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I was excited this morning to get out of bed at 5:45am to join up with my weekly riding buddies out to the Marin Headlands. There were four of us total on our weekly loop in the mountains. I was looking forward to sharing my experience at Leadville, but it turned out to be a fast paced ride, leaving me with few words as I gasped for air.
If anyone's interested in going us we meet at the Golden Gate Bridge visitors center, Tuesdays (usually), 6:15am sharp. Were a fast group so no newbies please.
Today's ride felt like the first fully recovered from Leadville ride all week. I rode through Mill Valley and connected to the old railroad grade that goes up to the top of Mt. Tam. It's a monster of a climb topping out with 2k of climbing over five miles. It's not steep, but it's gradual and long.
I escaped the San Francisco fog and was greeted with glorious sunshine the moment I crossed into Marin. I was burning up, and by the end of the day I acquired a new sun tan, the helmet vent tan line. I thought it was dirt at first, but I had been in the direct sunlight for so long it burned a nice little pattern on my forehead.
Having my full-suspension was great, and it made me think twice about having a hard tail again, but there were many moments where I wish I had a lighter rig. However, the Coastal View descent was not one of them. I was flying today. At around mile 30 I started to feel the fatigue in my legs and decided to back off the power a bit. I really threw myself on the railroad grade.
Feels good to have my power back in my legs. Just need to recover a bit more after this ride, and I should be back to top shape. The racing season is coming to a close. September has a bunch of races in the area, but I don't know how many I'll be able to do. One or two more would be great.
I did an early morning Marin Headlands ride. Seeing if being at altitude for so long had an affect on my riding. It sure did! I set a new personal record going up the Miwok trail, almost besting my buddy Steve's time, even on a full-suspension mountain bike. It's only been a few days since Leadville, and I should be doing more active recovery rides, but oh well. It was fun anyways. However, I suffered the rest of the day, trying to stay awake.
If you finish the Leadville Trail 100 in under nine hours you get the big gold & silver belt buckle. Having your name called to come up and receive one was quite special to me. I'm already looking forward to earning my next one.
I finished the Leadville 100 in 8 hours and 21 minutes! 103 miles with close to 12,000' of total climbing. I've been training for a sub-nine hour race and beat my expectations by a long shot. I felt great all day and thought I could go under 8 hours, but got cooked with 20 miles left to go. I managed to ride the entire Columbine climb as well as Powerline coming back. I finished 120th overall out 1,700 finisher (a bunch more still out on course), 37th out of 350 in my age category alone. I had the best crew support with me and had a great day overall. Stay tuned for a full race recap. Time for a celebratory beer!
Eat, sleep, ride, repeat. This has been my entire week leading up to today. It's been incredible spending this much time in Colorado, acclimatizing, riding and meeting new people along the way. The race is about to unfold, and all the training, all the hours put into this past year is about to pay off. Stay tuned, and hopefully you'll hear from me in less than nine hours.
Today was the last day I'd be able to pre-ride the Leadville course. I decided to take it very easy, spinning most of the way though. I started on 6th (race start), and made my way up to the top of St. Kevins, back down and to the inbound finishing trail, which proved to be more difficult than I had thought. It starts out as dirt road, then to a rocky double track, then a long gradual climb up a rocky road before turning back to dirt road, then it's on to the finish.
On my way back into town I spied the Specialized race tent. I'm pretty sure these guys are staying in the same lodge as I am in Breckenridge. I know for certain Christoph Sauser is around, having seen his laptop name pop up on the lodge network, but no actual sighting of the legend. I did see his old team-mate Alban Lakata on course yesterday. I think the race is going to go to either of them.
I came into town early so I could pick up my race packet and do the on-site medical check-in. To my surprise the line went clear around the block. The line moved quickly where I was able to pick up my race number (#519). I'll be starting in the silver corral group, just behind the pros near the front. I achieved this placement because of my qualifying time at the Tahoe qualifier.
Leadville course recon complete! I rode the section from Powerline down to Twin Lakes and back, 40 miles and a couple thousand feet of climbing. While it may not look like much on paper it's actually a rather grueling stretch of road, double track and single track. It does offer some recovery after the first third of the course, and will provide some moments to draft off people.
Having ridden the entire course I can put my mind at ease. Stringing together the entire course mentally will play to my advantage. I now know when and where I can push my pace. I'm still sticking to my game plan of riding conservatively all the way to the top of the Columbine climb and see what I have left heading back to the finish.
