Running Free: Running and racing with a happy heart

Monday, September 7, 2009

Running and racing with a happy heart

Yesterday I ran the Run on the Sly 50k in Pollock Pines, Ca. I ran the 50 mile there in 2003. For some reason they only have a 50k, 20 miler, and an 8 mile race there now. I wanted to run a 50k before my toe surgery that is scheduled for Sept. 18th. I am not in 50 mile shape and it was looking sketchy whether I could even pull off a 50k! The longest run I have run since July has been only 3 hours but I felt pretty good and thought....why not? The race starts uphill and continues with rolling hills for the entire course. Actually, that is my kind of race. It is a very runnable course with lots of little ups and downs. I wasn't able to run the entire course, but if I was in just a little better shape, it could have been possible. The weather was good, probably around 80 degrees and the trees provided lots of shade. Looking back on what I did right, and what I did wrong, I can say that I probably did not eat or drink enough. My energy level was fine, but it would not have lasted if I was running any longer. I wasn't drinking like I should have and I only took 2 succeed caps all day. What I did right. I ran confident, and positive the entire race. I enjoyed my ipod and sang along with my favorite songs. I had fun and I enjoyed myself. I was thankful for my health and for the ability to run with a happy heart. I finished 7th overall and 1st woman in a time of 4:57:12. I am happy with my time and my finish. I can now have my surgery and look forward to the time when I can run again with pain free toes. I also need to mention that I wore my Drymax socks and had no blisters or hot spots. I wore the new "hyper thin running socks" and loved them every step of the way.

3 comments:

HEATHERRUNS said...: Wow, you are amazing! You did that well and only did 3 hr runs leading up to it....and with a sore toe! I'm doing my first 50K ever in two weeks, have logged some 4 and 5 hr runs and still don't feel confident. Thanks for the inspiration.

Heather; September 10, 2009 at 12:03 AM
Drs. Cynthia and David said...: Training less and still first woman! so unfair. :)

Good luck with your surgery and recovery. Please explain what this entails and let us know how it goes.

Cynthia; September 10, 2009 at 1:36 AM
Olga said...: yay, Kelly!; September 15, 2009 at 12:22 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.''