Every runner knows, or should know, the dangers of skin cancer. We spend hours outside barely clad with enough clothes to keep us from being arrested. We often ignore our exposure to the sun's rays. I have been guilty of this too no matter how many times I have been chastised and warned. I generally run in early mornings before the sun appears, wear a hat and generally run in shady areas. But exposure to the harmful sun's rays just doesn't come from running and is compounded by all the other times spent outside. I'm fair-skinned which doesn't help as well. Luckily, the cancerous cells that I have acquired are relatively benign, benign in the sense that they are the most frequently occurring and least dangerous as they almost never grow or spread (metastasize). There are approximately 2.8 million cases of Basal Cell Carcinoma diagnosed in the U.S. each year.
So, since this is a running blog, what does this have to do with running besides taking the obvious precautions, having a good dermatologist and regular evaluations. I have a lot of areas that need treated and over the last week and for the next few weeks, I will need incisions, Mohs surgery and scrape and burns. But worse than all of that, I need to limit my running. So what is a runner to do when he has to limit his running, when over the last 15 years, he hasn't missed more than 5 consecutive days pounding the roads or trails. I thought back to remember a time when I went longer than 5 days without running. There may be one but likely less than three that I can't remember. Of course, I pushed the dermatologist as to when activity (i.e. running) could start after these procedures. I currently have stitches in my right shoulder and right triceps. Initially the assistant said 2 weeks until my stiches come out. I then told her that I run nearly every day and asked when I could resume running. She came down to five days. So here I am somewhat negotiating as to when I can run. She did say that I could walk. A runner will find a way to stay active, otherwise, insanity sets in and nobody wants to be around an insane runner who can't run. An insane runner who can run is bad enough but, of course, running acts as our daily meds to be sane again. Runners constantly battle injuries, aches and pains and we will either stop running altogether (not likely) or find some way to do something active that simulates running.
Fast-paced walking is very good for you, no matter if you are a runner or a person who gets their exercise by walking. I am not speaking of leisurely walks which are also good for you but more for your mind and soul, sort of a "stop and smell the roses" kind of walk. Fast-paced walking gets the heart pumping, blood flowing and uses many muscles (even different ones from running). So, I decided to do daily faced-paced walks while my activity was limited. Although I can't get my heart rate up as high, it certainly simulates the feeling of running. For the days I walked, Cynthia and I would take Casey for a fast-paced loop around the lake, about 1.5 miles. It worked well for all of us, relieving Casey of his morning energy and giving Cynthia and I some muscle burning exercise. Afterward, I continued the loops and followed some of my running routes doing 3, 7 and 6 miles on consecutive days until I could run again on Tuesday. I do believe walking is sometimes harder than running. I am pretty sure I would rather run 26.2 miles than walk it.
There are two points to be made here. first, be aware of the dangers of skin cancers, be evaluated regularly by a good Dermatologist (Central Dermatology in Chapel Hill has been great and Dr. Wang specifically) and adhere to the treatment plan. Secondly, find an alternative to running when you can't and do it. Find something to do that benefits your running (like stretching, walking) or keeps you focused on running like planning marathon trips (or other running adventures/races), writing on a blog, analyzing your stats, reading running books, watching running DVDs, all of which will keep you motivated and better when you do return to the daily run. I committed miles to people so I needed to move forward a mile at a time whether walking or running. Slices and dices aside, stay in the moment.
Days 297-302: 23 miles, 2014: 1,423 miles
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