2014 Life and Running Goals

With Barbara and Jeff Galloway

I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions, but I do make goals for myself.  I tend to get a little carried away so this year I purposely left Ironman off my list.  Here are my 2014 goals:

1. Finish chemotherapy (January – February)
2. Recover from major surgery (February – April)
3. Boston Qualify (April – November)
4. Finish Herceptin & get this stupid port out!  (September!!!!!!!!!!!)

Stupid chemo “therapy”

My goals are not too lofty this year, although all 4 goals will take a major toll on my body.  Here’s how I plan to achieve my goals.

1.  Finish chemotherapy:  My 6th and final chemo is scheduled for Friday, January 3, 2014 at 9am.  Unfortunately it looks like we have snowstorm Hercules coming our way on Thursday into Friday.   I will do everything in my power to get this chemo completed as scheduled on Friday.  I will be running the Dopey Challenge the following week so getting the chemo completed on Thursday or Friday is IMPERATIVE to running Dopey.  As the chemo treatments have progressed the side effects have become worst and frankly I don’t have the time to deal with it anymore.  It needs to be over.

At the finish of the 2013 Princess Half Marathon with Mickey!

2.  Recover from major surgery:  When I had the bi-lateral reconstruction with tissue expanders in July I did not realize that I couldn’t finish my reconstruction surgery until chemotherapy was completed.  Chemo is a wrap on January 3rd, but I have a few runDisney races to run and I also need to wait until the chemo has cleared from my body to have surgery.  Therefore I will have my NEW BOOB SURGERY and Hysterectomy (boo!) on Tuesday, February 25th – two days after Disney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend!  And because I am having 2 major surgeries my recovery will be 6 weeks of rest!  During that time I plan on doing whatever I can to get strong and healthy!  God bless my mother-in-law!

3.  Boston Qualify:  At the runDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon I spoke with Jeff Galloway about qualifying for Boston.  I have hired him to e-coach me during my chemo, recovery and the road to Boston this year!  It is going to be hard work, but I know I can do it if I apply myself.  I have received the clearance to begin speed work after my February surgery.  Jeff and I have already picked out the best qualifying races.  More to come on this and I look forward to kicking major bootie!!!

4.  Finish Herceptin & get this stupid port out!  I still have 12 more IV’s of Herceptin scheduled. My tumor had HER2+ markers and Herceptin will stop any cancer cells to reproduce uncontrollably.  The day I get the clearance for port removal will be one of the happiest of my life!  Of course the surgery date and time (they call it outpatient, but I now know better) will be scheduled around a runDisney race or Marathon!

So those are my goals for 2014!  What are your goals for 2014?!!