Running with Cancer

In this week’s show, I have fellow pilates teacher and personal trainer, Mary Huckle.  

Things we cover:

• The importance of keeping going.
• It’s ok to take time out!
• Being fit has helped get my body through it.
• Running outdoors vs on a treadmill and the mental health benefits I notice.
• Doing some exercise now may just help should the worst happen.

 

About Mary Huckle

Mary is a twice diagnosed breast cancer survivor but she has never let this hold her back. She regularly inspires others by delivering talks about her experience and how exercise has helped her regain and retain her fitness.

She has appeared in numerous newspaper and magazine articles and works very closely with breast cancer charities to raise funds and awareness. She has also written articles for their publications. In the summer of 2016, Mary was selected to feature in Breast Cancer Now’s #TheLastOne advert. It is incredibly moving and powerful.

Most recently Mary was voted Inspirational Trainer of Winter 2015 by FitPro magazine and as a result, was a presenter at Fitpro Live in April 2016.

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

 

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Full Transcription (excuse typos)

Okay, welcome to this week’s pilates for busy people show and today I have a fellow pilates teacher Mary Huckle on with me. Welcome, Mary. And please do tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hi, Louise, and thank you for having me today. I am a personal trainer and pilates instructor. I’m married with three grown-up children. And I suppose I’m quite busy with what I do already. Yeah, but I’m in a nutshell, I’m to add to my business. I was diagnosed with breast cancer back in August 2007.

For a long time, so it was 13 years ago now, isn’t it? Almost 13 years ago, so I yeah, I’m actually very, very happy to be here.

Daiquiri and I and one of the reasons I’ve got Mary on is because I have I mean, I’ve married we trained together and things before him with various organizations, but your story you have been so open and honest about your story and what you’ve been going through that it’s been, you know, I’m not going through this, and, but it’s still inspiring to me, so. So I just wanted to do this interview with you so that we can hopefully inspire some other people to keep on doing what they’re doing. So So at the moment, you’re, you’re doing Personal Training, and palantir. So how do you keep it all going with all the treatment that you are going through a lot of treatment?

Wash, it has been quite a challenge. When I was first diagnosed, when I had the primary diagnosis, it was even more of a challenge because I had to have active treatment and quite a bit of surgery. Right. So I, you know, I put my business on hold for a while, while I was going through that process, Murray treatment, because it’s quite grueling. And, you know, I had lots of clients and I taught, I was teaching. And I was even doing children’s fitness in schools, and it was really challenging to keep that going. And then just what you know, that keeps appearing to numerous hospital appointments. So, um, I put my business on hold for a while with and that was my focus, though, to get back to my business and to rebuilding it. And so the fact that my business has always been my focus has one of my life savers. Yeah. You know, mildly, because my clients have always been my responsibility. So they’ve always been I mean, so you have as well as Emily, obviously.

Now signing. So I suppose, you know, with all the different kinds of treatments I’ve had over the years, it has been a challenge. It’s just a case of just, you know, sculpting things. And I’m sure I can and, and I’m sure your clients have been really understanding. I mean, I know when I take a day off, and I don’t do that, that often they are really understanding, and I feel really guilty. But with you know, they have been so that guilt thing is always there. It’s a good thing sometimes, but yeah, just think, you know, goodness, I just have I just had to break. But my clients have been absolutely wonderful. They’ve been so loyal, I’m really grateful for that. But with me since day one, so.

So they believe they’re going through the journey with you as well. And they say, Yeah, exactly.

It is difficult to, to try and get it all in there. But it’s doable, and I’ve not really taken that much time off over the years.

So how have you coped with your body? Because obviously treatment effects bodies in different ways? Doesn’t it your body in different ways? Have you maintained the sort of physical side of teaching? Yeah, I mean, it’s a good question. I mean, I’ve had like, an operation, for example. According to my class, and talk lot is just sitting down. Yeah, we’re barely cheering, yes, it’s a class where in life, they know what they’re doing to certain extent. And, you know, I converted to this, use that what you know, and just wisely, you know, I’m directions or whatever, and hand directions, but they know what I’m talking about. So, in that respect, it’s been quite, quite, quite easy. Yeah. I’m just very simple. I just feel very loyal to them. Like, just feel like I need to just be there for them. I know, we’re all like that, I think. Yeah, of course, definitely. Anybody that’s in our industry that works in our industry, has that same opinion, is that same mindset, you know, and it has been difficult sometimes, you know, I have been in pain and whatever, at times in after operation, rough treatment. But I think being physically fit, has kept me in good stead. It’s really kept me there, and you can’t really complain.

