October 29, 2024 • 49 mins
RED Episode 296 Featuring the Hosts of Pace Yourself... It’s Just Cancer
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We have to mention it again because we are so grateful… Huge shout out to Greg and Jovanna, owners of Nice Guys Pizza. They have introduced their fall cocktail menu, and a drink is at the top of the list called “I Dream of Autumn Barbie.” $2 from each drink sold will go to The DONNA Foundation to support their mission to help those battling breast cancer and the support they give to ground-breaking research that will finish breast cancer.
We will also have an online auction next month for the DONNA Foundation… stay tuned for some great items for our Runcation Nation Community that are not so close to Cape Coral and Nice Guys Pizza.
Thanks to all our patrons and everyone in the Runcation Nation for your support and encouragement. Because of you, we have kept the show going over the last two years, so thank you!
Thank you to Dean Gerber, Associate Producer of our show, and Josh Ozbirn, Executive Producer of the podcast, too!
RED Episode 296 Featuring the Hosts of Pace Yourself... It’s Just Cancer
This week, as October comes to a close, we want to introduce you to two amazing runners who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and have started a new podcast that launched this month called Pace Yourself… It’s Just Cancer.
Meet Erin and Stephanie, who told us that their podcast will include their journeys battling this disease and host interviews with others fighting all types of cancer. They will also include other segments, not just limited to breast cancer topics. Find out what it is all about in this episode.
Please give them a listen and connect with them here:
https://linktr.ee/paceyourself.itsjustcancer
Contact the podcast
paceyourself.itsjustcancer@gmail.com
Facebook for Pace Yourself… It’s Just Cancer
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566237441720
Instagram for Pace Yourself… It’s Just Cancer
@paceyourself.itsjustcancer
Instagram for Erin
@erin.just.keeps.running
https://www.instagram.com/erin.just.keeps.running/
Instagram for Stephanie
@runningthroughbreastcancer
https://www.instagram.com/runningthroughbreastcancer/
THAT’S A WRAP!
Thank you for listening! Because of your support, we are in our eighth year of the podcast! Don’t forget to follow us and tell us where to find you next on our website, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Also, check out our store on the website and get some swag, thanks to Pure Creative Apparel. Thanks to www.PodcastMusic.com for providing the music for this episode, too!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm Erin and I'm Stephanie, and we're the hosts
of Pace.
Yourself, it's just cancer.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
You are listening to the Run Eat Drink podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Welcome to the Run Eat Drink podcast.
We feature destination racesfrom across the country and
after the race, we take you on atour of the best local food and
beverage to celebrate.
So whether you are an eliterunner or a back-of-the-packer
like us, you'll know the bestplaces to accomplish, explore
and indulge on your nextruncation.
(00:36):
On this special edition of ourshow, dana, we have to rewind to
International Podcast Daybecause of Milton and Helene.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Yeah, hurricane season messed us up this year.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
But we have recovered and we welcome today the
co-hosts of a brand new podcast.
Of course you know her and loveher from the We'll Run For
podcast, erin, and introducingto the Runcation Nation her
co-host, stephanie, of a brandnew show two episodes out in the
(01:14):
feed so far called PaceYourself, it's Just Cancer.
So welcome to the show, ladies.
Thank you, we are so glad tohave you and thank you so nice
to the show, ladies.
Thank you, we are so glad tohave you and thank you so nice
to be back.
Thank you for coming back on.
We didn't scare Erin away.
And, stephanie, thank you forbeing willing to come on, even
(01:38):
though you don't know us and ourantics and our craziness here
on the show very much.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
All part of the fun, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
All part of the fun.
All part of the fun.
Some of the best people thatyou meet for the first time are
runners.
Yeah, a hundred percent.
That's all I'm going to say, sojust as a review.
And then we like to dointroductory notes first.
So can you?
We'll start with Erin and then,if we could go to Stephanie,
(02:06):
reintroduce yourself, Erin forthe Runcation Nation.
Tell them a little bit aboutyou and who you are, and you
don't really have to say whatyou're drinking, like we
normally do on Lives.
But yeah, kick it off andremind us of who you are.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
All right, I am Erin and I am the co-host, as you
pointed out, of the We'll RunFor podcast, which I can't
believe when we were talkingabout this recently.
We've been on the air foralmost five years.
We're four and a half years old, almost five years coming up.
It's been an amazing journey,meeting the community and the
(02:43):
people and getting to podcastwith fellow podcasters like you
and some other of our favorites.
But yeah, I've been running.
I'm a runner.
I've been running since 2013,2014, ish, regularly.
So I'm yeah, I'm just about atmy 10 year runniversary.
I'm just about at my 10 yearrunniversary.
(03:05):
What else I was diagnosed withbreast cancer in December of 23.
And my goal and my I don't know, I guess ambitions are to
continue running through cancertreatment.
I'm currently on chemo, so I amrunning and trying to enjoy
(03:25):
life to the fullest.
I'm now retired officially from, I'm out on disability, which
is, I guess, I'm just calling itretirement at this point.
But yeah, I don't know, I guessI like it.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
I like retired, I like retired.
So now we can get you all thegear for the retirement shirts
that say I do what I want, I'mretired.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
I don't have to.
Yes, it's why I've been able tojump into your coffee morning
chats now.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Which I love and I'm going to get back to doing more
often.
I really miss.
I really missed it during thehurricane and all the madness I
got to jump in this past weekwith you guys, with you I this
week yeah, yeah, I'm so happy tohave you back and I just have
to tell you that one of myfavorite parts of the world run
for is the inside the runnerstudio and I feel like this is
(04:13):
like an inside of the runners,inside the runner studio
although we won't do the jameslipton questions because we're
here to talk about your newpodcast but I feel like we are
being introduced inside theRunner Studio, inside the
Runcation Nation studio.
To Stephanie Tell us a littlebit about you.
Introduce yourself to theRuncation Nation.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
I feel like we should do the James Lipton questions
for Stephanie, because she'snever done them on our podcast
yet.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Oh, so I'm getting hazed by both podcasts at the
same time.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
Yes, yeah, you jumped in the deep end of the pool.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Good thing I can swim Super twin powers activate
Something like that, something Idon't know.
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Anyway.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Yes, let us know who you are.
I'm Stephanie.
I also had breast cancer.
I suppose I'm in remission atthis point.
I started doing Run Disneyraces in October of 2013.
It was one of the last tower ofterror 10 milers.
That was at nighttime and itwas on my birthday.
(05:15):
My husband and I had a bet whowould finish it faster and
technically, while he did finishfaster.
While he did finish fasterthat's what she said, Sorry,
Technically, while he did finishthe race faster, I could still
walk at the end and the dayafter.
So I still maintain that I won,Winning Exactly.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
You're finishing strong yes, finishing strong,
and you're able to live yourlife afterwards.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Absolutely, Because I had an amazing after party at
Hollywood Studios following thatand he was miserable and I'm
like this is great.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
And like the second day after the race, how, like
when you I guess I should callit do squats but not visit the
restroom, and how are you?
Speaker 4 (05:58):
Yeah, whenever you have to sit down for any reason.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
For any reason.
Getting up is special.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
We've seen that race take out a number of people.
I still contend the reason theydon't do it anymore is because
I've never seen more people goout on medical at a race than I
have at Tower of Terror.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
10-Miler, really yeah .
Speaker 4 (06:15):
The nighttime, humidity and the heat in Florida
that people don't expect inOctober would get people all the
time in October, would getpeople all the time.
At the end of the race youwould just see the lawn out
there by the tower filled withpeople cramping, retching,
getting attended to by medics.
(06:35):
And I've said it, I do not.
I think the reason theycanceled that race is because of
that.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
They just Well, I mean, it hit me every year.
I cross the finish line and I'min the bushes and you don't
need to see what happens overthere, with me retching and
puking and yuck.
It's disgusting.
That's a fair point.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
Yeah yeah.
Nothing quite like the traumabond of talking about the
horrors of running, but yourshow that you ladies have
started is unique.
Talk a little bit about why youstarted the show, who you hope
to reach and what you two wantto accomplish with it.
And, stephanie, why don't westart with you and Erin after?
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Sure.
So I was diagnosed with breastcancer in August of 23.
I had a mastectomy October of27, october 27th of 23, 23, 23.
And then seven days later Iwalked the wine and dine races
and Riley Claremont had me onthe jumbotron and his jaw, and
Clarissa's his jaw and Carissa'sjaw and John Pelkey's jaw just
(07:43):
absolutely just dropped on stage.
Like you, I'm sorry, you didwhat?
How?
Seven days, yep, seven days.
I still had all my drains in.
So the amount of people thatstopped me on the course to
share their story with me andtell me how inspiring I was.
And then same let's see withWine and Dine, then Marathon
Weekend they didn't update on meon the Jumbotron and even more
(08:06):
people.
Just, you're so inspiring, Ikept thinking about your story
and that kept me going andtraining.
So then come print marathon.
The day after the 5k or the dayof the 5k, I went to the va
hospital and I started radiationand then the 10k went to the
hospital afterwards startedradiation, had 25 sessions of
(08:26):
radiation Monday through Friday.
Princess comes around.
I was still doing wait,princess.
No, donna, marathon comes first.
So I'm doing Donna halfmarathon Week after Donna, I
finish radiation and then I doPrincess.
A week after Princess, I go andhave a complete hysterectomy.
So I'm sharing all of this withthe Run Disney community and
(08:48):
the amount of people You're soinspiring.
And so, finally, sometime inFebruary, I started my Facebook
page, or my Instagram handle, ofrunning through breast cancer
Extremely creative.
You're welcome.
It's on point.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
It's on point.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
It's on point, it's straight to the point.
It's on point.
It's on point, it's straight tothe point.
Yeah, that's just me, justright there in your face.
So I just people kept sayingyou're so inspiring and I don't
think that I am.
Maybe I'm finally getting tothe realization that people see
me that way, but maybe I'm justbeing hard at it because I will.
I refuse to stop doing what I'mdoing when I have the ability
(09:24):
to do it, just because I have adiagnosis of something.
Everybody has a diagnosis ofsomething.
