Running Free: A coyote, a pig, and a hot training run

Friday, May 16, 2008

A coyote, a pig, and a hot training run

Yesterday, I finally made it into the pool. With 100 degree weather, it seemed like the right thing to do. It felt good to feel my body skim across the water and my arms felt fine after a long layoff. Maybe the push-ups are working after all.
A co-worker told me the other day that my arms were so skinny and that they were practically just bones. She knows that I have been working my arms, and it was just a mean thing to say. I was so happy to feel that my arms felt strong swimming after that comment. Secretly, I think she is jealous.

Suz and I ran 25 hot miles at Lake Sonoma today. We saw among other things, a large spotted pig, and a coyote. That is just one of the many things that I love about trail running. There is so many beautiful animals out there that we would never see if we were not running in the mountains. Running 25 miles today two weeks after running Miwok, set me up for a very tired body. I thought I was totally recovered, but running in the intense heat and exposed trails just kicked my butt. I was definitely sucking donkey balls. I came home and took a nap!

Tonight I made spaghetti for dinner. Yeah, I ate meat tonight. After my low energy run, I felt that maybe I was not getting enough protein with my vegetarian diet. Frankly, I was running out of ideas of what to eat. I certainly will continue to try and eat a mostly vegetarian diet, but maybe eating a cow every once in a while will do this body good.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. My friend Chris is running Massanutten 100 tomorrow, so Good Luck, Chris!

2 comments:

Bob - BlogMYruns.com said...: I think the push-ups are working for u also ...ur arms look like they are getting defined in that pic, good job Kelly!

keep working ur core Sit ups & push ups, i promise I will !

I been eating just fish & chicken and a lot of veggies and pasta BUT last week I wanted a burger baddddddddd and the next day was one of my best runs...sooo MOO MOO :-); May 16, 2008 at 9:47 PM
kelly said...: Thanks, Bob. I'm glad someone noticed. :) Yeah, I need to do the dreaded sit-ups, yuck! They are important. Sounds like you are eating really well. It will pay off at your 100. I am sure a burger can't hurt now and then, right? You must be getting excited for your race. I can't wait to hear all about it. Have a great weekend.; May 17, 2008 at 12:07 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.''