Kelly's still in top 3 position!

Sending updates by Kelly's sister, Shawn

The Coastal Challenge 2009 – Day Four Race Update – 2/4/09
The Coastal Challenge Cruises Past Midway Point

Overcast Skies Provide Slightly Cooler Conditions During a Climbing-Focused Route
Montero Builds Lead in Men’s Expedition Category While Jurek Drops to Third Overall; Greenhill and Madrigal Battle For the Top Women’s Expedition Spot

By Matt Draper, TCC Web Staff

PALMAR SUR, Costa Rica – By Thursday, competitors at the 2009 Coastal Challenge (TCC) wondered what could possibly be in store for the remaining two days of the race. Since starting on Sunday, more than 70 competitors have run, trekked, slogged, and coasteered across hundreds of kilometers of Southwest Costa Rica. They have burned upwards of 20,000 calories, and have probably developed just as many blisters.

Wednesday’s course, the fourth of the six-day competition, continued the challenge with a steep route that moved from Playa Ventanas to Palmarsur and featured climbing and bushwhacking on single-track trails. While Javier Montero of Costa Rica finished first for the fourth straight day in the men’s Expedition Category, the women’s Expedition Category proved the most captivating as American Jaclyn Greenhill and Costa Rican Ligia Madrigal continue to race neck-and-neck for first.

“The Expedition group continues to change pole position, and the women’s category has really developed into a good-natured battle between Jaclyn and Ligia,” said Tim Holmstrom, race director. “It’s also been fun watching Scott (Jurek) run alongside TCC staples such as David (James) and Javier (Montero). Javier appears to be in top form, and Leonardo (Soresi) from Italy came on strong today to keep things interesting.”

Montero finished atop the field in five hours and 21 minutes, and has more than an hour overall lead. Soresi finished second (5:27) and James took third (5:32). Soresi made the day’s biggest push, finishing second after spending the majority of the race in the middle of the pack.
“Yesterday I gained confidence running with Scott Jurek,” said Soresi. “He told me I could do better than I thought, and he was right. The first two days I didn’t push myself.”

“From the first uphill to the last distance, it was a rollercoaster,” Soresi continued, referring to the Wednesday’s up-and-down course. “Costa Rica has canopy tours. Today was like a canopy tour of running.”

Madrigal finished first in six hours and 29 minutes. Greenhill and Ridgway tied for second (7:07). After four days of racing, Madrigal is on top (25:22), followed by Greenhill (25:53). Ridgway is third at 26:45.

Bill Butcher of the U.S. and Javier Sanchez of Costa Rica tied for first (9:09) in the Adventure Category. Adrienne Gordon of the U.S. came in first in the women's field (9:35). Team "No Artificial Ingredients" from Costa Rica again placed first in the team category.

Thursday’s course was titled “The Revenge of the Borucas” because of its location in what used to be the home to the Borucas Indians.

Kelly still in 3rd place after Day Three

Here is the recap for those who are following Kelly's World’s Expedition Run™run in Costa Rica. (posted by her sister, Shawn)

The Coastal Challenge 2009 – Day Three Race Recap – 2/3/09
The Coastal Challenge Kicks Into High Gear on Day Three

Tuesday Sent Competitors on a Literal Marathon Journey That Zigzagged From Beach to Forest to Road; Costa Rican Javier Montero Pulls Away From Field

By Matt Draper, TCC Web StaffPLAYA VENTANAS, COSTA RICA –

While the Adventure Category of The Coastal Challenge (TCC) is listed as an abbreviated version of the 230-kilometer Expedition Category, there were no short routes on day three. Expedition racers tackled a 53-kilometer course and adventure racers battled a near 30-kilometer route, which, in addition to being the longest of the event, challenged competitors with blistering sand, cool rivers, and dusty roads before ending at the pristine coastline of Playa Ventanas. Javier Montero of Costa Rica finished first to add to his three-day lead in the men’s expedition category.

Defending Champion Montero finished first (6:30) for the third straight day, widening his overall lead. A pig farmer from a rural village in the central Costa Rican mountains, Montero trained for the race by lifting weights and running mountain trails. Montero, speaking through a translator, said that the hot, hard asphalt during the road stretch took a toll on his feet. He added that the best part the day was the river, because it was something new and required swimming and scrambling.

David James, who took the early lead on the waterfall trail, fell behind Montero during the flat beach section, and finished second . Scott Jurek of the U.S. came in third. After three days of racing, the overall results leave Montero in first, followed by James and Jurek.

American Jaclyn Greenhill (6:09) finished first in the women’s expedition category and retains the overall lead. Ligia Madrigal of Costa Rica finished second after getting lost in the waterfall section; despite taking an alternate, longer route to the finish line, she made up time on the road section to remain second overall, just 7 minutes behind. in a tight rice with Greenhill. Kelly Ridgway of the U.S. is third after finishing No. 3 on Tuesday.