I tagged along with a nice couple from New York. It was their first time doing Leadville, too, but they've volunteered the year before. We got turned around a couple of times because the course wasn't well marked. I relied heavily on my Garmin route to show us the way. We split off once we got the Pipeline aid station.
The flat expanse of Colorado is so amazing to look at. The weather has been amazing the entire week, and I hope it stays that way. The rain from a couple of days ago helped with trail conditions, but there were quite a few huge puddles to navigate around.
There's a fast and tight single track just a few miles outside of the Pipeline aid station. It's not very long, but it's really fun and fast. I'm wondering how it'll go down when we've got the leaders going up as the rest of the thousands of riders are going down.
The ride back was great. I figured most people were either pre-riding Columbine or St. Kevins pass, having passed only a handful of riders, granted it's the middle of the week. Today was also the first time I feel like the acclimation is turning in my favor. My breathing has returned back to normal, but I can feel it whenever I push myself beyond tempo.
There's not much more prep I can do. Today I picked up my race day nutrition, consisting of a lot of Hammer Gel, Gu Chops, Gu Brew and energy drinks. I stopped in at the Leadville race headquarters and picked up a nice Leadville commemorative jersey. I'll be back in the morning to pick up my race packet and do the medical check-in.
Breckenridge has got to be the mecca for mountain biking. Every corner of the city has a trailhead to one great ride after another. I'll definitely have to consider the Breck Epic stage race sometime in the future. Unfortunately is starts the day after the Leadville Trail 100. This morning I did Wheeler Pass and climbed 4,400' over 28 miles. Peak 9 ascends 2,757 in just 5.4 miles. What was supposed to be an easy day for me turned into an epic ride up and over the mountain pass.
The climb up was really hard. Staring with a gradual grade up a ski slope I found myself not fully acclimated or recovered from the past couple of days. The view is amazing, though. I was happy to see other riders out and about, two of which were trying to catch up to me.
The gentle grade gradually turned into a rocky steep series of switchbacks towards the top. I dialed my suspension a littler softer, which really helped smooth out the ride and grip the loose terrain. This is definitely harder than the Columbine climb from yesterday.
The clouds are quickly rolling in, and I'm worried I came unprepared, concerned for being caught in a rain or hail storm. It's really exposed, and the temperature dropped at least ten degrees, but I'm almost to the top of the ridge line where I can drop down the other side into the safety of trees.
I came across a photographer who mistook me for someone who was pre-riding a stage of the Breck Epic. He was actually waiting for the pair of riders just behind me, photographing them for the website and promo materials.
The single track on the backside was really fun. It was long and very technical. My hands started to cramp up from braking so much. It was hard focusing on the trail with the incredible view of the mountains to my left. The end of the descent intersects a rather long paved bike path that runs all the way from Breckenridge to Vail. I'm about a third of the way through my ride. Frisco is just north before turning onto the Peaks trail back to Breckenridge.
The ride back was somewhat punishing. It's a rolling technical single track 10 miles north of Breckenridge. I took my time and soaked in the scenery. The rain from yesterday really packed the soil down making trail conditions exceptional.
I'm four days out from race day, and I'm feeling better and better everyday. Tomorrow I hope to preview the flat section from the Powerline descent over to Twin Lakes. From there I'll be able to mentally piece together the entire Leadville course.
This trip so far has been quite incredible. Eat, sleep, ride, repeat for a straight week. Nothing to do but focus on my fitness, nutrition plan and race course. I'm excited for my wife and good friend to fly in on Friday.
Today I rode up the dreaded Columbine climb. It starts at 9,200' and tops out at 12,400' in five miles. It's a long and tortuous gradual climb where the air gets thinner and thinner as you go up. My heart rate was telling me one thing, while my breathing was telling me something else. I do feel better than I did yesterday, but I know I need to keep my effort low. Easier said than done.
This is the halfway point of the Leadville course. I plan on riding conservatively up till this point, hopefully leaving enough in the tank to get me home and under nine hours. Having pre-ridden most of the hardest sections of the course I'm feeling a shaky about my finish time. As long as I continue to acclimate and ride strong throughout the week I'll be in a good place by Saturday.
It starts out somewhat exposed before the climb picks up at the base of Columbine. The landscape just keeps rolling as far as the eye can see. The majority of the climb follows a tree-lined fire road, gradual at first, but really picks up towards the end, ranging from 6-17% grades.
You're completely exposed to the elements once you're near the top. It isn't easy getting up here either. It's really loose and rocky. I managed to ride up the entire way without hiking any of the sections, but that's with somewhat fresh legs. Who knows what will happen come race day. Also, since it's an out and back format, everyone has to stay to the right, regardless of terrain.
