Running Free: The Challenge is ON!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

The Challenge is ON!

Taper time has begun as the Coastal Challenge is just one week away. I have practiced putting up my tent and breaking it down, and I think I have every thing that I could possibly need. Thanks to Drymax socks for supplying me with great socks. My hamstrings remain tight and painful. My IT band and butt are also rearing their ugly heads too, but I hope that with a massage and a chiropractic appt., AND REST, my legs will hold up just fine. Hell, everything feels great except for my legs! Come on taper, work your magic!

Matt and I leave on Thurs. for Costa Rica. We are going to have a Blast! We will spend 15 days exploring this beautiful country.

As many of you know, I will be running in a 6 day stage race called The Coastal Challenge. I will be competing against an international field of very fit endurance athletes. I will be tested and pushed to the limits of human endurance they tell us. I will be navigating wide river crossings, rainforest's, jungles, windswept highlands, beaches and rock outcroppings. I will HAVE to put up a tent every night and take it down in the dark, EVERYDAY!! Now, that sounds stressful! I am excited and ready for this adventure. The race starts on Sunday, Feb. 1st, and ends Friday night, Feb. 6th. It is going to be a fun filled, very hard week of doing what I love.
If you are interested, you may check out my progress at:http://www.tccadventures.com/index.php?option=com_idoblog&view=idoblog&Itemid=197. You can also send me an email through that website and they will make sure I get it every night. I would love to hear shout outs of encouragements from any of you. I look forward to sharing my pictures and stories with all of you when we get back.

Thank you, Matt, for making this possible for me. I love you.....

5 comments:

TonyP said...: Best of luck at Coastal. I hope your hammies and IT work themselves out before the challenge. Dave James from my neck of the woods is heading out there also.

I love Drymax socks as well. Bob has kept me stocked with some great versions - trail, max protection, cold weather, etc...; January 24, 2009 at 4:24 PM
Rick Gaston said...: Hmmm...how about ice baths everyday till it's go time. I hate sitting in cold water myself but they've done wonders for me in the past. Very excited for your trip and upcoming adventure Kelly.; January 24, 2009 at 10:22 PM
Drs. Cynthia and David said...: Wishing you a great trip Kelly!

Also, what about water purifiers? Is this something that might come in handy?

Cynthia; January 25, 2009 at 1:00 AM
Victoria said...: Yay! Have a marvelous, marvelous time. I will definitely be tracking your progress, as I will be spending time consumed with jealousy that I am not there running as well.

I hope that no matter how tired you are, you will still get a chance to enjoy the beauty of Costa Rica. It's an amazing place.; January 25, 2009 at 7:29 AM
Doodlestreet said...: What an awesome trip you are going on! I wish you the best of luck on the run-- what incredible things you will get to see and experience!! I bet you are on pins and needles with excitement, I sure would be. Have a blast!!; January 26, 2009 at 12:13 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.''