KATIE’S RACE REPORT: ABOVE THE CLOUDS 50K

Let me tell you about my epic race day on October 3rd!

I woke up at my childhood home and made the one-hour drive to the start line, arriving with plenty of time to warm up and enjoy the chilly mountain air. The race took place at over 8,000 feet in a town nicknamed "Above the Clouds." It was a pretty low-key event with around 60 runners. I grabbed my bib, and the race director gave us a quick briefing. He mentioned that the course differed slightly from the GPX file, so we needed to follow the course markers. He also found it funny that he couldn't get a permit for runners with 8L packs due to someone thinking we were a security risk.

Once we started, gloves were essential until the sun came up. I had a quick issue with my water bladder at mile 2, but got it sorted out after taking my pack off a few times. The first few miles on dirt roads were very runnable, and the views were incredible—Pikes Peak had received snow two days prior, which created a striking contrast against the yellow aspens.

Eventually, I reached the reservoir dam and took the 1.5-mile detour around it to the aid station where my husband was supposed to meet me with some second half goodies.  I ended up beating him there, waited a few minutes, and took off—missing him by just one minute!

The second half of the race was tougher, filled with PUDs -"pointless ups and downs"- as we looped around the reservoir. The final 10 miles went by quickly as I chatted with other runners and pushed through tired legs. My husband cheered me on at two spots during this stretch, which was a very welcome sight.

The race wrapped up with a technical 3.6-mile downhill section featuring cobblestones on a steep slope. After navigating that, I hit the final stretch of asphalt and crossed the finish line!

It was a tough course, but I managed to finish in the top 10 among the women. I was just happy to be out enjoying the beautiful fall colors. Thanks to your coaching, I felt well-prepared and recovered quickly. You've officially made me an ultra runner!