I think that’s really important actually fitness, you know, fitness before you have a diagnosis of anything. You know, I know, we don’t know when that if that’s going to happen to us. But it is really important. And I’ve seen other people come through it because they’ve been fitter. So one of the other reasons I wanted to talk to that is it again, I saw a post that you put on that you run, and you said something about, well, how has this helped you? So you’re still running? I know that? Yes, you use it as a for me, I do. I do still run? I don’t run Long, long distances and more.

The treatment I have, it’s just so taxing but nice. On the joints, especially wrong, sadly, as much as I would like to as much as I used to, but I do still bond regularly. Yeah. Get out and do like, a couple of light runs a week, maybe. But you know, maybe up to 10 K. But yeah, that’s the max. But that’s but for me, it’s just been again, it’s just a mental mental, you know, health has helped me immensely. You know, although I am a painting, I don’t like being indoors very much. Like work in gyms too much if I can avoid it. I prefer being outdoors or in people’s homes, and being a lot more creative that way. Yeah. But we’re running outdoors. Compared to running on a treadmill. There’s no comparison of the mental health side of it, the bit of the it motivates you to go out because I can imagine if you’re feeling rubbish, and your body’s feeling rubbish, I mean, I have days if it’s raining, nothing, I can’t be bothered to go out. And that’s a really silly excuse. But how do you get yourself? Getting out there?

Okay.

Yeah, yeah. So, um, if it’s, you know, motivation thing, if it was raining, or if the weather’s really bad, or whatever it is, it can be quite difficult. But the way that I see it is that if I have a client from trading outdoors, and it’s like, you know, a bit of rain or bit of whatever slow, whatever, I still need to get out there and do it. So for me to just go out and do a run on my own. Yeah, why is not such a big deal. I just, I just get on with it. And I’m actually it’s actually quite refreshing bit in the rain. Right here, team, but just being outdoors, you know, the green space is just lovely. Whatever the weather. So do snow, do you find that your body feels better for doing it? If you go out and you’re not feeling great? Because the aches and pains or the treatment you’ve had? Does your body respond to it in a positive way? Yes, most definitely. I’m not silly about it. If I’m, if I’m not feeling that great. I’m not going to push my body to the absolute limits. So I do, I’m taking in z if I’m not feeling that great. I just listened to my body, but my body does feel much better for it. Yeah, you know, I’m yeah, I mean, I can’t advocate exercise enough, really. And especially for something like this, you know, running is great. And if you can’t run, you just walk Yeah, no brisk walk or walk up an incline. You know, anything to get you out there and get get moving, because your body will thank you for it. Yeah.

 

And I suppose that was my sort of last question to you, what would you say to someone in the same situation, or who hasn’t just been diagnosed, because that’s, that’s, it’s not just the physical and whatever news they’ve been given, but mentally as well, isn’t it? So it’s definitely a physical and mental roller coaster, from the first day of diagnosis to what you know, whatever you have to go through. Yeah. You know, if there’s any advice I would give somebody, it would be just to, you know, to just do some exercise, like I say, some, because it will help you mentally as well as physically. Just to get out there and do what you can listen to your body. And if you’re not feeling up to it one day, don’t beat yourself up, do anything, then just, you know, take a day off, take whatever it takes, but keep focused on doing something. I’m down with down the line. And, you know, as I say, I think it’s kept me sort of, you know, I’m a bit biased, but then, well, you know, nearly 13 years ago, I was diagnosed and I have got secondary incurable cancer. Yeah. And it still helps me today. Brilliant.

And that’s that’s just about to hear Marissa and I hope it helps a lot lot longer because I you know, I love your posts on Instagram. So actually will put the links below for where people can follow you, as well. So someone’s in a similar situation.

Yeah, and if anyone out there needs any advice, when exercising during breast cancer treatment or money during breast cancer treatment, whatever I’m, I’m very happy to the white to perfect to get people to contact me so I can just have a chat with them. That’s fine.

That’s brilliant. Thank you for that. Mary. That’s, that’s absolutely excellent. Good. Well, thank you so much for your time and for coming on the show. Now get out there and run. That’s what I say.

Actually, bit later on.

Change so it’s, it’s quite nice. Brilliant. Thank you. But thanks for having me, Louise. Take care.

 

If you would like to connect with Mary and ask her any questions then you can do via these links

Web: www.breakthroughfitness.co.uk

Email: maryhuckle@gmail.com

Twitter: @mary_huckle

Instagram: @maryhuckle

As mentioned in the Show if you are a runner then come and jion our Pilates for Runners facebook community.  To help strengthen your core and legs and reduce your risk of injuries.

You can join here : https://www.facebook.com/groups/pilatesforrunners/