Valkyrie 50k Race Report

The Valkyrie Trail Race offered lots of different distances utilizing various loops in Cheyenne Mountain State Park.  It has been on my Race Bucket List for years but the elevation gain always intimidated me.  Well after I finished the Rattler 50k in April, I thought why not?! So, I signed up for the Valkyrie 50k on May 20th.  I also signed up because there was a chance I would get a puppy after school got out and I would be off of distance running for a while.  Why not squeeze in one more challenge before summer vacation?

The 50k course was big loop, little loop (soon to be known as the mud loop), big loop, little loop and little loop again.  They were very smart with their aide station placements because where they put the aide station in the big loop actually allowed runners to see it twice while out there.  Runners then ran to the aide station near the start/finish line and headed out on the little loop. 

               

The race trailhead is only 10 minutes from my sister's house; so, it was an easy morning. I dropped my gear bag, which was actually a plastic tub due to the weather forecast, at the nearby aide station.  I started at the back of the small pack of 50k runners which was heading out 30 minutes before the other distances.   We started by heading south then took a hard left heading up to our first big loop. It was a gradual runnable uphill in open fields towards the ridge. We spread out pretty quickly and I eventually found my groove. Unlike literally every other race, I actually started right away listening to something. I had downloaded the Yellow Runner’s podcast recap of the Cocodona 250. I did not know what to expect so I had a music backup plan however it was completely unneeded as I was immediately enthralled by her recount of that amazing race. (I’ll be honest, that seed had already been planted but now it is seriously taking root…NO not Cocodona! Come on people, you know me better than that- Heat is my kryptonite. Climbing used to be as well but I think I can recategorize it now as a nuisance.) 

         

Anyway, once we got into the trees it felt like we had transported to a different planet. It was so beautiful and forested there. From the course elevation map I was expecting big uphills and then big downhills however it was not like that at all. It was an undulating gradual uphill climb. There were some bits of very steep but mostly it was runnable. Okay I'll be honest, I was power hiking most of it but the downhills were gloriously not too steep and I had a lot of fun flying down. (I LOVE DOWNHILL! Seriously if anyone knows of a trail ultra that is mostly downhill, please let me know!)  

As I approached the aid station for a second time in the big loop I felt my pack and realized I was sucking down water. This is actually a good thing because the weather was muggy and I started profusely sweating within the first 3 miles and it never let up. I ended up drinking almost 5 liters throughout the race! Just after mile eight I made it back to the Start/Finish Line aide station where I refilled my hydration bladder and added more electrolytes. In good spirits and good time I headed out for my first time on the little loop. It quickly turned more technical than the last loop and a lot more muddy.  It was okay though because I was listening to the podcast still and everything was good. Little did I know that within a half mile I would enter the dreaded Mud Zone. This was not your ordinary sloppy mud; it was the cement kind. The kind of mud that creates layers upon layers on the bottom of your shoes creating cement galoshes trying to sink you. It was relentless and sadly on fairly flat sections that I was frustrated because I could have been running. In the middle of a long section of this I literally stopped and yelled into the sky out of frustration. The shoes got so heavy and the mud was just relentless.

It was exhausting and so so very slow. Once we got to a certain elevation the cement section was over thankfully. We continued on and this is when I heard a gobbling sound. I stopped dead in my tracks thinking I had lost my mind back in that cement section when I spotted up on a ridge a wild turkey staring at me. He might have been laughing. I took a picture and I swear he was watching me and laughing. I continued on and found myself heading back downhill and sadly back into more cement mud. When I reached the Aid Station to head back out to the big loop I couldn't believe that I would have to manage the mud twice more.  It was disheartening. 

At the Aid station I reloaded my pack with my honey Stinger Foods for my drop bag and continued on my way. I was looking forward to the beautiful large loop that was dry and forestry and almost magical. When I came into the aide station for the first time in this loop, I was greeted by three joyous volunteers that pointed out the two deer that were laying nearby. They were about ten feet into the brush and just watching us. I got a little giddy. I started heading up into the steeper section of the loop and just powered my way as runners were heading back down. We cheered each other on which I love about trail running. 

At some point during this, the podcast ended and I put on a music playlist. Even though the playlist was high energy, I realized after about a half hour that I was in a very negative mind loop thinking about the mud to come twice more and I was ignoring the music that I was listening to. So I put the Hamilton soundtrack on.  It did the trick because I followed along the story and those first few songs are just so powerful. You can't fight the good feelings. Seriously, it is a power boost.  Singing along snapped me out of my mud brooding.  Surprisingly fast, I got back down to the aid station. When I came in, I asked for anything not sweet. The only thing they had left was one single bag of Chex Mix. I took it and OMG it was perfect. Even those dark chips that I used to throw away as a kid were amazing. The crunchy salty goodness was exactly what I needed. 

About a half mile out I got a text from Kessel and AJ asking me when I thought I might finish. I predicted sometime around 3:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and let her know that I was at mile to 20.5. She asked if I was coming into the Aid Station and I said yes! She then let me know that they were there and would see me.  I got SO excited by this that I took off feeling jazzed to see friends. I got hugs, we took a picture, we complained about the mud…that I was about to do twice more, and I picked up a bag of Lay's chips.   

Thankfully the rumors were true. The trail had dried significantly and I did not end up with cement shoes. There was still lots of sloppy mud that splashed on top of my shoes and threatened to wet my socks but no more cement! It was a massive relief and greatly improved my mental space. I traveled along the trail trying to power through as best as I could. I finished the Hamilton soundtrack and moved on to music. When I came to the aid station one last time I really did wish that I could just go straight and finish but one more loop I had to do. The loop wasn’t that long in mileage but the finish line was just 30 yards in that other direction in sight and it was so tempting.  

I thanked the volunteer and headed out with another bag of Lay's potato chips for one last loop, one last climb up through the mud and over the rocks through the trees. Shortly after starting the last little mud loop, the thunder sounded and it started to drizzle. The forecast had called for rain and thunderstorms so I quickly pulled out the 99 cent poncho I had in my pack and put it on expecting a deluge from the sky above. However, it just pretended to rain drizzling for another 20 minutes when I finally said, “screw this” and took off the poncho.  About a half hour out from the finish, my aftershocks died but they lasted 8 hours and I thought that was pretty fantastic. I was so close to the finish line at this point that it was okay to be in my head for the last bit. Once I climbed that last ridge, I took a picture pointing to the finish line and sent it to Kirsten who was waiting for me to finish. I was so so close. I came across the finish line after 8 hours and 13 minutes. I am super happy with that time due to the mud, end of school year exhaustion, smoke from the Canada forest fires and generally not feeling my best.  I am really happy with my effort and the day. 

I hit the bathrooms at the finish line which were actual real bathrooms where I could wash my hands in a real sink. Then we headed to Urban Animal Brewery just down the road for some beers and tacos! I was ravenous and happy. It was a good day. 

TAKE AWAYS:

• Scary goals are worthy goals.

• I appreciate all the support from family and friends.  It means the world to me and I love you all. 

• The GasX totally helped with, what I FINALLY realize is, my standard bloating while running anything longer than 5 hours. 

• I knew my Achilles would be pissed with another big run so close to the Rattler 50k.  It took about a day but it settled down.  It’s time to figure this out and put a kibosh on it once and for all. I mean, I have goals! 

• Listening to the Hamilton Soundtrack always keeps me out of perseverating on things I can not control.  Maybe I should find a few more theater soundtracks!  Suggestions are welcome. 

• I need to stash salty snacks in my drop bags.