The Challenge at The Coastal Challenge

Sitting at my computer, reflecting on my experience at TCC, it is hard to put into words the experience that I had. Of course I am disappointed that I was unable to complete the race. I ran 4 of the 6 days and was not feeling great for 3 of those days. It's just the way it is. Nothing I could have done about it. Several runners were down with vomiting, diarrhea, fever and body aches. It was crazy to see the chaos that this illness brought. I think I had it mild compared to many people. So disappointing and so hard to except.

The experience was great despite all the problems Tamara and I had with these flu like symptoms. Lot's of laughs and tears. The people we met, the places we ran and saw, the animals, the race.....priceless.

I'll never forget the rugged Rainforest trails, navigating through mud, vines and beautiful plants and greenery. I'll never forget the animal that hissed at me and spit either fluid or air, (maybe both), on me and caused me to scream into an already loud Jungle. Swimming with my pack on as the waves of the ocean pulled me down steam. The huge bug in my drink, was it a crab? The night we used our head lamps to look for crocodiles and we found them. Their big eyes illuminated by our lights. The stars that were so bright and clear in a perfectly perfect sky. I'll never forget the people. The Costa Rican hospitality. The CR runners that would so graciously offer a hand to me, while racing, when the footing was slippery and the water so crazy. Making sure I got out of a precarious position safely. The European runners with their skimpy booty shorts....funny! The coffee!! The beautiful birds and the incredible beaches with not a soul on them. The warm, bath like water that soothed my aching body and restored my soul. And lastly, the wonderful friends I met. Gillian and Martin, Alec and Jorge. Best friends forever.

A stage race like this is more of an adventure race than just a running race. Many different experiences than you would ever find in an average race. I think it is much more difficult than running a 100 miler. The day after day of difficult footing and heat and humidity. Our meals were made for us. Last time I enjoyed the eggs, rice, beans and fruit. This time it was hard to comprehend eating those meals with an upset stomach. Everyday it was basically the same meal, only a different combination of the same food. Rice for dinner and rice pudding for dessert. What is tolerable one day is totally intolerable the next. Foot care is prudent in the jungle. When your feet are wet continuously, you must take every precaution that you can to prevent blisters. Pre taping is a must. My drymax socks worked perfectly and I am happy to report that I had no blisters at all. Keeping hydrated is also very important. Good fueling and taking electrolytes are a number one priority. Being dehydrated or low on electrolytes could cost you the race or worse. You must keep on your toes in a race like this. Always thinking and making decisions. Stage races are great. I think I like them. No, I think I LOVE them. Sickness got me this time, but I will be back to do another one. Life is too short, don't waste it. PURA VIDA.

Day 4: The Revenge of the Borucas

Today's course is titled "The Revenge of the Borucas" because of its location in what used to be the home to the Borucas Indians. The roller-coaster route is difficult and some say that it's a twisted version of trick or treat.

Earlier this morning many of the runners experienced The Revenge of the Borucas personally as they possibly drank polluted water that has made them very sick. By the first Aid Station, many couldn't go on... and officially dropped out, including Kelly and her running friend, Tamara.

Of course, she feels sad and depleted, but she experienced three great days of running and if she feels well enough by tomorrow, she and Tamara will join those on the Adventure Run.

Kelly feels deeply grateful and rediculously lucky to have had this kind of experience woven into her soul. I can hardly wait to see the photos.

I am sincerely wishing all the runners improved health in a hurry.

I wish you strength. I wish you hope. I wish you relief. I wish you a perfect new day.

love, Shawn

A letter from Kelly "I'm Alive and Well"

Hi! This is Shawn, Kelly's sister.

It's tough to write a blog for her when I have so little knowledge to report.

The Coastal Challenge website has so little information as you know if you've gone there to visit.

