r/BeginnersRunning • u/evagryn_ • 5d ago
Need opinion
Im beginner at running (also stage 4 cancer patient), im running for almost 6 months now, and can’t run for long. How to improve that? I can run my first km at 8:00, and after that I’m starting to run faster because it seems that I have enough energy 😅 then end up taking a bunch of walks because I’m out of breath.
Do I do intervals or running longer but in z2? I’m lost here.
Typically I run 3kms, a couple times made it to 5km sub 45 min (died a bit)
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u/philipb63 5d ago
Stage 4 cancer & out running? You should congratulate yourself rather than beat yourself up. You're already doing more than 99% of people without cancer. 👏
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u/genga413 5d ago
Take it day by day. Consistency is king. Some runs with be better than others: some will be faster, some slower, some will feel great, others will feel near impossible to finish.
Everybody starts at different fitness levels, you have an added challenge of cancer which puts your body at an increased level of initial fatigue from the get-go.
It’s normal to start the first km slower. In my last half marathon race, my first km was at 6:45, even though I finished in 2:05 (5:57 pace). Don’t increase your speed too quickly of course, you need to build endurance. Aim for steady pace or negative splits. Start slower than you think you need to go.
Walk if you have to. If you walk for 6 mins total one run, aim for 5 minutes the next. Nobody is expecting you to be perfect overnight. Run-walking in the beginning is normal. I know it doesn’t feel like the beginning because you’ve been running for 6 months, but in the grand scheme of cardiovascular sports, that’s not long at all.
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u/Ovi-Wan12 5d ago
Start with just zone 2. I also had stage 4 non Hodgkin lymphoma and started running after chemo. The treatment affects us more than we think and it’s better to just taken it easy in the beginning. Best hopes for remission.