Preparing for a marathon isn’t easy. The long runs, the aches and fatigue, and the demanding training schedule are taxing for the healthiest of people. Now imagine doing this while undergoing treatment for an aggressive brain tumor. Deepak Musale of Cary, North Carolina, knows this challenge firsthand. Musale, 45, was diagnosed last July with glioblastoma multiforme, a highly aggressive brain cancer. At the time, he was training for the 2019 New York City marathon. It was during a run in early July that he noticed his left hand had become numb. It didn’t concern him enough to stop the run, but he did schedule an appointment with his physician. The symptoms were more pronounced after a lunchtime walk at work July 19. He felt weakness on his left side and had notable stomach discomfort. This prompted Musale, an information technology professional in Durham, North Carolina, to go to his car and call his office. The employee health team responded and took him to the emergency room. An MRI scan detected a mass on the right side of his brain. Musale had surgery July 26 at UNC Rex Hospital, followed by a six-week course of radiation therapy and chemotherapy at the North Carolina Cancer Hospital, the clinical home for UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.