Melisa Rollins joins us for an hourlong deep dive into what it's like to love this race as much as we do, and to truly give it everything you've got. For everyone who has turned themselves inside out racing the LT100 and wondered, "what if?," this episode is for you.
After the race, it's time to share stories. While we can't tell everyone's, we CAN share quite a few. In this episode, we hear from nervous racers before the gun goes off (and how their races went), how the new course segments, shuttling and crewing rules worked out, have a great finish-line conversation with the LT100 racer on a handbike, talk with the first winners of the LT100, get to know the two people who have finished all 30 of the LT100MTB races, and (believe it or not) more.
As we get close to the main event, we complete our conversation with Jeff Waldmuller, whose story should inspire every racer on the course. Be sure to listen to last week's episode (S7E23), and then enjoy this one as you put your feet up and rest up for the big race.
We've got 2 great interviews in this episode. First, Andy Blow—Founder/CEO of Precision Fuel & Hydration—joins us to talk about his well-considered framework for endurance fueling, as well as how you might want to include Precision products (available on-course this year) in your plan. And then, part 1 of a two-part interview with Jeff Waldmuller: as you're getting close to race day and looking for inspiration, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better story.
It's one thing to tell people abstractly how they ought to do the LT100. It's a completely other thing to actually describe your own plan. In this episode, Fatty & Hottie detail how they're going to walk the walk in 2024, from bike setup to clothes setup to nutrition to split times to crewing plan.
When should you come to Leadville for the race? How should you manage the course and crewing changes this year? How do you stay warm before and after the shotgun blast? Where should you burn matches? What do we wish we knew the first time we did this race? We answer all these questions and more with listener (and host) favorite and 21-time finisher Nate Whitman!
In times past, we used to say you could safely ignore power numbers at Leadville. The tech and understanding of power meters have come a long way since then, and now, properly incorporated, a power meter can really benefit your race. In this episode, Coach Hunter Allen, who has worked with Jeremiah Bishop and dozens of other Leadville athletes, will help you get our FTP converted to something we can use at 10,000 feet and help us pace the race using power.
Show favorite Hannah Otto joins us for a second time this season to share her top tips for a successful day on the Leadville course, and Fatty gets obsessive over what you should do to ensure your GPS is a help -- not a hindrance -- on race day.
The people who say "age is just a number" are either very young or are not paying attention. Age matters, but so does experience, attitude, motivation, and training — and our guest Bob Graham is bringing all of those to the starting line this year. This is a great conversation with a great athlete, no matter what age you are (but especially for those of us who know that age is one of the factors to consider in the Leadville 100). Also, be sure to catch Fatty's Finishing Tip this episode; he's got some wisdom to share that he learned the hard way...and to take advantage, you need to heed it ASAP.
Hottie and Fatty turn the mics over to the mother-daughter power duo Lisa & Melisa, who have 23 LT100 finishes between them. This is an episode for women and by women, although we definitely encourage everyone to listen. Also be sure to listen to Fatty's Finishing Tip on how to turn a big mistake into a learning experience.
What comes down must first go up. This universal truth has a terrible price you're going to pay this August in this out-and-back race. As you climb Kevens, Sugarloaf, Columbine, the Powerline and more, it will be painfully obvious that you've got to carry every single pound up every single climb. So how do you take the sting out of this equation? Lighten up, obviously? The question is, is the obvious thing the right thing? We've got experts in this episode to help you find the line and make smart scale-based decisions.
We are getting deep into the second half of the season, and that means it's time for you to start working on your Leadville 100 dress rehearsals. In this episode, Fatty walks you through his first dress rehearsal for this year's race. This is a can't-miss tip for anyone who wants to succeed at this demanding race. Hottie and Fatty then share their first reactions to the new course, corral, and crew changes, sharing our best-guess recommendations to racers and crews. Finally, be sure to stick around for interviews with Skratch and Kenetik, two of the nutrition sponsors of this race.
Life Time has just announced some significant changes for the Leadville 100 that will likely impact your race. And if you have a crew coming along, these changes will DEFINITELY impact their day. Race Director Tamira Jenlink joins Hottie and Fatty to lay out the what and why for these changes.
Many of us have been captivated by the first three seasons of the "From the Ground Up" video series, following new mountain bikers as they work to race The Leadville 100, with only a few months to prepare. Alexey Vermeulen and Ryan Petry are the creators of this project, and in the three seasons they've guided novice racers, they've learned a lot of lessons worth sharing. Also, be sure to listen in to Fatty's Finishing Tips, as he walks you through the finer points of managing the dozens of packets of food you're going to need to manage as you eat your way through the Leadville 100.
It stands to reason that being a little lighter will help you get up Columbine and Powerline a little bit easier. Dr Kyle Pfaffenbach joins the show to give great guidance on how (and whether). You'll also want to be sure to listen in to our Fatty's Finishing Tips segment, where Fatty gives you 4 practical pointers for doing well on the hike-a-bike portions of this bike race.
It is new bike day on the show. We went to the Sea Otter Classic, roamed the expo, in hopes of finding a bike – or bikes – that are Leadville worthy. We found four. One that spares no expense, one high value full suspension, one hard tail with a recent Leadville win, and one that promises not to break the bank. For sure there are other brands and models that would make a great choice for Leadville but this was fun exercise and one we hope can help you narrow the field as you search for that Kevins, Sugar Loaf, Columbine, Powerline eating machine.
Every Leadville racer has the same question: "What will be my finish time?" And there was a time when that question was a real mystery. Now, however, if you are willing to fill in the variables, Best Bike Split can give you an astonishingly accurate prediction. In this episode, Best Bike Split ambassador Dave Schell joins us to explain how. And be sure to listen to Fatty's Finishing Tip in this episode: he's emphasizing a crucial part of your your training and preparation that you otherwise might be neglecting.
Ray Landry is quite simply the friendliest and most Leadville-knowledgeable guy you could ever ride with. He obsesses about this race every bit as much as Hottie and Fatty do, and has absolutely top-notch advice for Leadville racers. He's shared his wisdom at the Leadville Camp each year for several years, so we jumped at the opportunity to ask him what he hears as the most common questions and concerns. Enjoy the episode!
An interesting — and confusing — story came out in the Leadville Herald Democrat late last week. In this episode, we untangle the story and lay out our best guesses for what significant changes are actually in store for the 2024 LT100. Then for our main feature we bring back show favorite Dr Justin Ross to talk about what it really means to dig deep, and how understanding this very real phenomenon can help you have a successful day on the course. There is a TON of info every racer needs in this episode; don't miss it!
If you're 40+ years old and racing the the Leadville 100, you're in good company: a LARGE majority of folks lining up this August are Masters racers, and our podcast survey at the beginning of this season shows that 80% of our listeners fit in this group (it goes without saying that both of the hosts are). So we're very excited to have two true experts join us for this episode: Joe Friel -- the author of The Cyclist's Training Bible and Fast after Fifty -- joins us for an incredibly valuable discussion on how we can stay (or become) fast even as we age. Selene also joins the program to give us tips for Masters women racing this course. Finally, Fatty turns over the "Fatty's Finishing Tips" baton to Hottie for guidance on getting through the hair-raising first three miles of the course. Don't miss this episode!