Though a few competitors dropped from the Expedition to the Adventure category after day two, the entire field of 76 racers competed on day three on a course titled “Taste the Coastal Acid” that moved from Playa Dominical to Playa Ventanas. According to competitors, the course – despite intense heat and humidity – was epic.

“Even though it was really hot today, I enjoyed the beach and loved hearing the sound of the surf,” said Canadian Jackie Mack who is competing in the Adventure category. Mack, just 20 days away from hip replacement surgery, was exhausted but in good spirits before eating dinner at the day three campsite, located in a grassy field about 200 yards from Playa Ventanas, or “windows beach.” (The beach was named Ventanas because of the caves that cut through its coastal rock to provide a view of crashing surf.)

Bill Butcher of the U.S. finished first in the men's adventure category (4:08), while Carla Cesaroni came in first in the women's field .
Team "No Artificial Ingredients" from Costa Rica again placed first in the team category.

“We threw competitors a curveball with a waterfall traverse at the beginning of the course,” said Rodrigo Carazo, race designer, who set up day three so that competitors were forced to cross several rivers. “Today was another difficult trek into remote areas of Costa Rica that visitors would never see or experience on any type of tour.”

Day four’s “Revenge of the Borucas” course will offer a respite from today’s marathon-length distance, but will feature a trampoline of ascents and descents.

Check out daily pics, route books, and the leaderboard at www.tccadventures.com.



About The Coastal Challenge
The Coastal Challenge is the “World’s Expedition Run™,” releasing runners over approximately 230 kilometers of exotic and wild Costa Rican mountainous regions and rugged coastline. For six days, runners embrace the spirit of adventure, discovery and camaraderie within a long distance running competition while navigating wide river crossings, rainforests, jungles, windswept highlands, beaches, and rock outcroppings. It is an expedition run of epic proportions introducing competitors to the hospitality of the local Tico culture while pushing the limits of their will and endurance. For more information visit www.thecoastalchallenge.com or www.tccadventures.com.

Kelly's in Third Place after Second Day

(Posted by Kelly's sister, Shawn)

Day Two of The Coastal Challenge Pushes Competitors up Hills and Through Mud

The Field Battles Through Steep Climbs and Muddy Forests Before Heading Further South Along the Costa Rican Pacific

By Matt Draper

Playa Dominical, Costa Rica (February 2, 2009) – What a difference a day makes. Following a relatively short, 33-kilometer first day, competitors at the 2009 Coastal Challenge (TCC) encountered a mountainous day-two route that featured more than 2,200 meters of elevation gain over 39 kilometers. With temperatures hovering in the mid-90s, the field of 70+ competitors battled sun and sand in a course that moved from the misty, muddy rain forests of Savegre Valley to the sundrenched sand of Playa Dominical. The competition is also heating up as the top three male competitors continue to jockey for the lead in the expedition category.

"We designed stage two to give competitors their first taste of wild Costa Rican terrain," said Rodrigo Carazo, race designer, who forewarned competitors at the pre-race briefing that day two would test their determination. "We started them (competitors) on a climb through dense rain forest to give them a taste of the hills, and then challenged them with a lot of technical trail running through mud, grasslands, and streams.”

Competitors, who camped in the rain in a lush valley on Sunday night, woke around 3:30 a.m. Monday before starting at 5:30 a.m. in order to spend as little time as possible under the hot afternoon sun. Regardless, the field shared the same sentiment in terms of the day-two course: it was cruel, tricky and, most importantly, fantastic.

“The course was pretty hard and I wasn’t happy with it,” said American David James while smiling at Carazo. “I got my shoes stuck in the mud and the trails were difficult in the woods.”

James, a TCC veteran, finished third on Monday with a time of five hours and 12 minutes. Defending Champion Javier Montero of Costa Rica again finished first (4:29), while Scott Jurek of the U.S. came in a close second (4:34). The same three men finished in the top three spots during day one, setting up what appears will be a back-and-forth battle until Friday’s finish.

Ligia Madrigal of Costa Rica finished first in the women’s expedition category with a time of five hours and 59 minutes. Madrigal, who gave birth just eight months before the event, created her own brand of cross training for this year’s TCC; she often woke around 4 a.m. to get in a few hours of running before spending the rest of the day working and taking care of her baby.

“I got seven hours of sleep last night and it made all the difference,” said Madrigal, who, because of her role as a new mom, hasn’t had more than a few hours of sleep since giving birth. “The course was amazing and the views were incredible. You could see the mountains, the water, everything.”

Americans Jaclyn Greenhill (6:09) and Kelly Ridgway (6:18) placed second and third, respectively, in the women’s expedition category. Ridgway, a first-time TCC competitor, said at one point she thought she lost her shoe and sock in the mud, but could only find her shoe. “I couldn’t find the sock anywhere, and then realized it was still on my foot but covered in mud!” She also had rave reviews about the course: “If I die after this race I will have truly lived.”

