By Annamarie McCormick-Howell

Back in April 2021, I published a guest blog post titled “Running With Lymphoma”, written by Annamarie McCormickHowell. The content is self-explanatory. Ten days ago, I received an email from Jen M, a runner with lymphoma who found the post and asked if I could put her in contact with the author. This made me wonder about Annamarie’s journey since then, so I invited her for an update.

I encourage you to read the original post. It is time well invested.

Thank you again for the opportunity! Jen told me how long and hard she searched to find a person, a study, any data on people who run through lymphoma or R-CHOP, and the article you published is the only tangible thing she was able to find. I had no idea there wasn’t a larger body of humans doing precisely what I did, so I appreciate you connecting us!!

Life looks different than it did back on the day of my Chemotherapy Half Marathon, though some things remain the same, primarily, the daily morning run.

After cancer, nothing returns to normal, though I did notice a few weeks after R-CHOP, I had the sensation that I imagine to be akin to blood doping—having the appropriate number of white and red blood cells again made me feel unstoppable, as the chemo drugs slowly exited my system. I was able to run more, sustain paces, and even dabble in a few local races! After a few months, the novelty wore off a bit when I plateaued. I felt disappointment, followed by immediate guilt: I was alive, and my cancer wasn’t. How could I possibly be dissatisfied with something as trivial as running when I had managed to survive such an experience?

It was then that the universe gave me the greatest gift: a coach who saw not who I was in that moment, but who I could be. The indomitable April approached my training with expertise, confidence, and solidarity. Her lack of doubt in my abilities and body made up for ALL the doubt I was feeling. She literally ran into my life and began to push me in the most loving, challenging, unforeseen ways.

We started focusing on macronutrients, as I had lost a good amount of muscle mass to the chemo, and started training for short distances— specifically the 5K, with repeats like I had never performed before in my life. A few months later I felt like a new person, not the person I was before cancer, but someone who had transformed all those brand new “baby cells” after chemo into an athlete I didn’t know I could become. I began lifting heavy and loading my muscles and tendons as much as I could handle. I ran every workout April wrote for me, even the ones I looked at and thought “There is NO way…”

Since then, I have run a multitude of races and distances, including a marathon PR at Chicago in 2022, surprised and shocked by the amazing community support I received, spearheaded by my incredible coach. Today I am a stronger runner than I have ever been- before or after cancer. It hasn’t been easy, linear, or without setbacks, but no one’s running journey is predictable.

My previous blog post about cancer started with my 32nd birthday run, and this one will close with my 37th birthday run: this year I ran 37 happy, healthy, strong miles in this post-cancer body.

Coach Annamarie McCormick-Howell is an RRCA Certified Running Coach and an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer. She lives in Sackets Harbor, NY. You can follow her on Instagram at @amcchowell or reach her via email at amccormickhowell@yahoo.com.