Running Free: An Epic Run

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

An Epic Run

Saturday was an epic day for a run. A really LONG run. A really LONG, COLD, BEAUTIFUL run.
Eight of us started at Bear Valley at 6am with our lights and the moon lighting our way. Our goal? To run about 70 miles to the Golden Gate Bridge. It was beautiful under the canopy of trees and we all had a great time swapping stories and joking about Facebook. It was funny to find out that everyone running had recently joined. Well, everyone but Suzanna. I don't think we convinced her to join the madness of Facebook.

We continued along while other friends joined in along the way. A few stopped after about 25 miles, but Suz and I were continuing on for the whole enchilada. We had a roving aid station that met us at specific stops and it was the best aid station I have ever seen. We ate so much that I think I gained weight!
As morning became afternoon, and afternoon became night, we continued on. The moon was the biggest it has been in 13 years and the shooting stars were amazing. We all secretly hoped to see a mountain lion this year but that was not to be. At 12 midnight, we reached the Golden Gate Bridge. Five very happy campers. We had ran about 70 miles. Lots of mountainous trails and no pavement. It was totally epic! My Drymax socks rocked as usual. No blisters or hot spots. My toes were sore from pushing off on steep rocky trails, but other than that no problems. It was a great day for a jaunt in the hills. We all came to the conclusion that what is said on the trails, stays on the trails. Running with good friends is the best. Another great run with great people. What could be better than that?

4 comments:

Olga said...: Holly molly, Kelly, you girls are really truly something! Definitely fun!; December 17, 2008 at 8:51 PM
Anonymous said...: I had such a fun time running with you, Kelly. Thanks for an unforgettable day on those gorgeous trails. I'm already looking forward to next year. Maybe you can convince me to join Facebook by then. :); December 18, 2008 at 1:51 PM
Doodlestreet said...: I got one word for ya:

BRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

(It's been COLD up there! Where's yer leg warmers!?); December 19, 2008 at 1:01 PM
Victoria said...: What fun that sounds like! Especially the part about the moon lighting your path...; December 21, 2008 at 2:44 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.''