But I do know this.
I know Kelly is feeling totally free and totally connected to the earth and god and the sky and the jungle. I can only imagine, at the end of each day of running her heart out, as the rushing waters wash off the mud and sweat, she must think back to her day and feel completely humbled and honored as a guest in that sacred land. One of those spiritual mystical times that words have no ability to describe.

I would like to share with you an email Kelly wrote yesterday afternoon to family and friends:

January 31, 1:00 pm

Hey everyone,

I just finished my second day and finished 4th woman. It was very hot and humid today and the climbs were brutal. The end was a swim across water at the beach. A beautiful way to finish this stage. But first off, I want to tell you about day 1.

The start was at 10am and was already baking hot.

I felt quite good though and finished at the Rafiki Lodge.

The Rafiki Lodge is set in the middle of the Rainforest and it is such a beautiful place to stay. The bugs were terrible last night though and as the evening went on it only got hotter and more humid. I had to laugh thinking about you, Matt, you would of literally died last night. It was so flippin hot. I even found myself complaining about it.

One of the Costa Rican guys told us to make sure we keep the tent zipped up to prevent any snakes from getting in. It did not keep the bugs out though and they swarmed my face all night.

It was a cold night and without anything warm I just about froze to death. Tonight I am borrowing a blanket.

I paid for 5 massages and I just finished my 2nd one. They are the best massages I have ever had.

The dogs here are wild and like to chase you through the villages. I almost got trampled from about 15 horned cows that were running behind me and it was scary because I was on a narrow trail.

Ive taken a lot of pictures, so I think you will all enjoy them.

I am having a wonderful time. I feel totally blessed to be able to be here.

Thanks, Pat, for the tent. It is working out beautifully! I hope you are all doing well. I miss you all very much. Being here and doing this race is just incredible.

I know this email is really jumping around, but I am tired and not able to think very well. I have a lot to say but no energy to say it. I will save it all for when I get home. I love you all!!!

---

To read what Jen Segger (placing in 2nd at this point) has to say about her experience, you can read about it here. She writes a really wonderful blog describing her experience running the coastal challenge. I tried to comment on her blog, but comments are only open to her team.

Thanks for reading and for supporting Kelly!

Coastal Challenge starts tomorrow

Today was quite a busy here in Costa Rica. After a nice breakfast, Tamara, Alec and I went into the city. It was busy and full of lots of activity. We walked through an open air market and bought some fresh coffee to bring home. Being the dumb blond that I am, I said to Alec, "this place looks like we are in a foreign country." To which he replied, "I guess thats because we ARE in a foreign country." Wow, did I feel stupid!

Tonight the runners were entertained with beautiful dancing girls and young men drumming. The girls were in skimpy outfits with feathered stars high on their backs. It was quite entertaining. Immediately after, Rodrigo and Tim (race directors), gave us a long winded race briefing. It sounds like it will be very hot and humid and more mud than we could ever imagine.

There are runners from London, Canada, Spain, Costa Rica, USA, Bermuda and Austria. Everyone is very excited. I am so thankful to be here. We will be up early to bring our action packers full of our gear to the trucks at 5am. We will leave at 5:30 am for the start. A long bus ride of 3 hours and then we will begin this adventure from Quepos.

We have met so many nice people here. That is always the great part of races. Meeting exciting adventurous people. Risk takers, people who are not afraid to push themselves. I love that so much. I feel so alive when I am pushing myself. Many of you who read this blog know exactly what I mean.

To my family, thank you for allowing me to follow my dreams. I will be smiling despite being uncomfortable. I know that I am so lucky. So blessed. Chelsea, this race is for you my sweet daughter. You know why. For everyone else, I will think of you all and be thankful and send good thoughts and prayers your way. Getting through any race always takes a positive attitude and a thankful heart, I will have both of those things.

So, now it is time to repack. Yes, once again. Happy running, my friends......

Yes!!