If I can still do somethingwhile I have a diagnosis, why
don't you?
Why can't I?
So I started that and then Erinreceived her diagnosis in
December and I just heard it inher voice on her podcast there's
(09:47):
just I said it in anotherpodcast, I think ours and also
on the runs.
It was like a silent siren,like only cancer people can hear
it, that cry for help, that cryof I don't know what to do, I
don't know how to feel, I don'tknow how to express it.
No one else understands.
I feel so alone.
(10:08):
And I heard that in her voiceand so I kept reaching out to
her on Instagram and at firstshe was like who in the hell is
this person?
Who's this crazy person?
And so, finally, one day Inever thought that by the way.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Just for clarification.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
I never actually thought that to myself.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
But I was in the shower one day and I just kept
thinking why don't I see if Erinwants to start a cancer podcast
, like running while goingthrough cancer, and because I
just heard that she was going onretirement and I'm unemployed?
I've been unemployed sinceOctober of 22 and had a job
lined up and that fell throughin April of 23 and I was in a
(10:50):
dark state of depression becauseit was like my dream job and
then the cancer came.
I'm like that's like on theback burner now.
So I messaged her and she'slike let's do it, game on.
So here we are.
We are more clarification.
(11:10):
She didn't really know who Iwas and I was trying to say hi
to her a springtime surprise butshe completely ignored a
warthog who wouldn't but nowwhat do you mean?
Speaker 1 (11:18):
ignored a warthog, but she was dressed as a warthog
and I was at the Toy Storybathrooms and I was with Diana
and they run the Rise and Runcrew was coming out there.
So we saw Greg and we ran up toGreg and started talking to him
and Allie our friend Allie wasover there.
A couple other people thatlistened to our podcast were
(11:39):
standing there.
So we're saying hi to all ofthem and apparently Stephanie
came out and she was dressed asa warthog and I did not know who
she was or recognize her, so Ididn't say hi to her.
So now she says that I justignored her because I'm an
a**hole.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
You're not an a**hole who?
Speaker 1 (11:55):
would talk to a strange warthog.
That's just safe.
I would definitely talk to astrange warthog.
It's not don't talk tostrangers.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
It's don't talk to the strange warthogs.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Exactly.
It's not don't talk tostrangers.
It's don't talk to the strangewarthogs, exactly.
To just tack on to whatStephanie said yeah.
I don't know that.
I feel like it was like asilent cry, I think for me it
was.
I didn't want to turn the We'llRun For a Podcast into a cancer
podcast, so like I would startto say something and then I
would feel like it was not theplace to put some of the like
(12:34):
heavier stuff and we've talkedabout heavy stuff.
On the Well Run for Podcast wehave an entire episode, the
Emotions of Running, which todate is, I think, our most
listened to episode outside of amarathon weekend recap.
But the amount of people thathave connected with that episode
and the emotions that you havewhether it be what you talked
(12:56):
earlier about injuries, dns islike all those things that we
don't talk about that are reallydifficult for runners, because
Instagram has taken the worldinto a place of social media in
general, has taken it into theworld of accomplishments and
like all the happy stuff, thehighlight reels, so people don't
(13:16):
really talk about as much thehard stuff.
So it's not that our podcastisn't a place to talk about
those things, but it is not acancer podcast and cancer is a
totally different type offeeling and emotion and only a
(13:37):
person who has been through adiagnosis can really understand
it.
There's caretakers whounderstand it in a different way
, or people who have beenthrough watching a loved one go
through it.
There's caretakers whounderstand it in a different way
, or people who have beenthrough watching a loved one go
through it, and I haveexperienced that.
But having someone tell you youhave cancer, I feel, is a very
(13:59):
different journey even from that, and so I just felt like, while
I wasn't shy about sharing myjourney, I also didn't feel like
I wanted to let the Will RunFor podcast become that, because
if you listen, you know thatwe're just the most ridiculous
(14:21):
humans that have ever existed onEarth, talking about the
dumbest stuff ever.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
And I wanted.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
I still like that's.
Ultimately, that's what thewill run for a podcast is, where
a light fluffy where yourfriends chatting in your ear
while you run, and that's what Iwanted to keep that.
So I think what Steph washearing was just my constant
hesitation to want to bring thatinto that podcast.
(14:48):
And so when she approached meabout this because I am a person
who definitely believes insharing all of the hard things
in life and the bad, the ugly-yeah.
If whether it be divorces ormarriages being difficult, or
miscarriages or infertility orlike all these things that
(15:08):
happen in life, people don'ttalk about them enough.
Cancer diagnosis Like I just Iwanted to be able to allow a
space for people to come andtalk about those things with us.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
And we knew that there was a need for it, because
when we were both diagnosed, weand I know of another person
that with cancer that there'sthe running community is so
small, and then the subset ofthose with cancer in the running
community is a lot smaller too.
And I'm in a triathlete inhiatus.
I say too.
And I'm in a triathlete inhiatus.
(15:45):
I say so.
I went into my triathlon groupone of the triathlons groups I'm
in and I asked what those thathad reconstruction had after
were you?
able to ever get your freestyleback, the motion of pulling with
your chest, if you hadreconstruction with implants and
not the fat.
I call it the bastardized mommymakeover implants and not the
(16:07):
fat.
I call it the bastardized mommymakeover where they move fat
from your belly to your boobs tomake boobs.
It's a bastardized mommymakeover If you're able to still
pull and have good chest musclestrength without any
deformities because the implantsare underneath the muscle.
So I reached out to one of thetriathlon Facebook groups I'm in
and asked if anyone that hashad breast cancer reconstruction
(16:31):
with the implant under themuscle if they were ever able to
get their freestyle back andhow long it took and crickets
Maybe.
One person said, oh, I hadreconstruction but it's over the
muscle, because I didn't wantto deal with that.
I'm like that wasn't myquestion.
And then I went into a breastcancer group the only one I'm in
because then it just basicallybecomes an echo chamber of oh
(16:51):
yeah, this sucks, that was hard,I threw up and so, anyways,
there's too much negativity andI just I want to do my journey
my terms and not have itinfluenced by anybody else.
So I went in that group and Isaid, hey, any runners or
triathletes in here and afterreconstruction, with the
implants under your on theirchest muscle, how long did it
(17:14):
take for you to get back into itand have you been able to do
pull-ups or pushups?
Because I would love to try outto become the be in the Indiana
Jones stunt show, so I reallywant to be able to build up my
upper body strength again and dopull-ups.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Whoa Wow.
Not what I was expectingactually, so I wasn't the
Indiana stunt show.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Yeah, hollywood studios, yeah, I've got a friend
who is Mary Mary Ann and shesaid yeah, I'll help train you
and you can try.
Who is Mary Mary Ann?
And she said, yeah, I'll helptrain you and you can try out
and we can work together.
And I'm like cool, let's do it.
Wow, okay, I have plans to dothe floor is lava show, but I
don't think they're doing it,that show, anymore, except in
applications.
Ah, okay, okay, I also thinkthat exists anymore either, does
(18:09):
it?
No, did they discontinue thatshow?
I?
Speaker 3 (18:10):
don't know, on some sort of odd tv, I don't know.
I don't know.
Your dreams can come true.
You just keep, you, keep at it,you keep at it.
So you've described yourmotivations for starting the
show, both of you first startingthe show, and the warthog
reached out to aaron, as it were.
Now I think it's a thing wehave to develop some kind of
hashtag for that.
I don't know.
But at any rate and I love how,stephanie, that you mentioned
(18:34):
the Donna, because we run itevery year and love it, and I
just can't believe that we'vemissed you there.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
Last year was my first year.
Oh was it.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Oh, okay, I thought you'd been doing like.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
I'm an ambassador, so I've got like a coupon code or
something.
You're an ambassador.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
Mm-hmm, me too.
Me too, you're part of theD-Squad this year.
Yes, is it your first time?
Yeah, oh, and Erin, you'redoing Donna yes, yes, I am.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
We have a team of 24 people coming into town to do it
.
Uh, the will run for erin'sboobs team.
I love it, I love it.
And so I think that I'm gonnado shirts where everyone's just
that's.
What's gonna say on their shirtis will run for erin's boobs,
and then I'm just gonna haveerin like up here, and then have
two big arrows pointing at myboobs.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
Because last year we were trying and it just didn't.
Like we, it didn't come tofruition, like I couldn't get it
done in time when you werediagnosed.
We reached out to our friendsat Pure Creative Apparel and we
were like we have to get like alogo designed and like a we'll
run for and the runny drinkpodcast and like for Aaron, so
(19:49):
that we can run this year.
But truly, you're going to bethere this year, yeah, and we
have time.
We have two months, so it'sgreat.
I'm so sorry that I'm shoutingand I don't really need to.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
I've got a group of friends.
They create a team for me too,so Aaron and I were saying that
we're trying to see if there's.
We haven't really talked aboutit, but yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Yeah, we combine everybody.
We have a team too, but so allof our teams will just be
together, yeah, and it will beMaybe change, I don't know
Wonderful.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Subtitle my team to our podcast.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
I don't know who knows, but okay, who knows, but
OK.
So your team is not named foryour podcast and your team is
named for Will Run for Aaron'sBoobs.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Yeah, because the Will Run that started like I
created that team back in Julybefore this podcast ever came
even as a thought.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
So, yes, I signed up.
This podcast, Brainchild,started in middle September and
we launched it October 1st.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
So that's good, yeah, because I signed up for it the
day that it opened.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Oh, that's good, that is I can't, yeah.
So you got three people here,you got two ambassadors and we
have discount codes and Fitz isgoing to be there race
announcing and she's gotdiscount codes.
So people shameless plug.
It's Breast Cancer AwarenessMonth.
We love the Donna Foundation.
They're amazing supportingsurvivors and those who are
(21:12):
fighting and just link in theshow notes.
Join any one of our teams andrun the race or donate.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
I'm excited for the Donna, so I feel like it's great
advertisement for them.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
You're signed up for the half Erin.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
And I am doing the half.
I am fun running the half.
So if you are planning to do aparty pace, I'm going to be
petting all of the dogs,stopping for all the drinks,
stopping for all the food.