Bill Butcher of the U.S. finished first in the men's adventure category (4:08), while Carla Cesaroni came in first in the women's field.

Team "No Artificial Ingredients" from Costa Rica again placed first in the team category.

Day three of the 2009 TCC will move the field from Playa Dominical further south to Playa Ventanas. The route, titled “Feel the Coastal Acid,” will be the longest trek of the competition, stretching 52.5 kilometers.

Check out daily pics, route books, and the leaderboard at www.tccadventures.com.

A note from Kelly to her family

Here is a portion of a letter Kelly has just written to us. I thought I would post it here as well, so you can read about her experience. ~shawn

I just finished my second day and I am now in 3rd place. The heat and humidity is staggering. This is by far the hardest thing I have ever done. It is also the most incredible thing I have ever done. What can I say about the first two days? Heat, humidity, mud, snakes, swamp, lots of no trails. Just straight up the rainforest. At times it is a little scary, but it is simply amazing. I told one of the race directors today, that if I died after this race, it would be okay. My life would be complete. It rained alot yesterday and the humidity was horrible. We got up at 330 am today and the heat and humidity was horrible. It is like being in a steam room 24-7. This race is not for everyone, that is for sure. It is hard to stay organized and putting the tent up in the pouring rain is quite comical.

I miss you all. Please don´t worry about me. I am having the time of my life. Tomorrow is a very hard day. It is hard to imagine running in this terrain again. I am feeling good though. The people here are great. Matt is rafting down a river today and I hope he is having fun.

(You may view daily photos here)

Kelly's in Second Place first day of the run --(posted by her sister, Shawn)

2009 Coastal Challenge Opens With Heat, Rain and Pain

Fifth Edition of The World's Expedition Race Launches Competitors Across Lush Terrain in Southwest Costa Rica

By Matt Draper

Savegre Valley, Costa Rica (February 1, 2009) - The first day of the 2009 edition of The Coastal Challenge (TCC), a multi-day expedition race from Feb. 1-7, doused competitors with heat and humidity while pushing them through more than 33 kilometers of dirt roads, rain forests and rivers in Southwest Costa Rica. Seventy-five racers from nine countries traversed a gauntlet of hills under a scorching sun before crossing a rainy finish line at the Rafiki Lodge in the Savegre Valley. The 2009 course, coined "The Rainforest Run," marks the fifth edition of TCC and is set along Costa Rica's Pacific coastline.

"We were thrilled to have intense heat, cooling rain, and a challenging route that brought competitors to an oasis in the middle of the rain forest," said Tim Holmstrom, race director, alluding to the pool and tropical lodge at the finish line where competitors relaxed before setting up their tents. "From grueling trail paths to the final water crossing – where competitors could either cross by swimming or using a hand trolley – this was far from a typical long-distance run."

Rising before dawn, competitors, volunteers and staff embarked on a bus ride to the race start at Quepos, a small, palm-tree lined beach town nestled along the coast. At exactly 10 a.m. CST, the field stampeded through town before battling forested hills, dusty valleys, and tropical rain forest.

Costa Rican Javier Montero, the 2008 TCC champion, finished first in the men's expedition category with a time of two hours and 49 minutes. Americans David James (2:51) and Scott Jurek (3:01) finished second and third, respectively.

“I felt fully immersed in the jungle” said Jurek, a first-time TCC competitor and one of the world’s premiere ultra runners. Jurek said he found the “bushwacking” portion of the course challenging, and noted that the jungle was deafening in terms of the noise coming from insects.

In the women's expedition field, Jaclyn Greenhill of the U.S. cruised to the top spot in a time of three hours and 47 minutes. Kelly Ridgway, also from the U.S., finished second (3:58), while Costa Rican Ligia Madrigal (4:03) took third. The expedition run - the cornerstone of TCC - pushes competitors over 237 kilometers in the ultimate test of will and determination.

Greenhill, who was soaking in the lodge’s natural pool after finishing, said she most enjoyed the water section and “cow-patty trails” of the first stage. She also noted she was traveling with her mother, Janet, who is participating TCC’s adventure tours.

Javier Sanchez of Costa Rica and Bill Butcher of the U.S. finished tied for first in the men's adventure category (4:09), while Adrienne Gordon of the U.S. and Carla Cesaroni of Canada tied for first (5:35) in the women's field. The adventure category offers a shortened, yet extremely challenging 125-kilometer route along the same terrain and landscape of the expedition run.

Team "No Artificial Ingredients" from Costa Rica took first in the team category. Also of note is Team Project Athena, a non-profit organization founded by five female adventure athletes who have each survived life-affirming struggles. Athena formed to grant the adventure-oriented wishes, or "Athenaships," to women who have experienced medical or traumatic setbacks. Athenaship recipient Sara Jones, a two-time cancer survivor, leads Team Project Athena at this year’s TCC.

