Running Free: A training Day in the Headlands

Saturday, December 6, 2008

A training Day in the Headlands

"By entering here, you agree to give 100% of what you have. There are
no second chances. Every day, every moment is an opportunity to excel,
to be more, to be your best. Do not squander your time by going
through the motions. Train hard and get results. At the end of the
day, look in the mirror and ask yourself if you gave it your all. If
you do not have this type of commitment, do not waste your time or
ours." This was written on the door of a gym. Wow. It makes you think.....

The above photo is Suz and I running in the Marin Headlands. A cool, crisp, windy day on the trails. A long, slow run (time on our feet), all in all a great day to be on the mountain. This photo was taken a few days after Suzanna won the Quad Dipsea. It's always a pleasure to run with Suz when she is tired. LOL

I got my La Sportiva Fireblades in the mail yesterday. They fit great and I can't wait to try them. I hope they will be one of the shoes I bring to wear in The Coastal Challenge in January. I also got a new jacket from Matt. I finally have a very warm jacket that is so lightweight that you hardly know it is on. It is the Mountain Hardwear hooded compressor jacket. It is toasty warm and the color is a beautiful blue. Can you tell that I like it?

My training is going well. I am running strong and feeling good. My gym workouts have been a great addition to my running. I love the way my muscles feel and I love the feeling of being "powerful". I certainly don't "look" powerful, but I feel it anyway. Have a nice weekend, my friends.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...: Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.
- Margaret B. Runbeck
__________________________________

I enjoy reading your blogs women! I am glad to hear that your jacket is cozy, and you look good in my color (pink)....ha!

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!; December 7, 2008 at 7:28 AM
Victoria said...: I am SOOOOOOO excited for your Coastal Challenge. I had almost forgotten it was coming up, but now it's what, just a month away???; December 8, 2008 at 5:18 PM
elizabeth said...: Hi. What is the fit like for the Mountain Hardwear hooded compressor jacket? I am 5'11" with really long arms and was wondering if the arms run long at all? I have a Mountain Hardwear Anorak that I wear running all the time, but its a men's large. I normally get a men's med in jackets.

Thanks!

Thanks for reccomending the Ultimate Direction Pack, I use it a lot winter running for all my extra layers and snacks. Its really comfortable. I don't find the straps as comfortable in the summer when I only have one tshirt on, but winter its great!; December 8, 2008 at 6:17 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.''