It will be a good good old four, at least four hour fest of
nothingness and running andchaos.
We'll probably do what we didat space coast and have a sign
(21:47):
like a pacer sign that's justgoing to have like our name on
it or something, and then sopeople can find us as they're
running.
And then I think there was like16 or 17 of us that stayed
together at Space Coast and wejust called intervals like we
were pacers, and it's going tobe a good time.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
And you haven't done any.
Donna events, Erin, you haven'tdone no but I have.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Last year I had multiple friends who ran it and
had shirts and stuff made for meand they sent me pictures along
the way and I.
The amount of dogs that are oncourse is just exciting.
It's so exciting and they maynot have had a jello shot on the
course Every single dog You'vegot to be kidding, Stephanie.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Listen, I can send you episodes where we talk about
how we had there's a picture ofme because we are back of the
pack.
It took us five.
It took me and one of ourlisteners five hours to do it
last year.
Oh, cool the half.
And I'm telling you it's fine,Everything is fine.
It is the party course.
There are the neighborhoods.
(22:52):
Come out in force.
Jell-o shots pickle shots beer.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
I'll be doing it all.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
Fireball, fireball.
Oh, fireball is my favorite.
If you have ever listened tothe Royal Run for Podcasts and
you listened to my 30th or 30th,my 30th birthday, I'll go with
that.
My 30th birthday party.
Yes, I've been holding wastedby the time I crossed that
finish line because I had doneso much fireball.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
Oh, okay, so we have lists of things.
You're just going to love allthe dogs.
You're going to love all thecommunity.
You're going to take so manypictures.
You're going to laugh, you'regoing to cry.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
It're going to take so many pictures you're going to
laugh, you're going to cry.
It's going to be amazing, it'sso emotional.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
It's so moving.
It's just, it's it.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
It's a survivor photo might be finished with the
marathon.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
Before I finish the half marathon, then it doesn't
matter.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
It doesn't matter because the course is open the
same amount of hours as themarathon, as you've done races
like I guess Space Coast is likethat, or on that south course
or what the party coursewhatever it is.
I digress.
We're going to have a greatparty and we're going to get
excited shirts that actually nowthat we have time.
(24:02):
But your podcast is the reasonthat we're here.
I think you've talked a littlebit about what your target
audience is, Although I do wantto say to you, in listening to
your first two episodes, I feellike people who are not going
through the treatment or haven'tbeen diagnosed can also learn
(24:23):
about the perspective of thosewho are going through it from
your podcast.
Do you agree?
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Yeah, I think that's our goal too.
I don't think that we, while wewant to create a community and a
place for people who havecancer or have had cancer so, as
I say, survivors and thrivers Ithink that's a.
It's a place where we wantpeople to feel safe.
So I think that we are tryingto create that community within,
like a Facebook group.
(24:50):
If you have had cancer or havecancer, please come join us
there and our podcast.
Every week we'll have apassword to get into that group
because we want to maintainpeople's privacy, especially if
they're talking about, like,their medical journeys or
anything like that.
But overall, I think that wewant to create a community of
(25:13):
people who can also understandwhat we've been through and also
learn how to advocate forthemselves if this ever were to
happen to them, and to know that, if it were to happen to them
or a loved one, that thosepeople can still be active and
do all the things that they'vealways loved and still thrive
(25:34):
through that.
So I think that's also a goalof this podcast not just to
create the community within thecancer community, and not just
breast cancer, but all cancers.
I think that's just asimportant to us is the
advocation part of the podcast.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
I just, I think, somebody who's outside and has
that caretaker role, like youtalked about with my dad with
his stage four non-Hodgkin'slymphoma.
He's currently going throughtreatment and doing well, but I
think that your podcast gives menew perspective for that.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
I didn't know.
You don't know what you don'tknow, and oftentimes, until you
have something like this happenin your life, it's hard to find
sources, and so I think that'swhy, even on my Instagram, I'm
very open.
I didn't create a new Instagram.
I just I wanted to put it intoa place where people had already
(26:34):
followed me, because, as I, wejoke on our podcast, because I
got it from another group, anInstagram page I think it's the
oh so Tough One where they callthem cancer muggles or it's the
cancer patient, it might be thecancer patient where they do
memes and stuff and they callanyone who hasn't had cancer or
cancer diagnosis to be a cancermuggle.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
A muggle is a non-magical person from Harry
Potter.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
Oh, thank you for clarification.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Thank you, you're welcome.
I saw the face.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
I was just gonna say it's a harry potter reference.
Now you have homework wherethey're not magical.
So like you don't understand,like what, what it's like to
have those traits, and just inthe same way, you know a person
who hasn't been through it isn'tgonna know what it's like, and
so I think, that's a big part ofit.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
It's a good analogy and now I understand a little
bit more about the Harry Potterworld that I guess totally
missed the train on and need toget on board but I will.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
We often joke because in the last book you have to
have a password to listen to theradio.
In Harry Potter we, that's howwe came up with the.
We call it tumor talk, and sothe tumor talk password is how
you get into the Facebook group.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
Ah, brilliant, I love it.
It's so many connections myEnglish teacher heart with all
of this Harry Potter books and,like how you, it's amazing where
great ideas come from.
It's just unreal, unreal.
So do you?
Have you talked about that?
It's going to be a podcast, notjust about your journeys
(28:13):
through breast cancer, but all.
You are going to have guestsand discussions, if you will,
about not just breast cancer butall kinds of cancer.
Yes, yes.
So what ideas for episodes doyou all have coming up?
What's on your list, because Iknow you're in the kind of
(28:35):
beginning stages and you havetwo episodes out.
What's coming up?
Speaker 1 (28:41):
So I think that we have decided that we launched in
october.
The idea came in september, soit just seemed like the perfect
opportunity for us to focus onbreast cancer in october,
because of breast cancerawareness, of course and it's
our podcast in our boobs.
So yeah, yeah there you go, butthe idea is really, each month
(29:03):
when we do Stephanie's doing amedical fun fact each episode so
we can do the advocacy andeducation portion of it.
We'll be focusing on thedifferent kinds of cancer for
all the different kinds ofawareness months, because there
are awareness months for allkinds of cancer but you probably
don't know about them.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
Unknown.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
Because they really only talk about breast cancer
when they pinkwash everything.
Our hope is that we can getsome people on who have other
types of cancer.
So we're going to have guests.
We also, stephanie, has somemedical professional friends
that we're going to try andbring on for the part of like
(29:43):
diagnosis and how to advocatefor yourself and those kinds of
things Going through the process.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
So that's your background.
Stephanie is in the medicalfield.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Yes, I'm a family nurse practitioner.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
Okay, okay, family nurse practitioner Okay, so
you'll have that aspect of itlike your medical fun fact that
actually comes from that fieldand from sound research and
sources.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
Absolutely All of my medical fun facts are derived
from peer-reviewed articles,peer-reviewed journals, medical
textbooks and legitimate medicalwebsites.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
You have lots of things in the works and I really
like that.
We're emphasizing that it isnot just a podcast about breast
cancer, but you're encompassingall of the different cancers,
that, those awareness monthsthat may go unnoticed throughout
the year, and and all thedifferent battles that people
(30:38):
may be fighting.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
I feel like the thing is that everyone who has cancer
is either going through somesort of treatment, so radiation,
whether it be radiation,whether it be chemo, whether it
be experimental, whatever trialsdifferent things like that.
So we're all going through thesame thing.
It might be look completelydifferent because everyone's
chemo treats them differentlyeverything, but we are all in
(31:08):
the same boat.
We all got that diagnosis whereyou're sitting there and you're
being told you have cancer.
So we all know what that feelslike.
It's just in a different way,but we're all trying to get
through it.
So I think that it unites us,even if it's not the same kind
of cancer.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
And it allows for those that don't have breast
cancer, because every othercancer but breast cancer is the
one that just got the mostattention, which got the most
funding, but so it allows foreverybody else to feel seen too.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Because even though I had breast cancer and Erin has
it, there have been times andI'm not speaking for her and she
knows that she can absolutelytell me I'm full of s**t.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
Just jump right in there.
Anytime Erin.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
Go ahead.
There have been times whereI've felt invisible.
My treatment team is at theOrlando VA because I'm an Army
veteran and my cancer isconsidered sequelae from my
deployment.
Okay, because I don't have anyfamily history of cancer.
I don't have any geneticcomponent for breast cancer, but
(32:14):
I have a genetic component fornearly every other type of
cancer.
Awesome.
There have been times and notbecause of my treatment team,
but just because I've just feltso alone.
But I've had friends that areahead of me in this process and
using the same plastic surgeonand breast surgeon, because
those aren't through the VA,they're through a civilian on
the civilian side over here.
But even though I've had allthe support, I have a great
(32:37):
husband, I have a greattreatment team at the VA.
I have great friends.
There have been times where Ihave just felt alone, and very
little times, but nonetheless.
Speaker 4 (32:47):
Do you have any race or running experiences that have
mirrored the challenges thatyou're dealing with cancer or
that you've dealt with cancer,and if you've got any stories
you might want to share?
Speaker 3 (32:58):
That question.
It came to mind because I thinkthat the marathon, or somebody
who decides to run and train fora half marathon or any kind of
distance, I think that a racemirrors life and can mirror some
battles within your life.
So and I don't know if you allhave experienced that outside of
(33:20):
cancer, when you're running,you're like hitting the wall at
a race I thought this wasinteresting when I read it and I
have thought about it.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
Stephanie only got these questions like an hour
before I had time to think aboutthis, but I didn't even know
there are more questions down.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
It took me until trying to get into the zoom
there was a password.
Oh, so that's how far I made,it okay.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
Pdf document okay, I read the questions last night
and I did think about this alittle bit.
I don't know that I could saythat I can think of something
that mirrors it so much as I cansay, being a runner or a
marathoner or an enduranceathlete in general, nothing can
(34:10):
prepare you for the momentsomeone says to you you have
cancer.
But I will say that I dogenuinely feel that because I
was an endurance runner andbecause of that mental quote,
unquote toughness that we havewithin us, because at mile 18,
(34:34):
when you hit that wall, you haveto dig deep within yourself and
say I am stronger than the partof my brain that is telling me
I can't do this Right.
