Running Free: Typical Monday

Monday, October 13, 2008

Typical Monday

Before I say anything, I want you to go to my friend Ronda's blog and check her out. Wow, what a body! Ronda is an awesome fast ultra runner from Oregon and a very amazing person. Check out her blog, and be prepared to be impressed! She keeps me motivated and inspired everyday.

Here is a few pics of me at the Firetrails 50 miler this Saturday.

Today was the typical Monday at work. I heard that my good friend and Doctor is dying of Brain Cancer. He went home from the hospital today with Hospice. He was diagnosed in January. Several of the Doc's I work with have died of Brain Cancer. Scary to think about and kinda creepy too. It makes you wonder what is in the hospital that could be contributing to this sudden rise in Brain Cancer. Remember to live each day as best as you can. We are not guaranteed tomorrow.

I am just about ready to blow a gasket over our new Comcast internet service. Don't even get me started, but I will say that we only have 358 days left of our 1 year contract!! Have a great week. Thank you Pete Hazarian and John Medinger for the photos.

5 comments:

Olga said...: Hey, you should try this body thing also! You already have no fat, just tan up - and go!
Looking very happy on trails!; October 13, 2008 at 9:27 PM
meredith said...: Wow, thanks for sending me that way. She is incredible! Speaking of incredible...awesome job this weekend. So good to visit post-race. I can't wait to see your training for Costa Rica; what an amazing present!! See you in 2009.
mer; October 14, 2008 at 4:19 PM
Ronda said...: Wow Kelly, I come to visit your blog and I see my picture. It almost scared me to death but thanks for the vote of confidence and the very nice words. Olga's right, you're ready to go...all you need is some spray paint and a rhinestone studded posing suit.

Congratulations on your run. I hope to see you at a race soon. I am venturing to CA for a couple this year.; October 16, 2008 at 2:31 PM
kelly said...: Olga and Ronda, you two are too funny! I would scare the crap out of the audience! Thanks anyway.; October 16, 2008 at 8:15 PM
kelly said...: Meredith, it was great seeing you too, this weekend. Great running, Mer. You looked awesome as always. Keep healthy!; October 16, 2008 at 8:16 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.''