A storm is approaching and I'm just about to the turn around point. The view up here is spectacular, and I'm glad I got to enjoy out without the stress of racing.
All smiles here, for now. My riding buddy, Dereck, took this picture of me. I met Dereck yesterday on our way down St. Kevins. He came in second place overall at the Leadville qualifier in Wilmington, NY. Impressive! He's super fast and has been a great riding partner.
The downhill back was so much fun. Really sketchy at the top, but thankfully I have full-suspension to help me through the rough spots. I just pointed straight down and let it rip. My tire choice is perfect for the entirety of the course, fast and grippy. My plan is to eat as much solid food at the top before the long descent down.
The ride was perfectly timed, having beat out a storm that just started as we were finishing up.
I've been enjoying my Subaru Outback rental. Lots of capacity and power.
However, this has got to be the coolest ride I've seen in Colorado so far. Classic.
Tomorrow I may take a rest day, but I'm compelled to ride the flat section from Powerline to Twin Lakes. It's the only section I haven't pre-ridden, but I may just save myself for later and try riding some local trails here in Breckenridge. I wish I had another week to see it all.
I made it to Leadville this afternoon and pre-rode the first third of the course. I definitely wasn't the only one out on the trail today. I ran immediately ran into a group just before the first dirt road outside of town, and made friends with a guy named Scott from Arizona. It was also his first time doing the Leadville 100. We did St. Kevins before running into two more guys pre-riding the course. We all rode up Sugarloaf Pass and down into the Powerline descent.
My bike is solid, with the exception of a few squeaks here and there from a dry drivetrain. Everyone I talked to about race-rigs agreed that my Specialized Epic was the way to go. While not the lightest setup amongst the group it was definitely the fastest and most comfortable on the descents, something that'll be a major factor over the course of a 100 miles.
I forgot my heart rate monitor strap at the lodge, so I couldn't record my effort. All I know is that I was definitely in zone 4 for the majority of the ride. The altitude is really affecting me. I started the day with a minor headache and shortness of breath. I could tell my heart-rate was elevated, which means I have to back off on the power and spin more.
The long descent from St. Kevins, followed by a short climb up to the start of Sugarloaf pass. This will be a make or break section on the way back.
Off-roading gone wrong. These guys were trying to drive up a steep stone grade and got stuck.
Turquoise Lake stretches below, separating St. Kevins and Sugarloaf Pass. It was really beautiful and exposed to the elements. The climb up Sugarloaf was really loose and rocky. While not as steep as St. Kevins it makes up for being more technical.
Just before the Powerline descent. It turns out to be a lot more gnarly than I thought. It's loose, and extremely fast. You have to make sure to pick the best line, otherwise the deep ruts will swallow your front wheel. I'll be riding down this very conservatively, giving the guy in front of me enough room. That way I'll be able to see the right line.
The course so far lives up to its name. There's a lot of climbing right off the bat, and it'll be important for me to pace myself early on. Some of the steep descents, such as the road descent from St. Kevins and the Powerline, will be daunting being towards the end of the race. My plan is to race conservatively all the way up to the Columbine mine climb, gauging to see if I have enough to push harder through the second half. Tomorrow I'll be previewing the Twin Lakes aid station and climbing to the top of Columbine.
I arrived in Colorado safely and without any mishaps. I flew into Denver and picked up my rental car, which I upgraded to a full-sized Subaru Outback, a familiar and reasonable choice for the mountains. Plus, I don't think my bike bag would have made it into a smaller car without fold down seats.
The drive to Breckenridge was pretty epic. Despite having driven through most of it in the twilight, I could see the high ridges looming overhead. I started to feel overwhelmed by the thought of starting my day 9,800' above sea-level, and climbing these very mountains throughout the week.
Tomorrow I'm driving down to Leadville to pre-ride the first section of the course, a whopping 30 mile loop around St. Kevins and Sugarloaf Pass, finally dropping down the infamous Powerline descent before heading back into town. My goal is to ride at a comfortable pace without completely blowing up. I'm anticipating my heart rate to creep into zone 5 considering all the initial climbs. Pre-riding anything will give me a mental edge and the confidence in knowing when and where to push myself.
It feels great to be back in Colorado. The last time I was here was less than a year ago, right before I got married. I did a road trip with two of my good friends, one of which was moving from New York to California. It was the first time I had driven across the country, but it wasn't my first time in Colorado. We did some hiking in the world's highest sand dunes, and camping in the Rocky Mountain National Forest.