I am stronger than the part ofmy brain that is telling me I
can't do this Right.
And so when I got diagnosed, Ihad always said I and I repeated
this over and over again I'vealways said I could never have
cancer.
(34:54):
Having watched other people, Iknow going through it Right,
like the chemo, like not feelingwell, the constant vomiting,
the chronic fatigue, the this,the that.
I always said to myself I'm notstrong enough for that.
Like I've watched people do itand I've been like there's no
way I could ever do this.
I can't have cancer, I couldnever do it.
(35:15):
But when they say that to you,you have two options, right, you
have two options Curl up orshow up.
You have two options Curl up orshow up.
And in that yes, stephanielikes to end our podcast with
that quote and if you want tolive, that's your option.
And so you have to mentally getbehind that and just and it's
(35:37):
not like an overnight thing ittakes.
I can't say that I'm stillprepared for it, but I'm doing
it because I have to.
Right, and maybe a marathon isnot exactly the same thing, but
when you're at mile 18 and youwant to get to that finish line,
you just have to dig deepwithin yourself and say I can do
this, I'm going to get to thatfinish and in that way I feel
(35:58):
like it's very similar.
And I think that being anendurance athlete and having had
that experience did make metougher and feel like I was able
to get through that mentalbarrier easier than somebody who
may not be in an enduranceathlete and having joined some
of the Facebook groups and thebreast cancer support groups, I
(36:22):
think, and having talked toStephanie and having talked to
my friend Fernando, or havingtalked to my friend Melissa, or
all these people who have beenthrough cancer.
I think that's where thesimilarities lie and where you
can see the difference betweenan endurance athlete and someone
with cancer.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
Yeah, that is wow.
Yeah, that is what an answer.
And I just and I saw Stephaniejust nodding her head profusely
the entire time yes, what is thetagline that you end every
episode with?
So far, stephanie?
(37:03):
What is it that you say?
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Curl up or show up.
The choice is yours and I'm notsaying that.
There aren't days where Ihaven't curled up and there
aren't days where Erin hasalready talked about that she
threw a blanket overhead andshe's in a cave and was ugly
crying.
There aren't days where I justlike didn't break down in Target
walking through the makeupaisle, or in Walmart, where the
entire front of the store justwent silent and all the cash
(37:28):
register just stopped and staredat me because I was having a
breakdown, went silent and allthe cash register just stopped
and stared at me because I washaving a breakdown, but we do
our breakdown and then wecontinue on.
And I call it just feel yourfeelings, have your moment, put
a timeline on.
Your feelings, say, I'm justgoing to take the rest of the
(37:48):
day and I'm going to binge watchHarry Potter.
I see what you did I want to,and then tomorrow I am back at
it.
Yeah, for sure, curl up and alot of the same things that
Aaron said, like those momentsDo you remember where you were
when 9-11 happened?
Or those nation definingmoments, getting that call or
(38:09):
going into the doctor's officebecause I got called which is
fine because I'm a medicalprofessional like getting that,
that information and thatdiagnosis.
that's when our world stoppedthe earth stopped for a moment
and just everything went still.
And I remember exactly where Iwas.
I was at my dining room table,I was doing something on my
(38:30):
computer, whatever, and Iremember I was just sat there
for a while and I stood up andmy husband came into the area
and I said did you get cruise?
Did you get travel insurance onthe cruise?
He said, yeah, why?
I was like I have cancer and Ijust remember that so plainly.
And, of course, man, a fewwords is that sucks.
Yep, sure does.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Yeah, mine wasn't so kind.
Mine was while I was at workand the radiologist didn't even
ask me if I was in like a goodplace to talk, and I was like
cool, just like in the office.
And she's, you have cancer.
I was like that's not the wayto tell someone they have cancer
.
Oh, my thanks, buddy.
And so then I called my husbandand I couldn't say anything.
(39:17):
I was just sobbing and so heknew because I couldn't even get
a word out of my mouth and youwere in a public place you were
at work.
I owned a.
Actually, as of November 1stwe'll be selling the company,
but I owned a constructioncompany that does like
(39:40):
electrical work.
We do like traffic signals andlike easy passes and those kinds
of things.
So you were in the middle of allthat and I was in the middle of
yes, the office when I got thecall, and then my husband had to
actually come to the office.
Michael had to come to theoffice to pick me up, because I
barely said a word to him.
(40:00):
He just knew.
And so he came to the officeand then they arranged for my
car to be driven back to myhouse while Michael drove me
home to my house while Michaeldrove me home.
Lessons in treating patientslike human beings with kindness
and empathy.
I don't even think I sharedthat on our podcast when I gave
(40:21):
us our story.
Yeah, I forgot when I was doingthat I didn't actually say how
I got the news.
Speaker 3 (40:27):
It could be a whole show idea for your.
It could be a whole episodeidea, Like just here.
You're not our target audience,but people in the medical field
who have to notify patients.
These are examples of what todo or what not to do.
Just say it.
I'll get off of that because,like anybody can tell when I am,
(40:49):
what I think and feel and whatI because I can't play poker my
face is just my face.
I have very strong feelingsabout that kind of advocating
and supporting my dad throughwholeheartedly support your face
.
I hate my face sometimes becausethat's the way it is, but but
(41:10):
really we have talked about yourpodcast, we've talked about
some of your journey and whoyour target audience is, but I
really think that anybody canget something from your show and
I want to put it out there forthose runners in the Runcation
Nation that might be dealingwith something privately and not
(41:32):
really putting it out there onsocial media and that kind of
thing, those who are caring forsomebody and may get something
out of this show.
So where can people find it?
Where can people connect withyou?
Speaker 1 (41:47):
Anywhere you get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
Wherever fine podcasts are sold also a caster
sold wherever fine podcasts aresold.
Speaker 3 (41:56):
Instagram, you have handles that.
We can yes put.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
We are pace yourself, dot, it's just cancer.
On instagram, and we are paceyourself, it'scancer at gmailcom
.
Speaker 3 (42:11):
If you would like to email us, leave us a review on
Apple Podcasts of course there'sa question I have about reviews
while we're on this and you'resharing it and how people can
connect with you.
But will Tom from the Will RunFor podcast?
Will he, for all the five-starratings that you all receive,
will he run five miles for those?
Speaker 1 (42:31):
So he's running five miles for the We'll Run For
podcast.
He's running five miles for theRise and Run podcast.
He's running five miles for Onthe Runs podcast.
He's running five miles for theRunny Drink podcast.
So why not add the five milesfor every five-star review for
the Pace Yourself?
Speaker 3 (42:49):
I'm so excited.
I didn't know that we were onthe five-mile review for the
pace yourself.
I'm so excited.
I didn't know that.
I didn't know that we were onthe five mile bandwagon, and now
we can put that as our call toaction at the end of our show
any podcast that we have guestedon.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
We have volunteered tom for this okay, okay, I don't
know that tom no remembers this, and or is he aware?
Committed to this himself.
Speaker 3 (43:09):
He's aware, tom, but he's been committed.
Tom, you're committed, you areTom.
Yes, you're committed, andthank you.
We appreciate your support, tom.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
Yes, good job, tom.
Speaker 3 (43:20):
Five stars, five stars.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
Would recommend Highly recommend Certified fresh
, whatever Make sure you tag Tomin all of your reviews for all
five of those podcasts, so thatyou could make him do 25 miles.
Speaker 3 (43:35):
Do a marathon.
Tom Just round up.
Speaker 2 (43:38):
Is he doing dopey?
Is he doing dopey?
No, not this year.
No, is he?
Speaker 3 (43:42):
doing any marathon weekend races?
No, no, they won't be thereSpeaking of upcoming races.
Ladies, what do you have?
Where are you?
As we say on our podcast?
Speaker 2 (43:58):
accomplishing, exploring and indulging.
Next, I guess I'll take thelead on, will be at Wine and
Dine.
Three races I have to walk allof them again.
I walked them all last yearbecause I was seven days post
double mastectomy and I will be14 days post reconstruction
surgery.
Speaker 3 (44:13):
Stephanie is walking all the races at Wine and Dine.
Speaker 2 (44:16):
Doctor's orders.
I'm allowed to walk everybody.
If you see me, I swear to God.
The surgeon said that I couldwalk them.
Speaker 3 (44:23):
Go to gray area this time, and you'll have one of
your kiddos with you as well.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
Yes, I'll have nine with me for the 5K.
He wants to do 10Ks and I'mlike dude.
When you can stop whining aboutthe 5Ks, then maybe I'll start
bringing you on the 10Ks.
Speaker 3 (44:42):
Tell him not to whine at Wine and Dime, and then
we'll talk about 10Ks.
Speaker 2 (44:45):
Oh, yeah, he wants to do all the weekends with me,
with the exception of Princess.
Speaker 3 (44:50):
I understand that, Erin.
What do?
Speaker 1 (44:56):
you have coming up on your race calendar.
I will be at New York CityMarathon while you guys are all
at Wine and Dine.
I unfortunately didn't planwell for the year that I was
going to do New York, becauseall of my friends were there
last year.
I do have a few.
Ren Dizner is going to be there.
Yay, michael Leslie shout out.
Yeah, so we will see severalfriends.
(45:21):
We have a couple other podcastfriends.
We actually created a jointRise and Run and we'll run for
meetup on Saturday in BryantPark.
So if there are any red peopleout there who are running and
want to come meet with us, feelfree.
Speaker 3 (45:33):
Oh yeah, so Michael Leslie is a patron of our show.
Get the runcation nation up inthere.
Speaker 1 (45:37):
Yep.
So we will be there at BryantPark 2.30.
And then I will be running theNew York City Marathon, and I
use the word running lightly.
I will not be walking the wholething, but I probably will walk
a good portion, because I amthe most undertrained I've ever
been for a marathon, aaron, yougot this.
Speaker 3 (45:57):
Stephanie, you got this Wine and dine.
Speaker 4 (46:00):
And again.
Speaker 3 (46:00):
The expert, meb Kofleski, who we've had on the
show, says it's better to go inundertrained than overtrained
and I think that's what led himto his New York City Marathon
victory.
