Running Free

Thursday, May 22, 2008

My training has been going well. Unfortunately, my legs have been feeling really stiff and uncomfortable. I am not sure if my diet has been low on protein, or if I am running more than I think I am. My brother and I have been running together lately, and the pace is sometimes faster than I usually go. Could that be it? Just in case I needed more protein, I ate a hamburger last night. :)

Saturday begins the Western States training weekend. That is always a favorite "must do". This year, I am only running on Saturday. I will miss the excitement of running the rest of the weekend with friends. We will run from Robinson Flat to Foresthill. It always is a great time.

I am running a 50k on June 8th. It is the Auburn 50k It will be my first race as a 50 year old. (I can't believe that I actually just wrote that) but that is just the way it is. I turn 50 on June 6, and it will be a great birthday present for me to be out there doing what I love to do.

I'm off to the pool for a short swim to stretch out these stiff legs. I hope to see some of you on Saturday at the training camp. Have a great day!

"I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well." Diane Ackerman

10 comments:

Olga said...: Kelly, no friggin' way! Did we just discuss yesterday that I don't believe you're 48? You are my role model, now go kick some butt!
BTW, fast running might surely cause the stale legs, but in a "long run" it'll help you race faster too with proper taper!; May 23, 2008 at 10:01 AM
Bob - BlogMYruns.com said...: Hey Kelly, Have you ever looked into this product....

recover-ease

I been using it the past 2 months and TRULY Amazed how it helps me recover faster to keep training at a good level the next day & weeks...ALSO you can fee the effects of this product in just a few days of trying it...review the site, it is really good and has been used by some top ultra runners.

and Love that quote!!; May 23, 2008 at 10:18 AM
kelly said...: Thanks, Olga. Yeah, I hope it's the faster running. Getting into the pool really helps the legs and the stiffness, so that has got to be a priority.

I tried to leave you a comment on your blog yesterday, but it wouldn't let me. It sounds like you had a great time at your race. I loved the pic's too.; May 23, 2008 at 1:03 PM
kelly said...: Bob, thanks for the link to recover-ease. I have never heard of it, but I will definitely check it out. Whatever works, right?

I love that quote, too!; May 23, 2008 at 1:05 PM
Mechelle said...: Hi Kelly, I'm still meaning to give you a call sometime soon about running/lupus, we are just in such different time zones that I'm in bed by the time you get home! Have a great time this weekend. Strange coincidence-I turn 35 on June 6th, what a great day for a birthday!; May 23, 2008 at 6:53 PM
kelly said...: Hey Mechelle, Your Birthday is June 6th? Wow, isn't that kinda weird! Well, we probably are a lot a like. You can call me anytime. If I am not home, I will call you back. I get off work at 2:30 and I try to run at about 3:30. You could call me between then. Weekends work too, anytime. I look forward to talking to you.; May 23, 2008 at 9:47 PM
Brennen Wysong said...: No one will ever call you an old goat, Kelly.

Hope you enjoyed the WSER training camp!; May 24, 2008 at 5:17 AM
kelly said...: Thanks, Brennen. I only ran yesterday and it rained the whole fricken time! It didn't really matter, though, because it is just so awesome running on the WS course.

I am loving your blog, but does it not allow me to comment?; May 25, 2008 at 1:46 PM
Steve Pero said...: Well, let me send you an early welcome to the 50's! I've been here now for 6 years and the water is just fine!
About recovery, stale legs, etc...we do need to do several things as we age...
train a bit slower! You can still run long, but just slow down and the fatigue doesn't build up as much.
Take in more protein! I do 2 protein drinks a day. Most of this is for the obvious protein, but also in the GNC whey I get, it also has over 3 grams of Glutamine, which helps recovery.
Weight or resistance training! As we get older we don't so much lose our endurance, but our muscles to get smaller and weaker...so it does help to do some upper and lower body work. I have a Total Gym, which works the whole body and I can do a great workout in 20 minutes, 2-3 times a week.

Good luck!
Fellow Goat Steve; May 28, 2008 at 6:14 AM
Lynne said...: Kelly, nice name !; June 3, 2008 at 6:44 PM

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.''