These guys are crazy. I love the sport of mountain biking because it has so many facets. I love the adventure of exploration, pushing myself beyond the limits, competition, fitness, the gear, the design of it all, the zen nature of being alone in nature, focusing on the trail and your breathing. It's so simple, riding a bike, yet so complex. Some people get, others don't, and that's cool, too.
As I begin to pack for my trip to Colorado I can't help but think fondly of my recent awesome weekend in Tahoe. I rode the gondola up the mountain in the photo above, watching downhillers fly down the trail. I felt stupid for not taking advantage of the lifts. I'm hoping to find great trails in Breckenridge.
I haven't ridden much this week so far, other than my commutes to work. I'm trying to get as much rest and recovery before I head up to high altitude.
I started my weekend with a nice ride with my wife down the Great Highway and back. It was her first real ride on her new Specialized Amira, as well as her first time riding on clip less pedals. She did really well! I was also testing out some new Speedplay Zero's along with a new set of road shoes.
Later in the afternoon I went out again and put in a good ride around the Marin Headlands. Despite not feeling fully recovered from my race last weekend I managed to put in a strong effort, besting my last time around Coyote Ridge.
This weekend will be my last block of strong training before I head out to Colorado. I'll spend the rest of the coming week doing easier rides, ramping up to some bigger ones once I get to Breckenridge. It's important that I feel rested going into high altitude. I'm not sure how it'll affect me, but I want to ease into it.
My bike is pretty much set up to perfection for Leadville. I've got the perfect tires, optimal suspension setup, controls dialed in and drivetrain in working order. However, anything can happen, but I'll be fully stocked and prepared for anything that may go wrong.
Been having a hard time finding my rhythm this week. Since the race on Sunday I haven't been able to fully recover, despite having a great ride up the Miwok trail to the very top this evening. I did my normal loop around the Marin Headlands. Work has been somewhat stressful, and the only way for me to de-stress is to ride, but I haven't been excited about riding because I'm burned out from work. Hopefully I'll have more time to relax and recover by the start of the weekend.
I reluctantly rolled out of bed at 5:40am this morning and threw on my kit, but as soon as I stepped out into the cool morning air I felt refreshed and ready to tackle the trails. On Tuesdays I meet up with a group of friends at the Golden Gate Bridge at 6:15am on the dot for a loop around the Marin Headlands. It was a solid recovery ride for myself and my friend David, who also raced on Sunday.
What an incredible weekend. I came to Truckee, CA and entered the Tahoe Trail 100k Leadville qualifier. Having trained hard for over a year now it all came together at the right time. I finished 11th overall out of 239 racers, 9th in my respective age category, and just ahead of three-time Leadville Trail 100 champion, Rebecca Rusch. More importantly I rightfully earned a spot in the Leadville Tail 100, otherwise known as the Race Across the Sky! I finished the 60 mile course in four hours and 36 minutes, just three minutes outside of the top 10. What made the experience even more special was the opportunity to ride and hang out with the legends of Leadville, Dave Weins and Rebecca Rusch.
I felt great (relatively) throughout the entire race. Having pre-ridden the course on Friday and a bit on Saturday it gave me a bit more confidence, knowing when and where to push myself. The course started out with mass roll-out along paved road leading up to the Northstar Resort, followed by a long and steep three-mile climb up the face of the mountain slope. I knew now wasn't the time to find positioning, as we all had a long day ahead of us. I had a feeling everyone was jockeying for position and will ultimately pay the price. I saw Rebecca Rusch just ahead of me and decided to ride her wheel and pace her for the first lap.
The problem for not being at the absolute front of the pack was the dust. The morning sunrise, coupled with the dust, made it nearly impossible to see three feet in front of you. I relied heavily on the rider in front of me, and blindly flew around the corners. Eventually the dust got so bad I had to take off my riding glasses because they were caked in sweat and dust.
The single-track was followed by a long and fast fire road descent where I picked off a few more riders that didn't have high-speed finesse. Having had a bad track record of crashes on fast descents I knew I was taking a risk, but wanted to get ahead of as many people as I could before the next section of tight single-track.
Halfway through the first lap is where we start to climb again before hitting a short paved section. I knew I could make up some time as long as I kept my heart rate at tempo and didn't power too hard. Spinning up the hills was my plan as I didn't want to blow up or cramp too early.
On hand I had two bottles of energy drink for the entirety of the race, along with my usual Clif bar(s) and energy gels. I also carried a Park multi-tool and spare tube, something I normally don't carry, but I couldn't' risk being stuck out on course, especially for one so long.
