Running Free: Training on the Western States Trail

Monday, May 28, 2007

Training on the Western States Trail

On Friday, Suzanna,Bill, Karen, Chris, and I drove up to Foresthill and met at 7am for a long run. We were to run from Foresthill to Last Chance and back. Three canyons x2. After organizing ourselves,we were off! The weather was warm and muggy as we ran through Volcano Canyon on our way to Michigan Bluff. With clear skies and bright sunny conditions, we knew we needed to watch our fluid and electrolyte intake. At Michigan Bluff we refilled our hydration packs and headed down. Poison oak was everywhere! Lizards and snakes darted between our feet, just escaping being trampled. The river at the bottom is so low compared to how I've seen it before. It has been a dry year. The climb up to the Deadwood water pump was long but we all shared stores and laughs and made the time go more quickly. We refueled at the pump and prepared ourselves for the long downhill. We ran into Ann Trason and her husband Carl as they were running up Devils Thumb. After visiting with them for a few minutes, we were on our way. The climb up to Last Chance is always grueling for me. It always promises to be hot and sticky and the bugs are always awaiting our arrival. It is always a relief to see the Last Chance sign and to touch it! At the sign, we turn around and head back to Foresthill!! Lot's of climbing and pounding downhills. A great day.
On Saturday we all started at Robinson Flat and made our way to Foresthill. Naomi and I ran with Jim (my good friend from Orlando), and we always enjoy each others company. He is a great runner, very strong and has 100s of ultras under his belt. Today's run proved to be easier than yesterday. This was Naomi's first time running in the canyons and she enjoyed them very much. It was great to run with old and new friends. Saturday night was dinner at Awful Annies (same as Friday night), in Auburn where we enjoyed lots of good fun and great crazy conversations. Matt and I shared dinner with Leslie, Tom, Chris, Charles and Mark.
Sundays run from Foresthill to the river was great. We were all tired, but feeling good. It was an awesome weekend. It was also a great confidence booster as I felt really good and strong this weekend. I ran about 90 miles in 3 days and have no soreness or stiffness. The only reminder I had of the hard training was when I climbed up to my Brother's third story at his house and noticed how tired and out of breath I was. I am so happy that I had the opportunity to run this weekend. It is a rare privilege to travel through mountain meadows brimming with wildflowers, rugged canyons, and magnificent pine forests. Happy trails......

3 comments:

Olga said...: Wow, Kelly, what an awesome weekend on the WS course! 90 miles, my God! I am looking forward to all you guys and gals running WS this year, rock on!; May 29, 2007 at 7:34 AM
Jean Pommier said...: Kelly, was nice meeting you at Foresthill on Sunday. I've run a 5K "for Lupus" last week, I'll blog on it later this weekend and will include a link to your story.
Amazing job you do on the trails, see you in two weeks.
Jean
Farther, faster.; June 9, 2007 at 9:36 AM
kelly said...: Thanks for stopping by. Yes, it was great to finally meet you too. You are going to have an awesome run at States this year. See you soon!; June 9, 2007 at 10:13 AM

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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.''