Running Free: New Years Resolutions----Believe in Yourself

Friday, December 28, 2007

New Years Resolutions----Believe in Yourself

Once again, I am guilty of being a blog slacker. Sometimes it is so hard to think of something creative to say....

Christmas went well this year. As I have said before, it is not my favorite holiday, but it turned out to be a Christmas filled with lot's of family and good cheer. The kids were thrilled with their gifts and we managed to pull off a Christmas Eve celebration with 35 family members for dinner!! Whew! I got a new pair of running shoes and I just love them. They are the Brooks Adrenaline ASR. Trail shoes that have proved themselves to be my favorite. They are light and supportive and they have a low profile. I have been wearing them for several months now and hold up well even during a 100 miler. Try them if you need pronation control.

Yesterday I got out on the trails after a two week layoff due to an injured knee. It was so hard to just cross-train and not run, but the rest paid off. I ran for an hour without any pain! The eliptical and the pool have been my saving grace. Thank God I have a gym membership and a pool to swim in.

It is almost time for New Years resolutions. I don't know about you, but I always start the year off with some promise to myself that I try and stick with. I am one of those people that can be quite strong and filled with will power if I put my mind to it. In 1981, I made a New Years resolution to never drink alcohol again. My father was an alcoholic and I had had a very bad week with him and his drinking. It seemed like a perfectly good resolution for me. Well, it is almost 2008, and I have stuck to my promise and have never had a single sip of alcohol since!! I am very proud of that. I was afraid to ever become like my father in that way. My chances of having alcohol become a problem in my life was higher due to my family history. I never wanted to become controlled by the bottle. I wanted to break the chain of destruction and prevent my future children from going through what I had gone through. I also loved myself too much to possibly live my life like he did.

I challenge you to find a New Years resolution that will change your life for the better. It can be anything. Believe in yourself and love yourself enough to make a positive change in your life. You will be surprised at how powerful that can make you feel. As we plan our races for 2008, think about what you want to do that will positively change your life for the better. Then, stick with it and you might be amazed at the outcome. I am a better person today because of my 1981 New Years resolution. I am a good example to my children and I hope they understand just what not drinking has done for me and for them. Start brainstorming and BELIEVE!!

1 comment:

Jeffro said...: I've always done well with Brooks Adrenaline, then my first trail shoes were the Brooks ASR, which to me seemed like an Adrenaline with a trail sole. This week I bought a pair of Montrail Continental Divides.

Congrats on your 1981 resolution. Goals are important, without them we don't know where we are going or how to get there.; December 29, 2007 at 4:27 PM

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Not Even Lupus Can Slow Ridgway

NOT EVEN LUPUS CAN SLOW RIDGWAY Published on June 26, 2004 © 2004- The Press Democrat BYLINE: BRUCE MEADOWS Three years ago when she was diagnosed with lupus, Kelly Ridgway didn't take much time plotting her course. ``I figured I could lay on the couch and be a drug-seeker for pain or I could choose to be as healthy as I can be,'' said Ridgway, 46, an outpatient surgery nurse at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. Ridgway, defying the odds, is entered in the Western States 100 Endurance Run, which starts at the base of Squaw Valley at 5 this morning and ends 100 miles away in Auburn. ``I see people at the hospital in horrible shape because of lupus, but I realized I had a choice how to deal with it,'' Ridgway said. Lupus is a chronic auto-immune disease affecting mainly women. The immune system attacks the body's own tissues as a foreign substance, producing antibodies to fight it. The cause of the disease is unknown although research has shown it occurs when a specific set of susceptible genes is exposed to a combination of environmental factors such as infectious agents, certain drugs, excessive ultraviolet light, physical trauma or emotional stress. Ridgway said she has been a ``serious runner'' for 14 years and has also competed in 50- and 100-mile events on horseback. She started running to get in shape after the last of her three children -- Caleb (18), Chelsea (16) and Courtney (14) -- were born. ``I've found I really love ultras,'' said Ridgway, a single mother who graduated from Montgomery High, then earned a nursing degree from Santa Rosa JC. Dr. Lisa Kremer, Ridgway's rheumatologist said, fatigue is the most universal symptom of lupus. ``For somebody to run 100 miles with an auto-immune disease is incredible.'' Ridgway first experienced flu-like symptoms, then fatigue. ``But when I started having problems with cognitive stuff, I knew there was something more to it.'' She was having trouble doing simple math or even finding her way around town. ``I thought of all sorts of things, including a brain tumor,'' said Ridgway. Ridgway has been training with Santa Rosan Karen Hanke, 42, and Suzanna Bon, 39 of Sonoma. This is the second Western States for Hanke, who finished last year in 29 hours, 47 minutes, running the last 70 miles on severely blistered feet. It is the first Western States for Ridgway and Bon. Because of the glut of applicants -- more than 1,000 annually apply for 400 spots -- runners must not only qualify with an acceptable 50-mile run time but also get lucky by having their name drawn by lot. Bon, whose goal is ``just to finish although I'd love to do it in under 24 hours,'' is impressed with Ridgway's effort. ``Kelly is strong and smart about training,'' said Bon. ``We'll run at our own pace this weekend, not together, but we want to do the best we can.'' Ridgway sees herself as a runner who happens to have lupus. ``My case is relatively minor and medication has really helped,'' said Ridgway, who logs 75 miles a week. ``But I don't know anybody with lupus who runs as much as I do.'' She has bouts of fatigue and deals with them. ``There are days I am really tired and need to come home and rest for a while,'' she said. But this weekend there will no place to rest. ``I'm not the type to quit,'' she said. ``I will persevere.'' Kremer said people with lupus react differently to the disease. ``Some have a real tough time with it and others take it as a challenge,'' said the doctor. ``In general, a disease like lupus provokes self-evaluation ... some patients look at it as a way to straighten out their lives, physically and socially.'' Kremer said most lupus patients with a positive outlook exercise to some degree. ``For them, making an effort is a personal victory.'' Ridgway, who left for Squaw Valley Thursday, has been on the Western States course before, having competed in the Tevis Cup horse race and also working the run the past two years as a medical helper. ``It's beautiful ... I fell in love with the trail,'' she said. ``I'm excited but not nervous.'' Ridgway will be tested following the race to determine how running 100 miles affects a lupus patient. ``I know I am capable of doing this.'' She likes to run, even 100 miles, because it makes her feel healthy and alive. ``Maybe in some ways this will speak to people who are trying to make choices,'' she said. ``You can push ahead and take charge of your life.''