily environment where cancer struggles to thrive. This demands consistent healthy choices in what we eat, how we live, and our surroundings, day after day. These healthy daily habits can pave the way for long-term well-being. And, as someone who has been in a deep health challenge, I can attest that fundamentally changing your daily habits and choices can be transformative for your recovery potential.
Now, let me offer my support.
If you or someone you care about has been affected by cancer or another chronic illness and would like guidance in rebuilding health, I would be honored to help. Please explore my 90-day programs for detailed information on how I can support you. Alternatively, if you have any questions, you can contact me directly here. Having personally navigated the profound challenges of this journey, I am deeply committed to supporting you, helping you navigate potential obstacles I encountered, and empowering you to take a more active and informed role in your health, recovery, and return to well-being and fitness.
Sarah Eglin: Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine Practitioner
If you would like to read more about my personal experience with breast cancer and my journey back to health then please click on the following links for more in depth information.
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Exercise and cancer: An important reminder
In case you’re in any doubt, I want to underscore the extensive benefits of exercise in the context of cancer, supported by the latest scientific evidence. In essence, a growing body of research consistently demonstrates that exercise, both during and after cancer treatment*, is associated with:
Reduced cancer recurrence rates
Decreased side effects from conventional treatments
Improved immune system function
Minimised loss of lean muscle mass
Enhanced bone health
Exercise is even being considered a form of 'targeted medicine' in relation to cancer, with evidence suggesting that it may:
Improve an individual's response to conventional cancer therapies.
Stimulate the immune system to help eliminate cancer cells.
Slow the progression of the disease.
Increase survival rates.
Given these compelling findings, identifying a type of exercise that can be sustained both during treatment and long-term afterwards is crucial for your recovery. I fully understand that initiating a formal exercise regimen during chemotherapy can be challenging if you haven't exercised regularly for a while*. However, movement is key. Aim to move as much as your body allows during these demanding times and gradually build from there. Remember, formal exercise isn't always essential; consistent movement is. Our bodies are inherently designed for motion, not prolonged sitting. So, engage in activity: potter in the garden, take a walk, climb the stairs a few times – do whatever you can to incorporate movement into each day. Then, gradually increase the intensity and duration at a pace that suits you and your current stage of recovery.
Notes
*Always check with your doctor before starting any new training regime. If you are currently in the midst of cancer treatment then extra care must be taken when considering the appropriate level of exercise for you. Please seek advice from an appropriately qualified health professional experienced in exercising through cancer treatment.