Running Free: Shit happens.........

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Shit happens.........

Karen and I went out for a nice run the other day. The park that we were running in is big and remote. There is an outhouse or two for the occasional camper but otherwise it is quiet and beautiful. We had been running for about 10 minutes, when we came upon an outhouse. I decided to take a quick pee break and dashed into the porta potty. When I walked in, I immediately looked into the toilet. Please don't wonder why. Doesn't everyone, once in awhile? Down about 2.5 feet in the pot was a poor blue bellied lizard sitting on a big wad of toilet paper surrounded in, well, you know.....I panicked. I couldn't rain on this poor little stranded lizard who was having the worst day of his life! I ran and found a long thick tree branch and lowered it into the toilet. I rested it on the wad of TP and tried to coax the little guys up the branch. He wanted nothing to do with my heroics. I propped the stick at an angle and just hoped for the best. I peed behind the outhouse, and Karen and I were on our way.

An hour later, as we were approaching the outhouse on our way back to the car, we saw a hiker approaching the porta potty. Before we could yell at him, we knew that the worst fate of all had probably happened to our little friend. I hope he scaled the large stick and got the heck out of there, but as we all know SHIT happens!

Running has been going well. My right ankle seems to be doing well, and my butt pain has settled down. Tahoe Rim Trail is in 2 weeks and I am hoping for a good day out on the trail. A lot of my friends are running that race so it will be fun. I've started working on my upper body in the gym and I am seeing results in just 15 minutes of arm exercises a few times a week. That in itself is really exciting.

Tomorrow is a long run of about 30 miles at Pt. Reyes. The weather is going to be nice and we always see Elk and lot's of Mountain Lion tracks there. All of us running tomorrow is running TRT 50, so we will have a lot to talk about.

Have a great Sunday and I encourage everyone to do something that makes you happy.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...: I love you mom. I can't wait to see you on Weds. Im so proud of you.; July 7, 2008 at 7:25 PM
kelly said...: Oh, I love you buddy! I can't wait to see you either. You have made me so proud and I love the person you have become. See you soon!; July 7, 2008 at 10:10 PM
Bob - BlogMYruns.com said...: LOL ahhhhhh that porta potty story, too funny!

Hope u had a good long run and now time to taper down!!; July 8, 2008 at 7:45 PM
Deanna Stoppler said...: Way to spare the lizard girl!; July 9, 2008 at 5:47 AM
Meghan said...: Oh my gosh!

I can't believe there was a lizard in the poo, in the porta potty?! My questions are, how did it get in there, why did it go in there, how long had it been there? You were very kind to try and help it out. :)

Oh my gosh!

Hope you're doing well, Kelly!

Meghan; July 9, 2008 at 9:23 AM
Rick Gaston said...: Hey Kelly. TRT is almost upon us! Thanks for the input on ART. It's not cheap but definitely effective. She got to the heart of the matter, the main injury that's causing the tight IT band and tight quads.

Looking forward to meeting you and friends at TRT and nice going on helping the lizard out. I hope it made it out.; July 11, 2008 at 6:43 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.''