He has said in his book 26Marathons.
Anyway, not a sponsor of theshow, but a huge hero of ours
for the show.
Speaker 1 (46:17):
We have picked some places to indulge in New York
City.
We have a dinner reservationwith said Michael at not my
Michael, the other michaelbrenda's at a subway station in
new york.
It's a pizza place, that is, inorder to get into the pizza
place you have to go down intothe subway station and it's a,
(46:41):
so we're gonna have some pizzaand they they have a an
expansive menu of other thingsthat look delicious amazing.
Speaker 3 (46:48):
We will expect a full recap on this, on all of this,
all of this, and we wish you anamazing race experience, both of
you.
I hope that I get to see you so, stephanie, at Wine and Dine,
(47:08):
and I hope to hear all aboutyours and Run Diz Nerd's New
York City Marathon experience.
Everybody should check out thepodcast, the brand new podcast
with Erin and Stephanie Paceyourself it's just cancer
Available wherever podcasts areserved.
Ladies, thank you so much forbeing on our show and we hope to
(47:31):
accomplish, explore and indulgewith you really soon.
I'm Erin and I'm Stephanie, and we're the hosts
of Pace.
Yourself, it's just cancer.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
You are listening to the Run Eat Drink podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Welcome to the Run Eat Drink podcast.
We feature destination racesfrom across the country and
after the race, we take you on atour of the best local food and
beverage to celebrate.
So whether you are an eliterunner or a back-of-the-packer
like us, you'll know the bestplaces to accomplish, explore
and indulge on your nextruncation.
(00:36):
On this special edition of ourshow, dana, we have to rewind to
International Podcast Daybecause of Milton and Helene.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Yeah, hurricane season messed us up this year.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
But we have recovered and we welcome today the
co-hosts of a brand new podcast.
Of course you know her and loveher from the We'll Run For
podcast, erin, and introducingto the Runcation Nation her
co-host, stephanie, of a brandnew show two episodes out in the
(01:14):
feed so far called PaceYourself, it's Just Cancer.
So welcome to the show, ladies.
Thank you, we are so glad tohave you and thank you so nice
to the show, ladies.
Thank you, we are so glad tohave you and thank you so nice
to be back.
Thank you for coming back on.
We didn't scare Erin away.
And, stephanie, thank you forbeing willing to come on, even
(01:38):
though you don't know us and ourantics and our craziness here
on the show very much.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
All part of the fun, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
All part of the fun.
All part of the fun.
Some of the best people thatyou meet for the first time are
runners.
Yeah, a hundred percent.
That's all I'm going to say, sojust as a review.
And then we like to dointroductory notes first.
So can you?
We'll start with Erin and then,if we could go to Stephanie,
(02:06):
reintroduce yourself, Erin forthe Runcation Nation.
Tell them a little bit aboutyou and who you are, and you
don't really have to say whatyou're drinking, like we
normally do on Lives.
But yeah, kick it off andremind us of who you are.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
All right, I am Erin and I am the co-host, as you
pointed out, of the We'll RunFor podcast, which I can't
believe when we were talkingabout this recently.
We've been on the air foralmost five years.
We're four and a half years old, almost five years coming up.
It's been an amazing journey,meeting the community and the
(02:43):
people and getting to podcastwith fellow podcasters like you
and some other of our favorites.
But yeah, I've been running.
I'm a runner.
I've been running since 2013,2014, ish, regularly.
So I'm yeah, I'm just about atmy 10 year runniversary.
I'm just about at my 10 yearrunniversary.
(03:05):
What else I was diagnosed withbreast cancer in December of 23.
And my goal and my I don't know, I guess ambitions are to
continue running through cancertreatment.
I'm currently on chemo, so I amrunning and trying to enjoy
(03:25):
life to the fullest.
I'm now retired officially from, I'm out on disability, which
is, I guess, I'm just calling itretirement at this point.
But yeah, I don't know, I guessI like it.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
I like retired, I like retired.
So now we can get you all thegear for the retirement shirts
that say I do what I want, I'mretired.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
I don't have to.
Yes, it's why I've been able tojump into your coffee morning
chats now.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Which I love and I'm going to get back to doing more
often.
I really miss.
I really missed it during thehurricane and all the madness I
got to jump in this past weekwith you guys, with you I this
week yeah, yeah, I'm so happy tohave you back and I just have
to tell you that one of myfavorite parts of the world run
for is the inside the runnerstudio and I feel like this is
(04:13):
like an inside of the runners,inside the runner studio
although we won't do the jameslipton questions because we're
here to talk about your newpodcast but I feel like we are
being introduced inside theRunner Studio, inside the
Runcation Nation studio.
To Stephanie Tell us a littlebit about you.
Introduce yourself to theRuncation Nation.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
I feel like we should do the James Lipton questions
for Stephanie, because she'snever done them on our podcast
yet.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Oh, so I'm getting hazed by both podcasts at the
same time.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
Yes, yeah, you jumped in the deep end of the pool.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Good thing I can swim Super twin powers activate
Something like that, something Idon't know.
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Anyway.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Yes, let us know who you are.
I'm Stephanie.
I also had breast cancer.
I suppose I'm in remission atthis point.
I started doing Run Disneyraces in October of 2013.
It was one of the last tower ofterror 10 milers.
That was at nighttime and itwas on my birthday.
(05:15):
My husband and I had a bet whowould finish it faster and
technically, while he did finishfaster.
While he did finish fasterthat's what she said, Sorry,
Technically, while he did finishthe race faster, I could still
walk at the end and the dayafter.
So I still maintain that I won,Winning Exactly.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
You're finishing strong yes, finishing strong,
and you're able to live yourlife afterwards.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Absolutely, Because I had an amazing after party at
Hollywood Studios following thatand he was miserable and I'm
like this is great.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
And like the second day after the race, how, like
when you I guess I should callit do squats but not visit the
restroom, and how are you?
Speaker 4 (05:58):
Yeah, whenever you have to sit down for any reason.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
For any reason.
Getting up is special.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
We've seen that race take out a number of people.
I still contend the reason theydon't do it anymore is because
I've never seen more people goout on medical at a race than I
have at Tower of Terror.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
10-Miler, really yeah .
Speaker 4 (06:15):
The nighttime, humidity and the heat in Florida
that people don't expect inOctober would get people all the
time in October, would getpeople all the time.
At the end of the race youwould just see the lawn out
there by the tower filled withpeople cramping, retching,
getting attended to by medics.
(06:35):
And I've said it, I do not.
I think the reason theycanceled that race is because of
that.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
They just Well, I mean, it hit me every year.
I cross the finish line and I'min the bushes and you don't
need to see what happens overthere, with me retching and
puking and yuck.
It's disgusting.
That's a fair point.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
Yeah yeah.
Nothing quite like the traumabond of talking about the
horrors of running, but yourshow that you ladies have
started is unique.
Talk a little bit about why youstarted the show, who you hope
to reach and what you two wantto accomplish with it.
And, stephanie, why don't westart with you and Erin after?
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Sure.
So I was diagnosed with breastcancer in August of 23.
I had a mastectomy October of27, october 27th of 23, 23, 23.
And then seven days later Iwalked the wine and dine races
and Riley Claremont had me onthe jumbotron and his jaw, and
Clarissa's his jaw and Carissa'sjaw and John Pelkey's jaw just
(07:43):
absolutely just dropped on stage.
Like you, I'm sorry, you didwhat?
How?
Seven days, yep, seven days.
I still had all my drains in.
So the amount of people thatstopped me on the course to
share their story with me andtell me how inspiring I was.
And then same let's see withWine and Dine, then Marathon
Weekend they didn't update on meon the Jumbotron and even more
(08:06):
people.
Just, you're so inspiring, Ikept thinking about your story
and that kept me going andtraining.
So then come print marathon.
The day after the 5k or the dayof the 5k, I went to the va
hospital and I started radiationand then the 10k went to the
hospital afterwards startedradiation, had 25 sessions of
(08:26):
radiation Monday through Friday.
Princess comes around.
I was still doing wait,princess.
No, donna, marathon comes first.
So I'm doing Donna halfmarathon Week after Donna, I
finish radiation and then I doPrincess.
A week after Princess, I go andhave a complete hysterectomy.
So I'm sharing all of this withthe Run Disney community and
(08:48):
the amount of people You're soinspiring.
And so, finally, sometime inFebruary, I started my Facebook
page, or my Instagram handle, ofrunning through breast cancer
Extremely creative.
You're welcome.
It's on point.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
It's on point.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
It's on point, it's straight to the point.
It's on point.
It's on point, it's straight tothe point.
Yeah, that's just me, justright there in your face.
So I just people kept sayingyou're so inspiring and I don't
think that I am.
Maybe I'm finally getting tothe realization that people see
me that way, but maybe I'm justbeing hard at it because I will.
I refuse to stop doing what I'mdoing when I have the ability
(09:24):
to do it, just because I have adiagnosis of something.
Everybody has a diagnosis ofsomething.
If I can still do somethingwhile I have a diagnosis, why
don't you?
Why can't I?
So I started that and then Erinreceived her diagnosis in
December and I just heard it inher voice on her podcast there's
(09:47):
just I said it in anotherpodcast, I think ours and also
on the runs.
It was like a silent siren,like only cancer people can hear
it, that cry for help, that cryof I don't know what to do, I
don't know how to feel, I don'tknow how to express it.
No one else understands.
I feel so alone.
(10:08):
And I heard that in her voiceand so I kept reaching out to
her on Instagram and at firstshe was like who in the hell is
this person?
Who's this crazy person?
And so, finally, one day Inever thought that by the way.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Just for clarification.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
I never actually thought that to myself.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
But I was in the shower one day and I just kept
thinking why don't I see if Erinwants to start a cancer podcast
, like running while goingthrough cancer, and because I
just heard that she was going onretirement and I'm unemployed?
I've been unemployed sinceOctober of 22 and had a job
lined up and that fell throughin April of 23 and I was in a
(10:50):
dark state of depression becauseit was like my dream job and
then the cancer came.
I'm like that's like on theback burner now.
