Running Free

Friday, August 15, 2008

One of the greatest secrets of life is having patience - knowing when to do what, kinda like the song says, "you gotta know when to hold em, know when to fold em, know when to walk away, and know when to run."

Today Suzanna and I ran a 12 mile loop in Annadel. It was a beautiful morning and we had fun catching up and trading stories. She is getting ready and gearing up for Cascade Crest 100 mile in Washington. It is a tough 100 miler but I know that she will do very well there. It is on August 23-24. Cascade Crest was my 2nd 100 and it just about did me in. I hadn't prepared myself for all the mountain climbs and I was really inexperienced. I would like to go back again and see how I could do now.

Leadville 100 starts tomorrow in Leadville, Colorado. I haven't run Leadville and unfortunately, with the problems I have had with altitude, it is doubtful that I ever will. That totally bums me out because I hate to think that I have a weakness that is serious enough to keep me from doing something that I really desire to do. I have made peace with that limitation and I know that there are several great 100's that I can shoot for. So many races, so little time. Have a wonderful weekend!!!

4 comments:

HappyTrails said...: I love this picture!!! Congratulations on your win at the Headlands 50 Race - awesome! You can be thankful you didn't run at Leadville this year as the weather was yuck. Does the lupus affect you more at high altitude? Don't fret about not doing Leadville - there are so many other great,fun, and scenic races you can do (and win!)! What brand skirts are your pink and green???
Kathleen; August 17, 2008 at 11:53 AM
Mechelle said...: Hi Kelly, Thanks for the comments about my blog! I read your blog consistently and am always impressed by your accomplishments. WOW.

I'm feeling okay, I have been racing a lot of short races lately and having trouble recovering. I have a new doc through U of M in Ann Arbor, I figured if I was gonna fight this thing I better get someone that wants to fight it with me and not someone that thinks my couch is a good place for me to be.

One of these days, when I stay up late enough, don't be surprised if I give you a call.; August 18, 2008 at 9:08 AM
kelly said...: Hey Happytrails...thanks so much. Maybe it is the Lupus that is the problem at high altitude. I'm not really sure, but I will have to research that! It would be a good excuse anyway! My skirt is from runningskirts.com. They are great but sometimes it takes weeks to get one. Thats a bummer about them. Take care.; August 18, 2008 at 9:27 AM
kelly said...: Hey Mechelle,
I could call you too. You could leave me your number in a note to my email address. That might be easier. I would love to talk to you. I am glad that you seem to be doing well. Yeah, we don't need Doctors that recommend couch sitting for the rest of our lives! Keep on keeping on!; August 18, 2008 at 9:30 AM

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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.''