Leadville 100 mile mountain bike race is six weeks away. This does not seem like a lot. This is going to be one of my most challenging races, if not the most challenging, because it has to be completed in 12 hours. This cut off is a reach for me, and I knew that right from the beginning. The race is at 11,000 – 13,000 feet above sea level, so it’ll be hard to get enough oxygen to my muscles and over the 100 ish miles, I’ll have to ascend about 10,000 feet (obviously lots of up and down!).
The beginning of a race. I look happy because the suffering has yet to begin!
So a training update…most weeks we’re training for between 9 and 14 hours. All of this on the bike. Its a variety of some mountain biking on trails, riding the mountain bike on roads and riding the TT (or triathlon) bike on the trainer in the basement. We’re also racing strategically. Last weekend Adam and I both competed in a race called Getting Happy in the Valley, a gravel race over 35 miles. Gravel racing is usually a race that goes on regular roads and the gravel road/tracks. We both had a fantastic race that certainly gave me a little more confidence. I was second overall female and Adam was second in his category. This weekend we travel to Michigan (my first time there) for a training camp for the other ridiculous 100 mile race we have this year, Marji Gesick. This training camp will hopefully build some skills and fitness that’ll benefit us both at Leadville too.
Adam on the podium at Getting Happy in the Valley
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