So I messaged her and she'slike let's do it, game on.
So here we are.
We are more clarification.
(11:10):
She didn't really know who Iwas and I was trying to say hi
to her a springtime surprise butshe completely ignored a
warthog who wouldn't but nowwhat do you mean?
Speaker 1 (11:18):
ignored a warthog, but she was dressed as a warthog
and I was at the Toy Storybathrooms and I was with Diana
and they run the Rise and Runcrew was coming out there.
So we saw Greg and we ran up toGreg and started talking to him
and Allie our friend Allie wasover there.
A couple other people thatlistened to our podcast were
(11:39):
standing there.
So we're saying hi to all ofthem and apparently Stephanie
came out and she was dressed asa warthog and I did not know who
she was or recognize her, so Ididn't say hi to her.
So now she says that I justignored her because I'm an
a**hole.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
You're not an a**hole who?
Speaker 1 (11:55):
would talk to a strange warthog.
That's just safe.
I would definitely talk to astrange warthog.
It's not don't talk tostrangers.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
It's don't talk to the strange warthogs.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Exactly.
It's not don't talk tostrangers.
It's don't talk to the strangewarthogs, exactly.
To just tack on to whatStephanie said yeah.
I don't know that.
I feel like it was like asilent cry, I think for me it
was.
I didn't want to turn the We'llRun For a Podcast into a cancer
podcast, so like I would startto say something and then I
would feel like it was not theplace to put some of the like
(12:34):
heavier stuff and we've talkedabout heavy stuff.
On the Well Run for Podcast wehave an entire episode, the
Emotions of Running, which todate is, I think, our most
listened to episode outside of amarathon weekend recap.
But the amount of people thathave connected with that episode
and the emotions that you havewhether it be what you talked
(12:56):
earlier about injuries, dns islike all those things that we
don't talk about that are reallydifficult for runners, because
Instagram has taken the worldinto a place of social media in
general, has taken it into theworld of accomplishments and
like all the happy stuff, thehighlight reels, so people don't
(13:16):
really talk about as much thehard stuff.
So it's not that our podcastisn't a place to talk about
those things, but it is not acancer podcast and cancer is a
totally different type offeeling and emotion and only a
(13:37):
person who has been through adiagnosis can really understand
it.
There's caretakers whounderstand it in a different way
, or people who have beenthrough watching a loved one go
through it.
There's caretakers whounderstand it in a different way
, or people who have beenthrough watching a loved one go
through it, and I haveexperienced that.
But having someone tell you youhave cancer, I feel, is a very
(13:59):
different journey even from that, and so I just felt like, while
I wasn't shy about sharing myjourney, I also didn't feel like
I wanted to let the Will RunFor podcast become that, because
if you listen, you know thatwe're just the most ridiculous
(14:21):
humans that have ever existed onEarth, talking about the
dumbest stuff ever.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
And I wanted.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
I still like that's.
Ultimately, that's what thewill run for a podcast is, where
a light fluffy where yourfriends chatting in your ear
while you run, and that's what Iwanted to keep that.
So I think what Steph washearing was just my constant
hesitation to want to bring thatinto that podcast.
(14:48):
And so when she approached meabout this because I am a person
who definitely believes insharing all of the hard things
in life and the bad, the ugly-yeah.
If whether it be divorces ormarriages being difficult, or
miscarriages or infertility orlike all these things that
(15:08):
happen in life, people don'ttalk about them enough.
Cancer diagnosis Like I just Iwanted to be able to allow a
space for people to come andtalk about those things with us.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
And we knew that there was a need for it, because
when we were both diagnosed, weand I know of another person
that with cancer that there'sthe running community is so
small, and then the subset ofthose with cancer in the running
community is a lot smaller too.
And I'm in a triathlete inhiatus.
I say too.
And I'm in a triathlete inhiatus.
(15:45):
I say so.
I went into my triathlon groupone of the triathlons groups I'm
in and I asked what those thathad reconstruction had after
were you?
able to ever get your freestyleback, the motion of pulling with
your chest, if you hadreconstruction with implants and
not the fat.
I call it the bastardized mommymakeover implants and not the
(16:07):
fat.
I call it the bastardized mommymakeover where they move fat
from your belly to your boobs tomake boobs.
It's a bastardized mommymakeover If you're able to still
pull and have good chest musclestrength without any
deformities because the implantsare underneath the muscle.
So I reached out to one of thetriathlon Facebook groups I'm in
and asked if anyone that hashad breast cancer reconstruction
(16:31):
with the implant under themuscle if they were ever able to
get their freestyle back andhow long it took and crickets
Maybe.
One person said, oh, I hadreconstruction but it's over the
muscle, because I didn't wantto deal with that.
I'm like that wasn't myquestion.
And then I went into a breastcancer group the only one I'm in
because then it just basicallybecomes an echo chamber of oh
(16:51):
yeah, this sucks, that was hard,I threw up and so, anyways,
there's too much negativity andI just I want to do my journey
my terms and not have itinfluenced by anybody else.
So I went in that group and Isaid, hey, any runners or
triathletes in here and afterreconstruction, with the
implants under your on theirchest muscle, how long did it
(17:14):
take for you to get back into itand have you been able to do
pull-ups or pushups?
Because I would love to try outto become the be in the Indiana
Jones stunt show, so I reallywant to be able to build up my
upper body strength again and dopull-ups.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Whoa Wow.
Not what I was expectingactually, so I wasn't the
Indiana stunt show.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Yeah, hollywood studios, yeah, I've got a friend
who is Mary Mary Ann and shesaid yeah, I'll help train you
and you can try.
Who is Mary Mary Ann?
And she said, yeah, I'll helptrain you and you can try out
and we can work together.
And I'm like cool, let's do it.
Wow, okay, I have plans to dothe floor is lava show, but I
don't think they're doing it,that show, anymore, except in
applications.
Ah, okay, okay, I also thinkthat exists anymore either, does
(18:09):
it?
No, did they discontinue thatshow?
I?
Speaker 3 (18:10):
don't know, on some sort of odd tv, I don't know.
I don't know.
Your dreams can come true.
You just keep, you, keep at it,you keep at it.
So you've described yourmotivations for starting the
show, both of you first startingthe show, and the warthog
reached out to aaron, as it were.
Now I think it's a thing wehave to develop some kind of
hashtag for that.
I don't know.
But at any rate and I love how,stephanie, that you mentioned
(18:34):
the Donna, because we run itevery year and love it, and I
just can't believe that we'vemissed you there.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
Last year was my first year.
Oh was it.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Oh, okay, I thought you'd been doing like.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
I'm an ambassador, so I've got like a coupon code or
something.
You're an ambassador.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
Mm-hmm, me too.
Me too, you're part of theD-Squad this year.
Yes, is it your first time?
Yeah, oh, and Erin, you'redoing Donna yes, yes, I am.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
We have a team of 24 people coming into town to do it
.
Uh, the will run for erin'sboobs team.
I love it, I love it.
And so I think that I'm gonnado shirts where everyone's just
that's.
What's gonna say on their shirtis will run for erin's boobs,
and then I'm just gonna haveerin like up here, and then have
two big arrows pointing at myboobs.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
Because last year we were trying and it just didn't.
Like we, it didn't come tofruition, like I couldn't get it
done in time when you werediagnosed.
We reached out to our friendsat Pure Creative Apparel and we
were like we have to get like alogo designed and like a we'll
run for and the runny drinkpodcast and like for Aaron, so
(19:49):
that we can run this year.
But truly, you're going to bethere this year, yeah, and we
have time.
We have two months, so it'sgreat.
I'm so sorry that I'm shoutingand I don't really need to.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
I've got a group of friends.
They create a team for me too,so Aaron and I were saying that
we're trying to see if there's.
We haven't really talked aboutit, but yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Yeah, we combine everybody.
We have a team too, but so allof our teams will just be
together, yeah, and it will beMaybe change, I don't know
Wonderful.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Subtitle my team to our podcast.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
I don't know who knows, but okay, who knows, but
OK.
So your team is not named foryour podcast and your team is
named for Will Run for Aaron'sBoobs.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Yeah, because the Will Run that started like I
created that team back in Julybefore this podcast ever came
even as a thought.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
So, yes, I signed up.
This podcast, Brainchild,started in middle September and
we launched it October 1st.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
So that's good, yeah, because I signed up for it the
day that it opened.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Oh, that's good, that is I can't, yeah.
So you got three people here,you got two ambassadors and we
have discount codes and Fitz isgoing to be there race
announcing and she's gotdiscount codes.
So people shameless plug.
It's Breast Cancer AwarenessMonth.
We love the Donna Foundation.
They're amazing supportingsurvivors and those who are
(21:12):
fighting and just link in theshow notes.
Join any one of our teams andrun the race or donate.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
I'm excited for the Donna, so I feel like it's great
advertisement for them.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
You're signed up for the half Erin.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
And I am doing the half.
I am fun running the half.
So if you are planning to do aparty pace, I'm going to be
petting all of the dogs,stopping for all the drinks,
stopping for all the food.
It will be a good good old four, at least four hour fest of
nothingness and running andchaos.
We'll probably do what we didat space coast and have a sign
(21:47):
like a pacer sign that's justgoing to have like our name on
it or something, and then sopeople can find us as they're
running.
And then I think there was like16 or 17 of us that stayed
together at Space Coast and wejust called intervals like we
were pacers, and it's going tobe a good time.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
And you haven't done any.
Donna events, Erin, you haven'tdone no but I have.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Last year I had multiple friends who ran it and
had shirts and stuff made for meand they sent me pictures along
the way and I.
The amount of dogs that are oncourse is just exciting.
It's so exciting and they maynot have had a jello shot on the
course Every single dog You'vegot to be kidding, Stephanie.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Listen, I can send you episodes where we talk about
how we had there's a picture ofme because we are back of the
pack.
It took us five.
It took me and one of ourlisteners five hours to do it
last year.
Oh, cool the half.
And I'm telling you it's fine,Everything is fine.
It is the party course.
There are the neighborhoods.
(22:52):
Come out in force.
Jell-o shots pickle shots beer.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
I'll be doing it all.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
Fireball, fireball.
