Running Free: A Long Training Run on Saturday

Sunday, December 2, 2007

A Long Training Run on Saturday

On Saturday, Dec. 8th, my friend Suzanna and I, and some friends are running from Pt. Reyes to the Golden Gate Bridge!! 66 or so fickin miles. I would like to run the whole enchilada, but I am not sure how I will feel. It seems like such a long time since I've run that far. Well, it has. 3 months to be exact. Suzanna thought this crazy long run up, and then told me about it. That is all it took. It will be a great training run and we always have a lot of fun doing them. Suzanna is running Hurt 100 in January and the Coyote Two Moon 100 in March.

I have been watching my diet lately and am excited about the way I feel. I weigh the same but I am looking leaner. Watching my carb intake works for me and I am feeling strong. Even though I am an endurance athlete, eating a lot of carbs just bloats me and makes me feel sluggish. I am happy with the way my body feels right now. Check out this blog and read about some exciting nutritional information. I just got lost reading this blog and I found it so interesting.

Swimming today just totally sucked!! Could you hear me gasping for air? It was down right embarrassing. I swam with the Master's and it is amazing how fast I lost my endurance in the pool. I felt like I got a good workout in but I must commit to swimming on a more regular basis. I swallowed so much water that I haven't needed to drink any water since!! I cringe when I think about how many loogies I probably swallowed. Yuck!!

Have a happy week!

5 comments:

Jeff Vieyra said...: No sympathy. This is the worst I have felt in 2 years(pain), and Wally just ran a hard marathon on Sunday..and our goal here was to try keeping up with YOU !!! Please do not wimp on us.

J; December 3, 2007 at 1:55 PM
Anonymous said...: You forgot to mention that YOU are Suzanna's pacer at HURT! Good luck. She not only set the Woodside PCTR record last weekend, but placed 1st overall in the 50K, totally wumpin' da boyz. Well done!; December 3, 2007 at 9:29 PM
kelly said...: Don't worry Jeff, I will not wimp out. I am just going to go easy thats all. See you on Saturday, rain or shine.; December 3, 2007 at 9:40 PM
kelly said...: I have got to be on top of my game for Suz. I'm nervous!! She's tough, but so am I.; December 3, 2007 at 9:41 PM
Bob - BlogMYruns.com said...: ummm dam I was just about to add swimming to my workouts...but umm not into swallowing other peeps loogies--YIKES.

You will get back in GAME Shape, it's time to FOCUS back in and YOU know waht to do!! It's TIME!!; December 4, 2007 at 3:10 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.''