Running Free: Tremendous Tuesday

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Tremendous Tuesday

Yesterday, after a long day at work, I met up with Suz and ran up the Goodspeed trail to the summit and then we added 10-15 more minutes down the fire road and then back up the steep trail. After my fast run on Sunday and being on my feet all day at the Hospital, I was just shot. Suzanna kept reminding me that it was good training to run on tired legs. Yeah, right. We were out there for almost 2 hours and I worked up a pretty good sweat. I do have to say that it did feel good to be out there. We finished just before dark and it was still so beautiful out there. We talked a lot about our "epic run", that is happening on Dec. 13th. We are running from Pt. Reyes to the Golden Gate Bridge. It will be approx. 70-75 miles on trails. Last year we did it around the same time and it was just an awesome adventure. I can't wait to do it again this year. If anyone reading this is local, and wants to join in, let me know.

Courtney has been home for a few days visiting from college and she left this afternoon. We had a good few days of visiting and enjoying each other. I miss her already. Next Wed. all three kids are coming home for Thanksgiving. I am so excited to see them. Lloyd is coming home too, with his girlfriend, and so we will have a full house for a few days.

Matt and I went and applied for our passport today. Our trip to Costa Rica is quickly approaching. My training is going well and now I have to start thinking about what gear and things that I will need to bring. I need to beg, borrow, or steal a light backpacking tent to sleep in during my race. I just may buy one if I can't borrow one from someone.

I didn't run today, but went on a very short walk with Courtney. We pet the neighborhood horse and I got zapped by the electric fence. I got a good upper body workout in and I cleaned our ceiling fans. Wow, all in all, a good day.

Saturday, I may be running up on the Western States trail. We are planning on running from Foresthill to the river and back. That will be about 31 miles. Stay tuned for that exciting report. Have a great day tomorrow.

The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach. Benjamin Mays

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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.''