Thank you 
I’d say my non-negotiables are the same, although as I’m still on my first cycle I may need to flex as I’m working out how my body responds to this chaos.
I guess I’ve felt cautious (but yet still bloody-minded 
) because distance running means becoming accustomed to discomfort (and even feeling pretty rough) so I don’t know what to respond to and what to ignore!
Thanks for your response and advice - really helpful x
Hey all, I’ve been looking for this kind of post! Thank you so much…I’m due in for surgery next Tuesday for a mascetomyand then facing chemo once I’m recovered from that. I’m a swimmer, climber and run my own allotment, and generally very active now. I am dreading this stopping as it is also the way I manage my stress and mental health. I get that I need to rest and fully intend to do everything I can to support my recovery like that. But I’ve been struggling to find information about exercise for people who are very active pre treatment as we might need some specific advice to give us the right balance of exercises during treatment. Its reassuring to me to hear what you’re all doing.
My plan is to start walking every day when I’m back up on my feet after surgery, and start buiulding with pilates and yoga. I’ve been told no to swimming becasue of infection risk (I swim open water) and climbing - maybe 3 months once the implant has settled. My allotment is going to be something I think I can do in a couple of months and in chemo.
I wish each and everyone of you the best of luck and please keep posting your tips and advice xx
Best of luck with your surgery and treatment. I can totally empathise with the need to move and be active to manage stress and mental health. In the end, I just did what I felt was right for my body and my brain post-surgery (I had lumpectomy, so I do appreciate the recovery is somewhat different). My breast nurse said that the standard advice didn’t really apply to someone as active as me, so I should just do my own thing as I wouldn’t do any more damage. I found that helpful as it gave me the confidence to trust my body and my own reactions. The first few runs I did whilst wearing 2 sports bras, so tbh any pain was probably masked by feeling like I was wearing a corset
I’m about to have my second AC chemo and am applying the same principle. I can’t let this thing take running away from me, but I accept that running may be slower/shorter than before.
Good luck and all the best xx
I’m glad I found this thread, I’m a runner and have just started back running after surgery and my first chemo. Fab to see others who are trying to keep running through chemo.
It took longer to heal from my mastectomy and DIEP flap than I expected and I have had one lot of EC chemo end of June, but I started back run/walking this week and it’s really cheered me up! I have lost a lot of fitness in three months but I’m so happy to have got back out there. I’m hoping to get out and do what I can this coming week and then I have EC number two on Friday. I will have to see how I feel and when I can get back out there but it’s just nice to know there’s others on here determined to try and run through this crappy treatment!
I’m also cold capping to try and keep my hair if possible - but I think it’s going to be a bit incompatible with running as I sweat a lot and then want to wash my hair. If it comes to it I am prioritising running over keeping my hair but for now I’m attempting to have both (I know, it’s a terrible trait to think we can have everything but really, wanting to keep running and keep nice hair isn’t too much to ask for surely!). Wishing you all so much success in your running through chemo x
Hi @runnerjen - I’m in the June 2025 thread, and I think you are too? Fair play to you getting back into it with run/walking. Similarly I feel that this shit show has taken so much from me, I will fight as hard as I can rather than let it take running from me too. I told my ANP this before AC #2 this week and I think she was a bit taken aback
Wishing you all the best with your return to running - take care in the heat too xx
Thanks! Yes I am in the fab June group! I am keeping my expectations super low for running, just glad for any day I manage to get out there and shuffle a bit! Hopefully you can also keep it up or get back to it soon.
I’m definitely going to be more careful than ever in terms of hydration, sun block & wearing kit that covers more, and just going easy. Having not run since March it was blissful to get out there, although I lost so much fitness in that time. So for me it’s low expectations and real gratitude for anything that I am able to do. Just hope I’m not completely deluded thinking about running a bit during chemo!
I continued running all through EC and successfully cold capped. I washed my hair everyday- just washed it through with warm water in the shower- shampoo twice a week and never massaged shampoo in, just smoothed it. Hair thinned but was more than happy with that xx
That’s amazing, you did well carrying on running throughout! And keeping your hair! When I run it’s always the best bit of my day so three months off has been really rubbish for me. Any day when I can get out and do something will be so beneficial, and my brilliant onco nurse consultant was so supportive when I asked her about it.
I have my second EC on Friday so will enjoy some more runs before then, as I feel really well now, and hope I get tolerate the second dose as well as the first and can get back out there! 
