Running Free

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

I hope you enjoy these few pics from Costa Rica. What a beautiful country!

I went for a run today in Annadel. I just love this park. I use to ride my horse there when I was little. It was always a long day, because my house was quite a long way from it and after riding in the 5000 acre park all day, I would ride home. In my 20's, I use to ride and train my horse for endurance racing there, too. It has always been a special place to me. The lake is finally rising with all this rain and it's beginning to look "beautiful" again.

Sugarloaf Park is another favorite place of mine to run. The trails are steep, but it is an excellent place to train for ultra's. I try and get over there a couple of times a week and it is always a peaceful place. Not many people go there and so my "twisted sister" Suz, and I always run there without ever seeing anyone.

My son Caleb and I want to do a backpacking trip together this summer. I am excited to spend the time with him. I hope he wants to do a trip to Mt. Whitney too. Lots of things to think about. I may run a race in Colorado also. Training at altitude is important, so I may have to incorporate that into my schedule. So many things to do, so little time.........

4 comments:

Bob - BlogMYruns.com said...: I fell into a large body of water as I tried to navigate my way through the jungle
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Just read ur race recap below Kelly ...at that point (above statement) I would have shot up a flare to the sky for a helicopter to race in throw me a line and take me over to the pool for margaritas :-) huh that wasn't an option ? !! - lol

CRAZY Stuff, CONGRATS!!! and great pics, what an adventure!; February 26, 2009 at 10:04 AM
meredith said...: You are amazing and the pictures are fantastic! Thank you, thank you!!

If you are around and planning to run this weekend, please shoot me an email: meredithbn@yahoo.com I will be in Napa tomorrow-Sunday.
mer; February 26, 2009 at 12:55 PM
kelly said...: Hey Bob...you are too funny! I hope your running is going well. I have been lazy about keeping up on everyones blog these days. The reason? I joined Facebook! I will catch up with my reading this weekend.; February 27, 2009 at 2:08 PM
kelly said...: Hey Mer, I look forward to running with my Texas friend this weekend. I can't wait to see you!; February 27, 2009 at 2:12 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.''