Running Free: Finally, a new car

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Finally, a new car

I have been without a car for over a month now. We have not been car-less,we do have a Honda Pilot, but my much loved car failed smog, and I have not been legally able to drive it. It has been the total pits, believe me. I have begged, borrowed, and rented vehicles while waiting to buy another car. Finally....on Monday, I purchased a totally cute red ruby Honda Element! I am more than thrilled! I hear it is the perfect cyclist's car. Damn, does that mean I need to shine up my bike and head for the trails? I was riding my bike to work, but I have been slacking off lately. Note to self.... ride my bike to work this week.

My running since TRT has been sketchy at best. I came out of TRT with a very sore back rib, and a horribly inflamed PF. Our bed is so full of lumps and bumps (it's only 3 years old), that I toss and turn all night with total hip and back pain, making me utterly exhausted. So hows that for training! I wake up feeling like I ran a hard 100 miler and I have never left my bed. Not good. Once again, we are in search of the perfect mattress.

I am running Headlands 50 mile this next Saturday. I would like to beat my time of 9:01 from last year. I should be able to do that if things go as I want them to. Unfortunately, we all know that anything can happen out on the trail that we don't expect.

I received a bottle of Recover-ease in the mail the other day. I am anxious to try it after Headlands and see how I feel. Thanks, Bob, for recommending it to me.

Nothing to much interesting to say except that my youngest daughter is in Barbados vacationing, and my oldest son, is in Cancun. Wow, are they lucky! It must be nice, I think my kids have seen more of the world than I have. Today, Matt and I are going to the County fair to people watch. It is always a good place to get your confidence built up. If you are feeling ugly, go to the fair. I guarantee that you will feel like a prince or princess after seeing the hordes of toothless wonders that frequent the carnival rides. I am feeling ugly, so I gotta go hit the fair. Peace out!

1 comment:

elizabeth said...: Hi Kelly. We have gotten two great mattresses at Beds, Beds, Beds in SR on Industrial Ave. Looks like address is 3535 Industrial, next to the Goodwill. We also bought a great mattress here in Montana called a Sleepfit 5000, I think they are made in Salt Lake City.

Its terrible to have a lumpy bed. Hope you get a new mattress soon!; August 3, 2008 at 8:29 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.''