Just get out and do what you can @runnerjen My oncologist told me I wouldn’t be able to continue to run and I showed her taking in medals of the half marathons I did after each EC. I then became known as the runner!!! 16 months into this journey I am so much slower and have lost lots of my fitness but I will get it back…50km next weekend!! 
That’s amazing! 
. I love that you took your medals in!
I’m just back from run/walk 4 miles, it was fabulous! I’m determined to do whatever I can, any pace I don’t care, I was always a slow runner but knocked out marathons for fun. I was training for my first London marathon when I was diagnosed so I have deferred it and will do it in 2026. At least there’s no pressure there with cut off times and it’s flat whereas I usually do hilly races.
I’m happy I have a supportive onco consultant. She was so keen for me to get running again once my boob healed up. Now I know it’s do-able as you’ve proved that, and I have now run 11 miles this week, I know I’m not totally deluded!
There’s a growing body of evidence that all points to the benefits of exercise during and after treatment for cancer that’s spurring me on as well, but I simply can’t imagine not trying to run through this if that makes sense. 
Also please pop back in after your race next weekend and let me know how it went!
My experience with the cold cap was similar to @gromit12 I would rinse my hair if I got sweaty and then wash once or twice a week and managed to keep a good portion of my hair. It’s worth it even if you don’t keep all your hair, especially if you’re doing docetaxel because there’s the possibility of permanent alopecia with docetaxel. It’s a small risk, but a risk nonetheless.
It sounds like you have a healthy attitude towards the whole thing @runnerjen Get out and do what you can, when you can and accept that it’s probably going to look different than you were used to. I was out running this morning and at one point was running what used to be my old easy pace which felt decidedly less so today. What I like to do is run more by effort/HR than pace now because it allows me to adjust depending on how treatment is impacting me and I don’t get caught up on the paces being slower than I used to be.
That’s a really good idea to use HR / effort more, thanks for the tip. I have HR on my garmin so will use that as a guide so I don’t overdo it on good days! It’s really encouraging to find another runner on here! I’ve got the chance for a couple more little runs this week before round 2 of EC on Friday so I will take them easy and enjoy every minute of them.
After 3 EC I switch to 3 docetaxel and I had read it can cause permanent hair loss. I asked one of the chemo nurses and she said she’s not known it happen in 20 years on the unit, but it’s still scary. I plan to cold cap as long as it’s working but I think if I end up losing it I will stop, I will then be able to wear my glasses as they don’t fit with the cap on so I sit there blind as a bat!
I use HR to measure performance too, much safer as my heart function dropped on Kadcyla which was a tad worrying but they said to keep running. I wore my glasses under the cold cap as couldn’t cope without them so did lose the hair above my ears where my glasses rested xx
@runnerjen I think you have to take what the chemo nurses say with a large grain of salt. I haven’t seen any of my chemo nurses since I finished the first chunk of chemo and if you hadn’t cold capped, you would expect to be bald at the end of chemo. You wouldn’t know that it had caused permanent baldness until months after the fact when the hair wasn’t growing back. I think it might not be super common, but it is underreported because of that delay and lack of attribution to the docetaxel.
I had some small bald patches after EC but started getting some really good regrowth during docetaxel which I think was down to the cold cap.
That’s encouraging, I just had a shower and hair wash and loads came out. I still have loads as it’s very thick but it’s alarming all the same. This sucks!
Love this thread. Im also trying to run through EC
Good for you! That’s brilliant !I managed to keep going through 4xAC. It wasn’t pretty, but I feel much better in myself for having persevered. I’ve just had the first of 12 weekly paclitaxel - so far so good. I’m using my watch to guide me for run walk intervals, so there is some structure. It’s working well so far. All the best for your treatment and continuing exercise xx
@outdoorsy well done 
I’m sure the running kept me sane. At times it was so tough, and still is but it’s something that I’m in control of. Keep going!
Thanks. Did a half marathon evening before my second EC. Was so lovely and worth the toe pain.
I’m thinking ahead to paclitaxel and nail loss with running. Does anyone have experience?
Also i had a picc put in yesterday and would love advice on best hacks to stop sweat damaging the dressing. I was told heavy sweating was one reason to ve careful with exercise and a PICC.
Also press ups seem to be a risk…
Any comments welcome. Im trying to see all this time away from usual work as an opportunity to get fitter.