It’s All a Matter of Perspective
by Guest
The following is a story from a Team LIVESTRONG member Bryan Patchen. There are close to 20 Team LIVESTRONG events this year including endurance events like the marathons, triathlons and multi-distance bike rides. Get involved and show your support through sport. Join Team LIVESTRONG today!
In 2008 I was diagnosed with Thyroid cancer. It came as a shock to me?I felt fine. That would soon change, however, as I went through treatment. The surgery, time without thyroid hormone, and the radioactive iodine treatment left me without energy. The seemingly endless search for the proper medication dosage didn?t make it any better.
This ?low point? showed me how bad I could feel and helped me appreciate the simple things in life. Being able to run, something I hadn?t pursued in years, became a focus for me in the next few months. Although slow at first, I was gradually able to build back my strength and start a new phase in life. A year after my treatment, I participated in my first sprint triathlons.
Last year at this time I was trying to train for my first marathon in over 15 years–the Paris Marathon. I decided that in addition to running the race, I would raise money for LIVESTRONG to give the event more meaning. This was to be my first long endurance race since my thyroid cancer treatment. Not only was I intimidated by the distance and time it would take to finish, I wasn’t sure that my body could handle the stress.
The marathon went well, however, and my new target was the Antwerp Ironman 70.3 triathlon. Again, I faced a mental challenge during training and was unsure of the outcome. And again, the race went better than I expected and I realized I could have pushed myself even more. By the end of the season these small victories allowed me to face the Berlin Marathon without concern and enjoy the event. I remember chuckling to myself at about the half way point and saying “it’s just a run!” Much different approach than my Paris event, and with even better results.
Bryan Patchen
