Running Free

Thursday, August 14, 2008

This photo was taken by Olga Varlomova at the Headlands 5o mile last Saturday.

This week has gone by so quickly, it is scary! Work has been busy and it is hard to keep up with everything that I like to get done. I've taken a few days off from running and I can't believe how much extra time I have. Yesterday, while finishing up my run, I noticed that a neighbor's house was on fire. Unfortunately, it is severely damaged with damages estimated to be over 400,000 dollars. I am so sad for that family. When I was a little kid, fire was my biggest fear. I still feel a panic run through my body when I see flames anywhere.

The Olympics have been great! I just read that Michael Phelps consumes approximately 12,000 calories a day! Apparently many of the top swimmers swim between 35-40 miles per week! Wow! Can you imagine being in the water that much? I like to swim, but that seems ridiculous. Amazing athletes and performances. I got into the pool for a short swim the other day and I think everyone swimming was there because they were motivated by the Olympics to be there. First off, everyone was older and basically non-swimmers. (I don't think they realized this). They take up an entire lane flailing about, on their backs, legs pointed down to the floor, arms flailing about keeping them somewhat afloat. I tried to pick the lane with the best swimmer. It was really hard to decide. Hmmm. I picked the lane with the slowest swimmer with the best form. She needed a lot of room to swim. We split the lane and it was almost impossible to swim next to her, as I needed to make myself very thin as not to get hit with either her legs or her arms. It was exhausting. Usually, there is never a problem at the pool. It is very easy to pick a lane because there is almost no one occupying it. Not since the Olympics! Okay, Michael Phelps, see what you've done?!

I hope you all have a happy Thursday! Enjoy!

2 comments:

Bob - BlogMYruns.com said...: Hey Kelly first off a HUGE Congrats on you WIN....WOW WOW WOW so awesome, I have been crazy busy lately so blogging has been a little behind.

Did you use the Recover Ease after the race (8 capsules daily for 2 weeks) I never used it that long but did do it for 5 days and it helped tremendously...so curious about that and I hope it sped up your recover time.

and very sad about that dang fire, they are scary!!!

Lastly GO USA GO and I sooooo hope Phelps gets 8 Golds!!; August 14, 2008 at 11:09 AM
kelly said...: Hey Bob, thanks so much! I did try the Recover Ease... but 8 caps x 2 weeks? I missed that in the literature. I only took 8 caps after the run. I was wondering.....Geez, how dumb can I be? I will read up on it a little better now. Thanks!; August 15, 2008 at 6:58 AM

Post a Comment

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.''