Oh, fireball is my favorite.
If you have ever listened tothe Royal Run for Podcasts and
you listened to my 30th or 30th,my 30th birthday, I'll go with
that.
My 30th birthday party.
Yes, I've been holding wastedby the time I crossed that
finish line because I had doneso much fireball.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
Oh, okay, so we have lists of things.
You're just going to love allthe dogs.
You're going to love all thecommunity.
You're going to take so manypictures.
You're going to laugh, you'regoing to cry.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
It're going to take so many pictures you're going to
laugh, you're going to cry.
It's going to be amazing, it'sso emotional.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
It's so moving.
It's just, it's it.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
It's a survivor photo might be finished with the
marathon.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
Before I finish the half marathon, then it doesn't
matter.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
It doesn't matter because the course is open the
same amount of hours as themarathon, as you've done races
like I guess Space Coast is likethat, or on that south course
or what the party coursewhatever it is.
I digress.
We're going to have a greatparty and we're going to get
excited shirts that actually nowthat we have time.
(24:02):
But your podcast is the reasonthat we're here.
I think you've talked a littlebit about what your target
audience is, Although I do wantto say to you, in listening to
your first two episodes, I feellike people who are not going
through the treatment or haven'tbeen diagnosed can also learn
(24:23):
about the perspective of thosewho are going through it from
your podcast.
Do you agree?
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Yeah, I think that's our goal too.
I don't think that we, while wewant to create a community and a
place for people who havecancer or have had cancer so, as
I say, survivors and thrivers Ithink that's a.
It's a place where we wantpeople to feel safe.
So I think that we are tryingto create that community within,
like a Facebook group.
(24:50):
If you have had cancer or havecancer, please come join us
there and our podcast.
Every week we'll have apassword to get into that group
because we want to maintainpeople's privacy, especially if
they're talking about, like,their medical journeys or
anything like that.
But overall, I think that wewant to create a community of
(25:13):
people who can also understandwhat we've been through and also
learn how to advocate forthemselves if this ever were to
happen to them, and to know that, if it were to happen to them
or a loved one, that thosepeople can still be active and
do all the things that they'vealways loved and still thrive
(25:34):
through that.
So I think that's also a goalof this podcast not just to
create the community within thecancer community, and not just
breast cancer, but all cancers.
I think that's just asimportant to us is the
advocation part of the podcast.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
I just, I think, somebody who's outside and has
that caretaker role, like youtalked about with my dad with
his stage four non-Hodgkin'slymphoma.
He's currently going throughtreatment and doing well, but I
think that your podcast gives menew perspective for that.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
I didn't know.
You don't know what you don'tknow, and oftentimes, until you
have something like this happenin your life, it's hard to find
sources, and so I think that'swhy, even on my Instagram, I'm
very open.
I didn't create a new Instagram.
I just I wanted to put it intoa place where people had already
(26:34):
followed me, because, as I, wejoke on our podcast, because I
got it from another group, anInstagram page I think it's the
oh so Tough One where they callthem cancer muggles or it's the
cancer patient, it might be thecancer patient where they do
memes and stuff and they callanyone who hasn't had cancer or
cancer diagnosis to be a cancermuggle.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
A muggle is a non-magical person from Harry
Potter.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
Oh, thank you for clarification.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Thank you, you're welcome.
I saw the face.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
I was just gonna say it's a harry potter reference.
Now you have homework wherethey're not magical.
So like you don't understand,like what, what it's like to
have those traits, and just inthe same way, you know a person
who hasn't been through it isn'tgonna know what it's like, and
so I think, that's a big part ofit.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
It's a good analogy and now I understand a little
bit more about the Harry Potterworld that I guess totally
missed the train on and need toget on board but I will.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
We often joke because in the last book you have to
have a password to listen to theradio.
In Harry Potter we, that's howwe came up with the.
We call it tumor talk, and sothe tumor talk password is how
you get into the Facebook group.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
Ah, brilliant, I love it.
It's so many connections myEnglish teacher heart with all
of this Harry Potter books and,like how you, it's amazing where
great ideas come from.
It's just unreal, unreal.
So do you?
Have you talked about that?
It's going to be a podcast, notjust about your journeys
(28:13):
through breast cancer, but all.
You are going to have guestsand discussions, if you will,
about not just breast cancer butall kinds of cancer.
Yes, yes.
So what ideas for episodes doyou all have coming up?
What's on your list, because Iknow you're in the kind of
(28:35):
beginning stages and you havetwo episodes out.
What's coming up?
Speaker 1 (28:41):
So I think that we have decided that we launched in
october.
The idea came in september, soit just seemed like the perfect
opportunity for us to focus onbreast cancer in october,
because of breast cancerawareness, of course and it's
our podcast in our boobs.
So yeah, yeah there you go, butthe idea is really, each month
(29:03):
when we do Stephanie's doing amedical fun fact each episode so
we can do the advocacy andeducation portion of it.
We'll be focusing on thedifferent kinds of cancer for
all the different kinds ofawareness months, because there
are awareness months for allkinds of cancer but you probably
don't know about them.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
Unknown.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
Because they really only talk about breast cancer
when they pinkwash everything.
Our hope is that we can getsome people on who have other
types of cancer.
So we're going to have guests.
We also, stephanie, has somemedical professional friends
that we're going to try andbring on for the part of like
(29:43):
diagnosis and how to advocatefor yourself and those kinds of
things Going through the process.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
So that's your background.
Stephanie is in the medicalfield.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Yes, I'm a family nurse practitioner.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
Okay, okay, family nurse practitioner Okay, so
you'll have that aspect of itlike your medical fun fact that
actually comes from that fieldand from sound research and
sources.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
Absolutely All of my medical fun facts are derived
from peer-reviewed articles,peer-reviewed journals, medical
textbooks and legitimate medicalwebsites.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
You have lots of things in the works and I really
like that.
We're emphasizing that it isnot just a podcast about breast
cancer, but you're encompassingall of the different cancers,
that, those awareness monthsthat may go unnoticed throughout
the year, and and all thedifferent battles that people
(30:38):
may be fighting.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
I feel like the thing is that everyone who has cancer
is either going through somesort of treatment, so radiation,
whether it be radiation,whether it be chemo, whether it
be experimental, whatever trialsdifferent things like that.
So we're all going through thesame thing.
It might be look completelydifferent because everyone's
chemo treats them differentlyeverything, but we are all in
(31:08):
the same boat.
We all got that diagnosis whereyou're sitting there and you're
being told you have cancer.
So we all know what that feelslike.
It's just in a different way,but we're all trying to get
through it.
So I think that it unites us,even if it's not the same kind
of cancer.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
And it allows for those that don't have breast
cancer, because every othercancer but breast cancer is the
one that just got the mostattention, which got the most
funding, but so it allows foreverybody else to feel seen too.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Because even though I had breast cancer and Erin has
it, there have been times andI'm not speaking for her and she
knows that she can absolutelytell me I'm full of s**t.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
Just jump right in there.
Anytime Erin.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
Go ahead.
There have been times whereI've felt invisible.
My treatment team is at theOrlando VA because I'm an Army
veteran and my cancer isconsidered sequelae from my
deployment.
Okay, because I don't have anyfamily history of cancer.
I don't have any geneticcomponent for breast cancer, but
(32:14):
I have a genetic component fornearly every other type of
cancer.
Awesome.
There have been times and notbecause of my treatment team,
but just because I've just feltso alone.
But I've had friends that areahead of me in this process and
using the same plastic surgeonand breast surgeon, because
those aren't through the VA,they're through a civilian on
the civilian side over here.
But even though I've had allthe support, I have a great
(32:37):
husband, I have a greattreatment team at the VA.
I have great friends.
There have been times where Ihave just felt alone, and very
little times, but nonetheless.
Speaker 4 (32:47):
Do you have any race or running experiences that have
mirrored the challenges thatyou're dealing with cancer or
that you've dealt with cancer,and if you've got any stories
you might want to share?
Speaker 3 (32:58):
That question.
It came to mind because I thinkthat the marathon, or somebody
who decides to run and train fora half marathon or any kind of
distance, I think that a racemirrors life and can mirror some
battles within your life.
So and I don't know if you allhave experienced that outside of
(33:20):
cancer, when you're running,you're like hitting the wall at
a race I thought this wasinteresting when I read it and I
have thought about it.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
Stephanie only got these questions like an hour
before I had time to think aboutthis, but I didn't even know
there are more questions down.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
It took me until trying to get into the zoom
there was a password.
Oh, so that's how far I made,it okay.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
Pdf document okay, I read the questions last night
and I did think about this alittle bit.
I don't know that I could saythat I can think of something
that mirrors it so much as I cansay, being a runner or a
marathoner or an enduranceathlete in general, nothing can
(34:10):
prepare you for the momentsomeone says to you you have
cancer.
But I will say that I dogenuinely feel that because I
was an endurance runner andbecause of that mental quote,
unquote toughness that we havewithin us, because at mile 18,
(34:34):
when you hit that wall, you haveto dig deep within yourself and
say I am stronger than the partof my brain that is telling me
I can't do this Right.
I am stronger than the part ofmy brain that is telling me I
can't do this Right.
And so when I got diagnosed, Ihad always said I and I repeated
this over and over again I'vealways said I could never have
cancer.
(34:54):
Having watched other people, Iknow going through it Right,
like the chemo, like not feelingwell, the constant vomiting,
the chronic fatigue, the this,the that.
I always said to myself I'm notstrong enough for that.
Like I've watched people do itand I've been like there's no
way I could ever do this.
I can't have cancer, I couldnever do it.
(35:15):
But when they say that to you,you have two options, right, you
have two options Curl up orshow up.
You have two options Curl up orshow up.
And in that yes, stephanielikes to end our podcast with
that quote and if you want tolive, that's your option.
And so you have to mentally getbehind that and just and it's
(35:37):
not like an overnight thing ittakes.
I can't say that I'm stillprepared for it, but I'm doing
it because I have to.
Right, and maybe a marathon isnot exactly the same thing, but
when you're at mile 18 and youwant to get to that finish line,
you just have to dig deepwithin yourself and say I can do
this, I'm going to get to thatfinish and in that way I feel
(35:58):
like it's very similar.
