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Running a 26.2 mile marathon is a fulfilling experience for anyone. Doing so on the first anniversary of your breast cancer diagnosis makes it even more special.
Kim Loving crossing the finish line
When 40-year old Kim Loving of St. Augustine, Florida learned she had estrogen positive HER-2 breast cancer on February 15, 2008, she realized she didn’t have time to wallow in self pity, especially with a family including three children to care for. She had no family history of the disease. She ate well, exercised regularly and didn’t smoke. Yet she became one of the more than 182,000 women in the U.S. diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2008.
After undergoing a mastectomy at another hospital, Kim came to Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville for a second opinion after chemotherapy was recommended. Dr. Alvaro Moreno Aspitia, her oncologist at the Mayo Clinic Breast Center, recommended a treatment plan that included six cycles of Taxotere and Carboplatin followed by a year of Herceptin, a targeted therapy for her specific type of breast cancer.
Throughtout her chemo treatment, Kim made herself get up and regularly walk or run, even when she didn’t feel up to it. It was the only thing that made her feel better and have a sense of normalcy. An avid runner, she started running with some women in her neighborhood and set a goal of participating in the half-marathon segment of the 26.2 with Donna: The National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer in Jacksonville — which coincidentally was held on February 15, 2009 — the one year anniversary of her breast cancer diagnosis. When Kim realized the significance of the date, she decided to run the full marathon instead of the half marathon, even though she had only done so once before 12 years ago.
Kim’s training and dedication to achieving her goal paid off. She ran the entire 26.2 mile marathon in 4:47 (4 hours, 47 minutes), an accomplishment by anyone’s standard.
“I wanted to do this for my family and for all the other women facing a breast cancer diagnosis,” said Kim. “I wanted to run the full marathon so that I could show others going through treatment that there will be a day when they feel normal again and that life goes on.”
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Awesome. I love you.
If you think this story is impressive, you should meet Kim in person!
Way to go Kim!
I love you MOM!!! You rock!
I am so proud of your courage and decation. you are so inspiring.I have brain cancer or “brain cancer has me.” I think every night when I go to bed “tomorrow I will do more I will paint I will paint a painting I have in my head and everyone will love it” or I am getting out of this bed go visit the people and do good things for people like I use to do. then tomorrow comes and I don’t feel like moving a little finger….. Don’t even want to…. But if I can make myself make that move I am so proud of myself. just knowing I have to go to the dr I start wondering how am I going to do that. How can I make my body want to do it… then after I do it I feel better.Just so hard to think I have to do anything. cannot stand any kind of presure. That makes me crazy. Just to know I have to get my bills out and wright checks makes me crazy.I went to relay for life and loved it and went to another and got hot and got sick,now I am afraid. Iwant to go most times I can’t fine one or just don’t know how to find them not even on my computer.sorry to pour all this on you. you are such a wonderful person.”The person I want to be” THE PERSON I USE TO BE”Thank you I have never been able to get this out before now.I promise you I will try harder just from hearing your story. Thanks Kim MAY YOU NEVER BE AFRAID AND ALWAYS BE PROUD OF YOURSELF AS I AM OF YOU.