Still Ticking (Me and the Blog)

Sunrise at Johnnie Mercers Fishing Pier Wrightsville Beach NC - Sony RX10IV

I had to dust off the cobwebs on the blog after all this time! Glad to report I'm still ticking and so is the blog, although it has been a case of 2 steps forward and 1 step back, health-wise. 

The Ultimate Paradox

During my routine quarterly PSA test back in October 2022, I got the disappointing news that my PSA level had gone from <.02 (undetectable by Dana-Farber's standards) to exactly .02. Yep, I lost the "<" sign, which at first glance, doesn't seem like a big deal, but in my case, losing that little "<" sign meant the difference between my cancer being non-detectable vs being detectable. Something was up and my hopes that the clinical trial I participated in in 2021, involving surgery and ADT hormone therapy, had cured my cancer were now dashed. Additional PSA tests in January, .06, and February, .07, would show the dreaded "PSA doubling" in a short time, typically a sign that the cancer was back and growing fairly aggressively.

The strange thing, and here's the paradox, is that I feel very fit and healthy. I've completed 6 running races since last August, 2022 culminating in a half marathon in late February. If the tests didn't say otherwise, I'd find it impossible to believe that anything was amiss with my health. 

I had really hoped that I would transition this blog from updates about my cancer situation to plans for completing my second Ironman triathlon and ultimately the Kona World championship. With the recurrence, my next Ironman will have to wait, but I won't let this derail my overall fitness and running goals. 

Treatment Plans

It looks like 2023 (and likely into 2024) will be treatment years. At least I got to enjoy a treatment-free year in 2022! The plan is right out of the prostate cancer treatment playbook when there is a recurrence after surgery:

• PSMA PET scan to try to identify the specific location of the recurrence
• 8 weeks of daily radiation to the pelvic bed
• 18 to 24 months of ADT hormone therapy

Kind of a bummer, but the good news is that my radiation oncologist is very optimistic that this treatment plan will result in a cure for my prostate cancer, with 90% certainty. 

Running Consistency

Since my next big triathlon will have to wait, I've shifted my focus to running. The easy, zone 2 training I mentioned in a prior post, has been paying huge dividends in allowing me to avoid injuries and increase my consistency. 

According to The Marathon Handbook:

Running in zone 2 increases the mitochondrial density in skeletal muscles, particularly in Type I muscle fibers. Mitochondria are cellular organelles, or structures, that produce ATP (energy) aerobically (in the presence of oxygen). The greater the mitochondrial density of your muscles, the more energy your muscles can produce to fuel your activity, delaying fatigue.

I don't know about any of that, but I can say that slowing down my running has made running way more enjoyable and I'm convinced it has kept injuries at bay. Knock wood.

In fact, it doesn't look like much, but I've had my first 100-mile month in over 5 years.  

Monthly Running Mileage - Courtesy of Garmin

Running Races

As mentioned above, I've been able to enjoy participating in a bunch of road races of various distances and intensities over the past 6 months or so. 

Road Race Summary - Courtesy of Strava

The Wilmington Half Marathon back on February 25th, 2023 was the highlight of the bunch. Participating in the event with my son and daughter was a fantastic experience and proof I could race the longer distance events.

Dreaming of a BQ

Qualifying for the Boston Marathon (BQ) has always been a bucket-list item for me. Maintaining fitness during my upcoming treatment will be a major focus in and of itself. But having a goal has always made it easier for me to get out and hit the roads even on days when my inner voices are telling me to "just take the day off". 

This may be a long shot, but I'm considering either a possible spring or early fall Boston qualifier event.

A spring marathon will require threading the needle between ramping up my mileage to sufficient levels while continuing to avoid injuries typically associated with big increases in running mileage. 

Deferring this until the fall will provide more time to train, but will add in the uncertainty of whether my upcoming treatment plan will allow for this amount of training. 

Hope to provide an update in my next post.

Random Nature Photos

Meanwhile, some random photos taken over the last couple of months. I'm not very good at it, but I've been enjoying my new Sony RX10 IV camera and hope to develop it into yet another hobby. 

Cheers!

Swan - Childs River East Falmouth MA

Blue Heron - Childs River East Falmouth MA

Winter Menauhant Beach East Falmouth MA