And I think that being anendurance athlete and having had
that experience did make metougher and feel like I was able
to get through that mentalbarrier easier than somebody who
may not be in an enduranceathlete and having joined some
of the Facebook groups and thebreast cancer support groups, I
(36:22):
think, and having talked toStephanie and having talked to
my friend Fernando, or havingtalked to my friend Melissa, or
all these people who have beenthrough cancer.
I think that's where thesimilarities lie and where you
can see the difference betweenan endurance athlete and someone
with cancer.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
Yeah, that is wow.
Yeah, that is what an answer.
And I just and I saw Stephaniejust nodding her head profusely
the entire time yes, what is thetagline that you end every
episode with?
So far, stephanie?
(37:03):
What is it that you say?
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Curl up or show up.
The choice is yours and I'm notsaying that.
There aren't days where Ihaven't curled up and there
aren't days where Erin hasalready talked about that she
threw a blanket overhead andshe's in a cave and was ugly
crying.
There aren't days where I justlike didn't break down in Target
walking through the makeupaisle, or in Walmart, where the
entire front of the store justwent silent and all the cash
(37:28):
register just stopped and staredat me because I was having a
breakdown, went silent and allthe cash register just stopped
and stared at me because I washaving a breakdown, but we do
our breakdown and then wecontinue on.
And I call it just feel yourfeelings, have your moment, put
a timeline on.
Your feelings, say, I'm justgoing to take the rest of the
(37:48):
day and I'm going to binge watchHarry Potter.
I see what you did I want to,and then tomorrow I am back at
it.
Yeah, for sure, curl up and alot of the same things that
Aaron said, like those momentsDo you remember where you were
when 9-11 happened?
Or those nation definingmoments, getting that call or
(38:09):
going into the doctor's officebecause I got called which is
fine because I'm a medicalprofessional like getting that,
that information and thatdiagnosis.
that's when our world stoppedthe earth stopped for a moment
and just everything went still.
And I remember exactly where Iwas.
I was at my dining room table,I was doing something on my
(38:30):
computer, whatever, and Iremember I was just sat there
for a while and I stood up andmy husband came into the area
and I said did you get cruise?
Did you get travel insurance onthe cruise?
He said, yeah, why?
I was like I have cancer and Ijust remember that so plainly.
And, of course, man, a fewwords is that sucks.
Yep, sure does.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Yeah, mine wasn't so kind.
Mine was while I was at workand the radiologist didn't even
ask me if I was in like a goodplace to talk, and I was like
cool, just like in the office.
And she's, you have cancer.
I was like that's not the wayto tell someone they have cancer
.
Oh, my thanks, buddy.
And so then I called my husbandand I couldn't say anything.
(39:17):
I was just sobbing and so heknew because I couldn't even get
a word out of my mouth and youwere in a public place you were
at work.
I owned a.
Actually, as of November 1stwe'll be selling the company,
but I owned a constructioncompany that does like
(39:40):
electrical work.
We do like traffic signals andlike easy passes and those kinds
of things.
So you were in the middle of allthat and I was in the middle of
yes, the office when I got thecall, and then my husband had to
actually come to the office.
Michael had to come to theoffice to pick me up, because I
barely said a word to him.
(40:00):
He just knew.
And so he came to the officeand then they arranged for my
car to be driven back to myhouse while Michael drove me
home to my house while Michaeldrove me home.
Lessons in treating patientslike human beings with kindness
and empathy.
I don't even think I sharedthat on our podcast when I gave
(40:21):
us our story.
Yeah, I forgot when I was doingthat I didn't actually say how
I got the news.
Speaker 3 (40:27):
It could be a whole show idea for your.
It could be a whole episodeidea, Like just here.
You're not our target audience,but people in the medical field
who have to notify patients.
These are examples of what todo or what not to do.
Just say it.
I'll get off of that because,like anybody can tell when I am,
(40:49):
what I think and feel and whatI because I can't play poker my
face is just my face.
I have very strong feelingsabout that kind of advocating
and supporting my dad throughwholeheartedly support your face
.
I hate my face sometimes becausethat's the way it is, but but
(41:10):
really we have talked about yourpodcast, we've talked about
some of your journey and whoyour target audience is, but I
really think that anybody canget something from your show and
I want to put it out there forthose runners in the Runcation
Nation that might be dealingwith something privately and not
(41:32):
really putting it out there onsocial media and that kind of
thing, those who are caring forsomebody and may get something
out of this show.
So where can people find it?
Where can people connect withyou?
Speaker 1 (41:47):
Anywhere you get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
Wherever fine podcasts are sold also a caster
sold wherever fine podcasts aresold.
Speaker 3 (41:56):
Instagram, you have handles that.
We can yes put.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
We are pace yourself, dot, it's just cancer.
On instagram, and we are paceyourself, it'scancer at gmailcom
.
Speaker 3 (42:11):
If you would like to email us, leave us a review on
Apple Podcasts of course there'sa question I have about reviews
while we're on this and you'resharing it and how people can
connect with you.
But will Tom from the Will RunFor podcast?
Will he, for all the five-starratings that you all receive,
will he run five miles for those?
Speaker 1 (42:31):
So he's running five miles for the We'll Run For
podcast.
He's running five miles for theRise and Run podcast.
He's running five miles for Onthe Runs podcast.
He's running five miles for theRunny Drink podcast.
So why not add the five milesfor every five-star review for
the Pace Yourself?
Speaker 3 (42:49):
I'm so excited.
I didn't know that we were onthe five-mile review for the
pace yourself.
I'm so excited.
I didn't know that.
I didn't know that we were onthe five mile bandwagon, and now
we can put that as our call toaction at the end of our show
any podcast that we have guestedon.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
We have volunteered tom for this okay, okay, I don't
know that tom no remembers this, and or is he aware?
Committed to this himself.
Speaker 3 (43:09):
He's aware, tom, but he's been committed.
Tom, you're committed, you areTom.
Yes, you're committed, andthank you.
We appreciate your support, tom.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
Yes, good job, tom.
Speaker 3 (43:20):
Five stars, five stars.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
Would recommend Highly recommend Certified fresh
, whatever Make sure you tag Tomin all of your reviews for all
five of those podcasts, so thatyou could make him do 25 miles.
Speaker 3 (43:35):
Do a marathon.
Tom Just round up.
Speaker 2 (43:38):
Is he doing dopey?
Is he doing dopey?
No, not this year.
No, is he?
Speaker 3 (43:42):
doing any marathon weekend races?
No, no, they won't be thereSpeaking of upcoming races.
Ladies, what do you have?
Where are you?
As we say on our podcast?
Speaker 2 (43:58):
accomplishing, exploring and indulging.
Next, I guess I'll take thelead on, will be at Wine and
Dine.
Three races I have to walk allof them again.
I walked them all last yearbecause I was seven days post
double mastectomy and I will be14 days post reconstruction
surgery.
Speaker 3 (44:13):
Stephanie is walking all the races at Wine and Dine.
Speaker 2 (44:16):
Doctor's orders.
I'm allowed to walk everybody.
If you see me, I swear to God.
The surgeon said that I couldwalk them.
Speaker 3 (44:23):
Go to gray area this time, and you'll have one of
your kiddos with you as well.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
Yes, I'll have nine with me for the 5K.
He wants to do 10Ks and I'mlike dude.
When you can stop whining aboutthe 5Ks, then maybe I'll start
bringing you on the 10Ks.
Speaker 3 (44:42):
Tell him not to whine at Wine and Dime, and then
we'll talk about 10Ks.
Speaker 2 (44:45):
Oh, yeah, he wants to do all the weekends with me,
with the exception of Princess.
Speaker 3 (44:50):
I understand that, Erin.
What do?
Speaker 1 (44:56):
you have coming up on your race calendar.
I will be at New York CityMarathon while you guys are all
at Wine and Dine.
I unfortunately didn't planwell for the year that I was
going to do New York, becauseall of my friends were there
last year.
I do have a few.
Ren Dizner is going to be there.
Yay, michael Leslie shout out.
Yeah, so we will see severalfriends.
(45:21):
We have a couple other podcastfriends.
We actually created a jointRise and Run and we'll run for
meetup on Saturday in BryantPark.
So if there are any red peopleout there who are running and
want to come meet with us, feelfree.
Speaker 3 (45:33):
Oh yeah, so Michael Leslie is a patron of our show.
Get the runcation nation up inthere.
Speaker 1 (45:37):
Yep.
So we will be there at BryantPark 2.30.
And then I will be running theNew York City Marathon, and I
use the word running lightly.
I will not be walking the wholething, but I probably will walk
a good portion, because I amthe most undertrained I've ever
been for a marathon, aaron, yougot this.
Speaker 3 (45:57):
Stephanie, you got this Wine and dine.
Speaker 4 (46:00):
And again.
Speaker 3 (46:00):
The expert, meb Kofleski, who we've had on the
show, says it's better to go inundertrained than overtrained
and I think that's what led himto his New York City Marathon
victory.
He has said in his book 26Marathons.
Anyway, not a sponsor of theshow, but a huge hero of ours
for the show.
Speaker 1 (46:17):
We have picked some places to indulge in New York
City.
We have a dinner reservationwith said Michael at not my
Michael, the other michaelbrenda's at a subway station in
new york.
It's a pizza place, that is, inorder to get into the pizza
place you have to go down intothe subway station and it's a,
(46:41):
so we're gonna have some pizzaand they they have a an
expansive menu of other thingsthat look delicious amazing.
Speaker 3 (46:48):
We will expect a full recap on this, on all of this,
all of this, and we wish you anamazing race experience, both of
you.
I hope that I get to see you so, stephanie, at Wine and Dine,
(47:08):
and I hope to hear all aboutyours and Run Diz Nerd's New
York City Marathon experience.
Everybody should check out thepodcast, the brand new podcast
with Erin and Stephanie Paceyourself it's just cancer
Available wherever podcasts areserved.
Ladies, thank you so much forbeing on our show and we hope to
(47:31):
accomplish, explore and indulgewith you really soon.
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