Tamara and I arrived to San Jose, Costa Rica last night. It was a long day of travel but we made it here safely. We got up early and took a 20 minute run through the city. The smog and noise of honking horns is terrible. Everyone drives like they are in a huge hurry and motorcycles whiz by like bees. The weather here is warm and sticky. We both have gone through our stuff probably a 100 times and I still can´t find anything. My organizational skills are the pits. Tamara brought enough food and electrolytes for an army, so if I need anything I know where to find it. I am so excited to be here and thankful for the opportunity to run this amazing race again. I have found peace with myself about my knee injury and will just go out and enjoy the adventure. I was so hoping to have been in great shape going into this race, but it wasnt meant to be. This will be a test of patience. Yes.....patience. I dont understand that word very well. The weather is too nice to be sitting here at the computer, so off to the pool! Pura Vida!!

The Coastal Challenge

Tomorrow I leave for Costa Rica to embark yet again on an amazing 6 day adventure through the Rainforest. Getting to the start line this year has been difficult. First with my knee injury and lastly a bad fall yesterday that has left my arm and shoulder less than "zesty". This is the way it is with athletes sometimes. Sometimes getting to the start line is more difficult than actually running the race. So many things can happen. So, with that said, whoever said it is better to go into a race under trained than over trained, I'm here to prove that theory! The Coastal Challenge Rainforest Run is set along Costa Rica's tropical Pacific coastline but weaves at times into the Talamancas, a coastal mountain range in the Southwest corner of the country. The finish is near the border of Panama. The terrain is jungle and rainforest trails, mountain trail and single track across ridgelines, highlands and coastal ranges; beaches, rocky outcroppings and reefs, river and estuary crossings, and ends in Corcovado National Park, one of the premier rainforest experiences in the world. The race starts on Sunday, Jan. 30th and ends on Friday. Feb. 4th. If you would like to follow along, you may do so on my Blog at www.ridgrunner.blogspot.com. My sister Shawn will update it as she can. Or: 1) TCC Coverage Blog

2)TCC Facebook
3) TCC twitter
Thanks everyone! Please keep me in your thoughts. I may suffer out there, but I will be smiling!

I can't believe that on Thursday I leave for Costa Rica for The Coastal Challenge, a six day stage race in Costa Rica. My action packer (a 24 gallon gear container), is getting filled. I think I have everything that I need, but as unorganized that I am, I need to check and recheck several times. Needless to say, I am pumped up! I am disappointed that I am not going into the race as I would have liked. My knee is still not perfect. I do have three more PT appointments and hopefully, it will be much better when I toe the starting line. I also am going into the race with a 6 week taper due to this injury. Very limited running since Dec. 4th. Ugh! Not ideal, not good.......crap! Oh, well, that's life as a runner. Sometimes that is just the way it is. So.......that said.......I'm going to do the best that I can with what I have. I am believing in the old saying, " It's better to be undertrained than overtrained." I'll let you know how that works for me. The race starts on January 30th and finishes on February 4th. My sister will update my blog while I am gone.

Yesterday, my brother and I powerhiked and ran one of my new favorite trails. Lots of climbing, but worth the sweat. Then Matt and I went to the city for the day to celebrate our 12th anniversary. It was a clear beautiful day and we had a great time. Today promises another beautiful day and I hope to get out for an afternoon run. Make today count and get out and enjoy the day. "Don't say, 'The day will come.' Bring the day!"
Lyricist, Jakob Rotblit

Tomorrow is a 5 hour run with good friends. It will be a good test for my injured knee, that's for sure. I've been going to physical therapy 3x per week, and I think it may be helping. My knee is certainly better than two weeks ago and I am hoping that it will be 100% in another two weeks.

Last night and tonight I practiced putting up my tent and then taking it down. I will have to be comfortable taking it down in the pitch dark in Costa Rica, so I figure it is time to practice. Lots of things to get together for The Coastal Challenge and I am starting to get really excited.

