Going Back to Leadvile - Part I
Some blog posts and race recaps flow easily and are written quickly, but some are not. They sit there in draft form, stewing and brewing for a long time as if waiting for the perfect moment when the dish is perfectly done and the wine to accompany it has aged just enough.
My Leadville MTB 100 race recap is just such a post. I think it’s finally cooked and ready to be consumed. I was hoping to have it done right in time for the Leadville Lottery announcement on January 15, but missed my own deadline. Kate’s post about her (or more like our race) gave me the last push that I needed (you can read her post here).
Just for the record and before I jump in to my 2017 race - NO, I did not sign up for the 2018 lottery. I have other plans for 2018, but I am sure I will return to Leadville in the future.
Going back to Leadville was not an easy decision for me. Considering how my last race ended (you can read about that here, here and here it’s a 3 parts story).
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| Pre-riding the Leadville Course |
Committing Again
Rewinding to the end of December 2016. The clock is ticking, it’s the final hours leading up to the end of the Leadville 2017 lottery sign-up. I’m sitting and staring at my open computer screen, the registration form is all filled. Do I click the ENTER button or not? If I’m writing this blog post you know the answer already - of course I did.
Once again I didn’t get selected. I even accepted the fact that my chance for redemption will have to wait for 2018. I moved on, but not for long. At the end of March the Leadville obsession resurfaced. Again World Bicycle Relief came to the rescue with the opportunity to race with purpose and for something that was bigger than just me. Thank you WBR, I accept. Shortly thereafter, however, the doubts started.
Why Should This Time Be Any Different?
Why should this time be any different? I still live in the same flatlands, I still travel as much for work. It’s still in Leadville and it still will be cold.
It was time to take the best advice I ever heard and put it into good use - focus on what you can control. It was time to come up with a better plan. I took a long look at my 2016 preparation and race. What didn’t work and what worked well. How can I improve and come up with an actual plan. Something I can focus on to shut up the demons that were running and screaming in my head telling me I can’t.
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| Step 1 - Better Plan |
So step one - better plan.
I get into the details below in case you are actually reading this in preparation for your Leadville big day or any other big race in hope that it will be helpful. If this is not you, you can enjoy the photos and skip ahead.
Nutrition
That was the number one issue with my race. I knew I had to come up with a better plan this time. Staying hydrated and eating enough calories is key. After testing a few options I came up with a simple plan. Once again I chose a mix of calories through hydration and eating. I needed something that would make me want to drink even if it’s too cold or the altitude gets to me and I feel like I cannot drink. The chosen mix was Carbopro and OSMO. The Carbopro was for the lack of flavor and added calories. It is light on the stomach and was un-noticeable to me. The OSMO was for the light flavor and mainly the salty taste that made me want to keep drinking it even when I wasn’t feeling like it. I also liked the fact that OMSO has separate lines specific for men and women. Since I do not drink enough I cannot consume all my calories from drinking so to supplement this I used gels, as I discovered last year solid food like bars are impossible for me to eat with this type of effort and altitude. I like to use the bigger flasks for my gels, as it saved me the trouble and time of dealing with opening the wrapper and then discarding it. GU makes larger size gels that go into a gel flask that I mix it with a little water to make it more liquidy and easier to take while on the bike. The days leading up to the race and the morning, I also sipped on BetaRed.
I was planning on having a gel every 45 min but based on the priceless advice that I got from a 20 times Leadville finisher a few days before the race I adjusted it to every 30 min. No skipping no matter what. Thank you Elden for this solid advice!
Prepare for the Cold
Lesson learned from 2016. Sharon, you are not a racer and you are always cold. What was I thinking back in 2016? Prepare for the worst weather at the start and on the course. No more light gear and believing what others said, that I will warm up. Been there, done that. It didn’t work. But I still wanted to minimize stopping time.
So I was planned on wearing an extra layer that I don’t care about and can be easily tossed at an aid station or to Michelle. Size L windproof gloves to go over my regular gloves with chemical warmers in between. Same for the shoes. I may look ridiculous but I was hoping that at least I’ll be warm (or not freeze).
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| Power line hike-a-bike training |
Hike-A-Bike
I also needed to get stronger in pushing my bike uphill. On every long hike-a-bike section I feel like I’m losing so much time and so many people pass me. I prefer to ride as much as I can. So for this year’s Leadville I got a bike with the new SRAM Eagle system, a total game changer. Nevertheless, hike-a-bike is a necessary evil in a race like this and even with the Eagle I cannot ride the top of Columbine and the bottom part of Power Line. I needed to at least get better at it. How do I do this I asked Michelle? Well you need to work on your strength - calves, upper body, etc. OK, I do not like to go to the gym and lift, I really don’t like to do any strength at all. I tried. I won't do it by myself, at least not consistently, but I do love Yoga on the other hand. So this is what I did 3-4 times a week. I did at least 30 min of strength Yoga, and I could feel the improvement in my hike-a-bike “skills”. Thank you Amazon Prime videos!
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| First ride with Kate :-) |
Motivational pacer or in other words Kate
In 2016 there were long sections on the course that I felt so alone. Yes, there were a few other people around me but I still felt alone. The mind drifting to dark places, the pace drops for lack of focus. It’s part of the deal in such long endurance events. I know. But then I read all these stories of Rebecca Rusch pacing Matthew Dewitt, the Army hero who lost both his arms fighting in Iraq in 2003, or Elden (fatty) Nelson pacing his wife for her single speed course record. I was said out loud one day to Michelle: “wouldn’t it be great if I had someone like that to pace me and motivate me in the dark moments”. So I was so honored and happy when Kate agreed to be that person. I mean seriously being paced by the winner of her age group in 2016 that is also 15 years younger than me - what could go wrong here? Sounds like a good plan to me :-)
I also “raced” more this year (at least my version of it) and I figured 7 days of BC Bike Race in my legs will likely also help this flatlander develop slightly better climbing legs.
By then it was time to pack the car and head to Colorado. It was time
To go back to Leadville
And this time I felt more prepared.
Thanks for reading!
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