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Ovarian Cancer Sucks Way More Than Running

Yesterday’s 16 mile training run sort of sucked.

I’ve been dealing with hip pain related to my sciatic nerve for the past two weeks and I’m seeing a physical therapist. As a result, I’ve had to slow the pace of my training down a bit, but… the NYC marathon is in five weeks, and I need to stick to my running schedule.

The run started off poorly and really didn’t improve: I had a late start so it was warmer than I prefer; I was compensating for the pain in my right hip which resulted in a cramp in my left calf; I could feel hot spots on my feet where blisters were starting to form. But I really needed to get the miles in.

I had to dig deep.

I had to remind myself why I was running.

I watched my friend CJ fight stage four ovarian cancer for seven years. When I signed up for the marathon as a member of Fred’s Team, I agreed to raise money for research on a cancer of my choice and I chose ovarian cancer. This disease is particularly heinous because there is no accurate, standardized testing like there is for cervical or breast cancer.

Early detection is important for many reasons:

  • 7 in 10 women die within five years of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer
  • When caught in its earliest stages, treatment for ovarian cancer can result in survival rates as high as 90%
  • Because early symptoms are difficult to diagnose or go undetected, nearly 75% of ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed in advanced stages
  • The long-term survival rate for advanced ovarian cancer is only 10%

I kept going yesterday because ovarian cancer sucks way more than running.

donate to Lisa Dawson

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