Cancer was easy for me?

I set off to run an hour today, but wimped out at about 40 minutes. My miles were 11:15, 10:59, 11:10, and 11:35. The 5K was about 34:20, if I remember correctly. After mile 4, I walked about a half mile. I was out there about 55 minutes, but did a lot of walking and stretching at the end. Still, it was good to get out there.

My sore legs cut my run shorter than I intended.  Usually it's my wind, my lack of fitness, that does me in, but today I was tightening up and had tired muscles.  So it's good that I didn't keep pushing it.  I think that's what causes people to get injured - when they don't listen to their bodies.  That's what I hear from my running guru friends, anyway.  Right, Jim?

Speaking of running gurus, I listened to Steverunner again today.  I seem to go in cycles where I listen to music for a few weeks or a month, then switch to podcasts for awhile, then back to music.  I'm way behind on my Steverunner episodes so I think I'll take him along on some runs to catch up.

Today it was a little easier to motivate myself to run.  It was supposed to rain all day, but it didn't.  It was threatening rain at Jason's soccer game at 11:30, but the sky never let it go.  So when we got home, I figured I'd better take advantage of what might be a very short respite from the rain this weekend. 

Some great news for me today . . . I get to go to Lee Ann's graduation in Nebraska the first week in May.  Yea!  I had a work conflict that got rescheduled and so I took advantage of the opportunity and will celebrate this great accomplishment with her.  I still don't know how she pulled it off being an incredibly busy single mom.  She even switched jobs in the midst of it all.  She's an inspiration.

OK, just one more story about today.  Ken and Jason were watching the OSU Spring football game (a scrimmage) this afternoon and at some point during the game they had a tribute to Stefanie Spielman, a local celebrity who died of breast cancer the same month I had my surgery, November 2009.

As Jason (age 9 now) was watching the tribute on TV, Ken told him that Stefanie died of breast cancer, but it didn't sink in because a few minutes later he asked why people were crying.  Ken explained that she died.  Jason looked confused and asked what she died of.  Ken told him again, "Breast cancer."  "What?" Jason said, "Mom had that and it was easy for her." 

I was in the other room, post-run, stretching and using the foam roller on my calves.  Although I was following the conversation with half-an-ear, I popped to attention and had to confirm what Jason just said. And yes, he really did say that.  I was amazed.  Wow.  I hope he always has a skewed view of the seriousness of breast cancer.  I hope no one he knows ever has it again.  Including me.

To ease my mother's mind, I must report that I did not set Jason straight about how having breast cancer has not been easy. I actually feel very blessed that he reacted that way. I'm really glad it has not been difficult for him or for our family in general. That's really, really great. We are so lucky. In response to Jason's confusion, Ken explained simply that the doctors caught my breast cancer very early, so it wasn't as serious. We let it go at that.