With the first leg of the race complete, competitors turn their attention to day two, a daunting 39-kilometer stretch that will feature 2250 meters of elevation gain. The course will move from the Savegre Valley to Dominical Beach, leading competitors through more hills and several bodies of water. Tomorrow's route also features the week's first cutoff.

Check out daily pics, route book, and the leaderboard at www.tccadventures.com.

I'm outa here!

Well, the time has come to leave for my adventure. My action packer is organized and packed and we are so ready to be in Costa Rica. Please send me positive vibes and good thoughts, and prayers if you want to. I'll need all the help I can get! See you all in two weeks! Pura Vida!!

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.....

2 weeks to go, but who's counting.......

In 14 days The Coastal Challenge will start. I am so excited! I have begun packing my Action Packer, a large 24 gallon box that will serve as my suitcase with everything that I will need for the race put in it. Today I bought a tent and a travel alarm clock. I think I have enough food and I am trying to be good and only bring a few different running clothes. I should be able to rinse out my dirty clothes and re wear them so I don't over pack. Decisions, decisions, decisions. It's hard to figure out what exactly to bring when I have had no experience with anything like this.

Yesterday, Karen and I ran at Rodeo Beach in the Marin Headlands. We ran for almost 3 hours and it was a gorgeous day for the middle of January. We both wore short sleeve tops and never once felt cold. The sky was clear and the ocean just sparkled. About a half mile from the finish, we ran into Rick and John. They had just completed a
40 mile or so run. You know, just a jog in the park. John is running the Rocky Raccoon 100 in 3 weeks. It was nice to run with those guys. Both Rick and John are fast runners who live in San Francisco. They love to run in the Marin Headlands and know these trails like the back of their hands.

Today I went to the gym and did some free weights for a very short 15 minutes. I then got into the pool and swam for another 20 minutes. It felt so good to swim today. It has been months since I have been in the pool, but it felt wonderful. I think today was definitely a rest day.

The Coastal Challenge has a new updated website. Please go to here to check it out.

Suzanna Bon, my "twisted sister", finished the HURT 100 today. She came in as 2nd woman with an awesome time of 30:32! I will have to find out the details about her race as soon as she is conscious enough to talk! Have a wonderful weekend!

Training for TCC

Last Saturday's 10 hour planned run turned into a 7 hour run for me. 14 friends and I met at Rodeo Beach for a long day of running. This was to be Suz's last really long run before HURT 100. It was a beautiful day for a run. The sky was so clear and the city of San Francisco glistened in the distance. We all kept commenting on just what a perfect day it was.
It was 31 degrees at the start, so it was a bit nippy. It's funny how fast you warm up though, when you are running. Everyone ran different distances, with only Suzanna running the whole enchilada. I bailed with 3 hours to go, my PF and my right ankle kept reminding me that they were tired, so I decided to be smart and stop. My friend Pete gave me a ride back to my car at Rodeo Beach. I ran about 30 miles that day.

I got the most amazing camera for Christmas from Matt, but I didn't bring it along because I thought it might rain. Oh well, I think I will have to use a picture from Ricks blog to show you just how pretty the city looked.



Beautiful, huh? This pic was taken at the butt crack of dawn.

I ran with Wally today and I felt good. I saw a lot of Mountain Lion tracks on the trail and it always amazes me that we never see one. Suz did see one the other day at Annadel and she said it was just HUGE. She couldn't believe how long it's tail was. I'm jealous that she saw one on one of the days we didn't run together. Boo hoo.

24 more days to TCC. I can't wait. Staying injury free and healthy are so important now. I just read on the internet that Costa Rica had a big earthquake today. I just HATE when that happens! I hope that the earth stops shaking by the time we get there. Have a great day!

"Be willing to let anything happen" Dr. Wayne Dyer

With less than a month before TCC, I am preparing myself for an amazing adventure. We are required to bring a 24 gallon "action Packer", a large lockable box, to put everything in that we will need in the race. Figuring out my fuel needs and how much of this and that I will need is difficult. Taking care of my feet, fuel and hydration needs, and recovery are going to be very important. Trying to plan ahead for what I may need is crucial.

Tomorrow is a LONG run of about 10 hours. It will be slow, with the emphasis on, "time on my feet." Hopefully, the weather will hold out and the rain will wait until Sunday.
We will start at Rodeo Beach and proceed from there.

Happy New Years to everyone! I am assuming that you are starting to think about goals and races for this coming season. As usual, I want to continue on my path to good, if not better, health. I have a few personal goals too. Trying to be a better person certainly is one of them.

I will keep you posted on my race plans for TCC for those of you who are interested. Have a wonderful day tomorrow!