I am frequently asked about the spiders and snakes in Costa Rica. I absolutely hate spiders and I'm not exactly happy to think about the possibility of getting bit by a snake in the Rainforest either. Two years ago while racing there, I just didn't let myself think of such things that slither in the jungle. Over 130 different snake species make Costa Rica their home, and this includes some of the world's most deadly. Bushmasters, coral snakes, and the REALLY dangerous fer-de-lance are famous. The scary thing is that these fellows generally live in the jungles hot spots and are generally shy, but there is an exception.

There are also boa constrictors which I am told are not venomous and thus not so dangerous. Still, anything that can squeeze me tighter than my boyfriend is never going to be on my favorite things list.

The fer-de-lance is absolutely deadly, and even if you survive, it inflicts a permanent necrosis to tissue that can be life crippling.

Like most snakes, it prefers to be left alone, but it does sometimes bite humans with little provocation. The fer-de-lance bites several hundred people each year in Costa Rica, mostly those agricultural workers who are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Only about six people in Costa Rica die from the fer de lance.

Because of the ready availability of antivenin produced at the Clodomiro Picado Institute, which makes much of the antivenin used in Central America, deaths from snake bites are low. At the Clodomiro Picado Institute, over 200 snakes, including the fer-de-lance, are "milked" to produce antivenin.

Today is my son, Calebs 25th Birthday. Hard to believe that 25 years ago today, such a beautiful, perfect, little boy was born to me. I will be forever grateful that I was chosen to raise him. An amazing young man and such a loving, responsible 25 year old. I am so lucky!

Enjoy the three day weekend, everyone. The weather here is suppose to be great. I am sure looking forward to it. Get out and do something fun. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life.

Trials and Tribulations of a long distance runner

In less than 3 weeks I will be in beautiful Costa Rica for The Coastal Challenge. I am excited but filled with trepidation. My knee injury is healing ever so slowly. I bought a brace for it and tried it out today and for about 20 minutes, I almost forgot that I was injured :( What should be a big week of quality training is just turning into a week of slow, calculated jogging. WTF! I am really bummed to say the least. But what can I do? Then, to make matters worse, my tick bite from Dec. 31st, decides to go bad. Real bad. So, off to the urgent care center to pick up some antibiotics and hopefully no problems down the road. Wow, when life throws you lemons......I have no choice but to make lemonade!
"We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails." Founder of the Great Plains Black Museum- Bertha Calloway
I think this quote is telling me to take this knee situation that is less than idea, and adjust my attitude so that I can have a great time in Costa Rica no matter what happens.

Now, if you will excuse me, I need to take my antibiotic, some celebrex, rub my knee with voltaren gel (after icing it, I might add), stretch.........and hit the hay. 3:45 am comes quickly these days. Have a happy Monday!!

Next up? The Coastal Challenge in Costa Rica!!

Happy New Year everyone! 2010 was a great year and I am excited about the possibilities in 2011! My three kids were home for Christmas and Caleb brought home his girlfriend, Rubia for us to meet. I love it when we can all be together.

On December 31, my friend and co-worker, Theresa, succumbed to cancer. She was 54 years old. She will be missed by her many friends and family. She was an amazing person and I feel honored to have worked with her for many years. Theresa's death is just another reminder to live life to the fullest. We never know when our time is up.

A few weeks ago I found out that I got into UTMB. I still can't quite believe it! It will be both Matt and I's first time in Europe. I am really excited to start my training for that race, but first up is TCC!! It's hard to imagine that I will be in Costa Rica in one month. I can't wait for the Rain forest Adventure to unfold. My training has been on hold due to an injury I sustained in a car accident before Christmas where I bashed my knee into the dashboard. I had my knee injected with steroids, iced it till the cows came home, eaten Celebrex like it was candy, and still it is painful. I am hopeful that it will be back to 100% soon. I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed. I want to go into the race feeling strong. Physical therapy starts at the end of the week, so we shall see. "Hope is the feeling that the feeling you have isn't permanent." ~Joan Kerr