Running Free

Saturday, June 21, 2008

I swam laps this morning for 40 minutes. I know what you're thinking....Big deal. Yes, it was a big deal. You try dragging these hard, shapely arms through the water and tell me how you feel. These push-ups are really working. The trouble is...I am the only one who notices...Crapola.

On another note, Matt and I met my sister, Dan, and my Mom at the old Franklin Cemetery for a tour of the graves and to learn of the history of our town and the people who are buried there. It was interesting and for anyone who really knows me, you know old cemeteries are right up my alley. The man who built my Mom's house is buried there, but today we could not find his grave. He built her house in 1847 and the history of the house and the people who lived there is really fascinating. Our town is really a large city now, but it still has an "old" feel about it. I like this place and I think I will stay here until the fat lady sings.

One week until WS!! Whoo hoo!! I bet all you entrants are getting so excited. Last year at this time I was so pumped.

Have a nice rest of the day. Matt and I might go on a hike. It's only 98 degrees out but I hate to sit around and do nothing. Life is just too short to waste even a second. Adios for now.

5 comments:

Bob - BlogMYruns.com said...: You try dragging these hard, shapely arms through the water and tell me how you feel.
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lol niceeeeee Kelly... Way to go on that swimming thing :-) and keep doing those Push UP's & Beyond!!

well I am back to training (feel good & ready to get back to it) also back to my "Daily" Sit ups & Push Ups, so helped me at Kettle...no soreness in the core area...so I am a big fan of SU & PU's; June 21, 2008 at 8:12 PM
kelly said...: Wow, Bob, you have really recovered nicely! Way to go! So you really think that the SU's and PU's helped at Kettle?

So, when is your next big race? I know you are addicted just like the rest of us. You are awesome, Bob. I hope we have a chance to meet one day. Keep training and setting new goals.; June 21, 2008 at 9:53 PM
Bob - BlogMYruns.com said...: Thanks Kelly hope me meet one day on the trails as well...

and YES su's & pu's helped keep my form & also zero lower back pain...

Just put up the countdown timer for my next big event..."Grand Tetons 100 miler", it's my Hardrock -lol 20,000 feet climb & reaches 10,000 ft altitude 4 times so that will be a nice test for this sea-level flatlander :-)

PS love the SUNSET pic below, Nice Catch!!; June 22, 2008 at 10:05 PM
seagull junker said...: kelly,
what section are you doing for safety patrol?; June 23, 2008 at 8:46 AM
Carilyn said...: Hey Kelly,

Love your blog! I'm with you on the cemetaries. We do a yearly run through ours, looping around and reading the tombstones. Every year we find "new" ones :)

I'll keep you posted on the water/drink issue. I may just have to up my e-cap intake. Or just avoid trail ultras altogether :); June 23, 2008 at 7:23 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.''