The latter half of the course was a lot more technical and fast, ending with a long gradual climb to the finish/lap line. The last three and half miles was a Strava Segment Challenge, where I sit in the top 25. Having been in contact with the chase group of the leaders, which included Rebecca Rusch, I finally caught and overtook them at the beginning of the last climb of the first lap. I decided now was the perfect time to put some distance between myself and the group.
The final lap was much different from the first. Having dropped a large group of riders I was on my own. It was great not having all the dust, which gave me an advantage. I took my time and made up some while descending. I rode alone for more than half of the final lap until I was overtaken by someone. I feared I was losing time to the entire group I just dropped, but ortunately he was the only one that motored by.
More than halfway through I finally caught up to someone and paced him for the latter half of the last lap. I was dangerously running low on water and quickly ran out within a few miles, but I didn't want to stop for anything. I knew I had enough left in my tank to power through to the end. I passed the rider and kept a close eye on him, not sure how he was doing. On one of the final descents, going around a gravel turn, I completely washed out, but managed to catch myself from wiping out.
Halfway through the final climb I looked over my shoulder and made sure I had put enough distance between myself and the rider I had just passed. I had convincingly dropped him and passed a couple more riders, but glanced over my shoulder for safe measure. At the corner of my eye I caught the color of red and white and realized Rebecca Rusch had soared her back to the forefront and was chasing me down! All I thought was 'oh shit'. She was quickly gaining ground on me, and I knew I had to dig deep and push hard. My legs were cramping and my heart rate was through the roof, but as I continued to glance over my shoulder I saw that I was holding my position. Just another mile and I'm through to the finish.
Crossing the finish line, knowing I had put in my best race effort yet, felt amazing. All those winter miles, hours on the trainer, early morning workouts and mental focus paid off in a big way. Since I signed up with a training package from Carmichael Training Systems I had a spot waiting for me at the 2012 Leadville start line, but having earned my coin I can defer my qualifying performance to 2013.
After this weekend I feel really good about my sub nine hour Leadville goal. The only thing I'm worried about is the altitude (10,200') and total elevation gain (roughly over 14,000'). Having never spent more than a few days over 6,000' till this weekend I kind of know what to expect. Tahoe sits at 6,800', almost half at where Leadville, CO sits. I've got my race-day nutrition dialed in, and my fitness is as good as it's going to get this year.
I've got three weeks, and plan on spending one of them in Breckenridge, CO to get acclimated. While not quite as high Leadville, Breckenridge will be a perfect home base and destination for my family and friends who are coming out to support me.
Let's do this!
Wake up call at 5am this morning. Got up, had my breakfast consisting of granola, a banana and some coconut water, all while watching the last stage of the Tour de France. It's Sunday morning and I'm getting ready to race my heart out. Stay tuned for a full race recap. Wish me luck!
I picked up my race packet along with my race number. I was happily surprised to be given the number one spot! This, of course, says nothing of my current standing as a racer or starting position. Tomorrow is a mass shotgun start. I'll take it as a good omen. Today I rode with two legends of the race series, Dave Wiens and Rebecca Rush, and checked out the start and finish of the course while they answered our many questions about nutrition, race tactics and gear.
I caught up with Dave early on before the larger group joined. He was spinning along the road where we got to talking about Tahoe, the race series, and what I did. It was really cool to have a one on one conversation with the six-time champion of the Leadville Trail 1oo. He was super nice and humble. We rode to the top where he could check out the finish line.
Dave and I rode back down to meet up Rebecca and the rest of the group. She was also super cool and nice. Not often do I get to meet and hang out with people I have mad respect for. It was a real special day for me.
Dave and Rebecca led out a pretty big group of about 30 or so riders, all doing the full 100k. It was a fast bunch and I quickly realized how much dust was going to be kicked up throughout the race.
Here's my race rig for tomorrow. Not much has changed since the last race, other than an extra bottle cage on the seat post. I'm definitely going to need the extra bottle for tomorrow. I'm also glad I made the jump to the Fast Trak tires. The course was really fast and loose, typical of Northern California. There's lots of gravel and dusty loamy sections where the extra bite will help out.
My game plan is to be conservative on the downhills and push slightly on the uphills. The course doesn't have too many steep climbs, but it's deceivingly tough due to the altitude and length.
Tonight I've got to get some serious rest before our 7am start time. I'll be up around 5am getting things going. Wish me luck!
#spinningaroundincircles