Running Free

Friday, November 9, 2007

These animals are what made our 28 mile run at Pt.Reyes National Seashore so incredible. We saw two large herds of Tule Elk, Deer, and a Coyote. The Elk were amazing! They were big as Horses and ran by us with a ROAR of their footsteps. There are approximately 400 Tule Elk living there. There is also an abundance of bird life feeding near the tideline.

Pt.Reyes is a great place to run. We ran through fern covered trails and climbed open single track trails through meadows and up over forested ridges. We ran on the beach and saw fresh Mountain Lion tracks. It is so remote there that you get the feeling that there are many animals watching you. Pt.Reyes National Seashore covers 70,000 acres in Marin County, California.

That run just kicked my royal booty!! It was a great run but I think I lost my sense of humor after about 20 miles. The last 8 miles were a complete and total butt kicking. Suzanna, Jeff, and Tamara were not fazed by our run, but I was screaming for my Mama for several miles. Paul joined us for several miles at the start but had to turn off early due to more IMPORTANT things he had to do. I hope you all had a great day today. I sure did.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...: What a great run! I only did 15 miles and was pooped after my little short cut. The only wild life I was was a couple scraggly runners in the parking lot at 6AM.

28 miles, eh? I knew it would be another sand-bag run! Great to see all of you and I look forward to the next (sand bag) run.

Paul; November 10, 2007 at 10:14 AM
kelly said...: 15 miles? That's great. I wondered how far you ran. We were sorry that you couldn't have run the whole way with us. Just another epic day running among friends! Have fun in Hawaii!; November 10, 2007 at 10:45 AM
Bob - BlogMYruns.com said...: wow looks like a great time...what sites to seeeeeee!! Good job on ur miles.

and my sweet Kelly in post below you said: I quickly grabbed the skull and jaw bones and off we went to conclude our hike. I am excited to add another skull to my collection. Yeah, I know I'm weird. Duh!
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lol OK as long as the skulls u collect are of the animal kind...right, ya I know I am right all animal skulls ...right my sweet Kelly friend from the west coast :-); November 10, 2007 at 3:22 PM
kelly said...: Hey Bob, I do work at a Morgue once in a while...No worries, I keep all the human remains in the Morgue. I hope you had a great weekend!!; November 11, 2007 at 7:50 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.''