Over the past few months we’ve published some posts by Evans Cycles staff trainer, Nick Coley, as he prepared himself for the Leadville 100. He rode the event with clothing manager, Paul – here’s the experience in Nick’s words:
The dust has now settled on what was defiantly the highlight of my year from a cycling perspective, and also from a goal and achievement perspective: The Leadville 100 mountain bike race in Colorado.
Rewind 3 weeks, back to Colorado, and I’ve been woken up by my dumb ass body which has just given me my worst night sleep in months. Frustrated, I ask it: ‘Did you not remember that you have to ride 100 miles today body… Didn’t think you may need some sleep….?’
Despite this disagreement, I must feed it – so it was off to breakfast. The hotel provided breakfast for a room full of thousand yard staring racers at 4am: Coffee, Coffee, Bagels, Coffee, Orange juice, cereal and then maybe another coffee.
After breakfast it was time to get dressed in the kit for the day, which I laid out the night before, along with some food and bottles. It’s always worth doing for big events with early starts, and the start rifle for this one goes off at 6.30am.
At 10,000ft up it’s cold at 6am.
2 degrees to be precise, but the forecast suggested we would see temperatures in the 20s later in the day – so kit was an art. Support cars were loaded with mine and Paul’s bottles and spares – and we were good to go.
Outside there was a real buzz as people arrived and nervous excitement hung in the air. The sky was clear and as the sun bounced off the mountains across the valley, you couldn’t help but smile with excitement – the moment had finally arrived.
Paul and I were both really lucky in that we had people come over to help with the race and our supporters were there to see us off. I was quite calm and relaxed, but Paul was quietly wetting himself with nerves, so a quick “don’t worry”, “you will be fine” pep talk was needed before we shuffled forwards.
As a virgin to Leadville I had the privilege of starting at the back, which was fine, but as the shotgun went off to signal the start of the race, it was a good 3 minutes before I got moving. There were around 2000 people racing.
It’s a neutral start to Leadville and the race kicks off when you hit the dirty, about 2.5 miles in. By this time I had no feeling in my hands or feet and was feeling a little sick.
I hoped the first climb would warm me up, but there was slow traffic, which was probably good as it kept my pace sustainable. I did start to get the feeling back in my hands, before a descent, followed by more climbing… You get how this race goes now….
After the second climb around turquoise lake we were treated to the first real descent: the Powerline descent. This is long, loose, rutted, twisty and full of surprises. After this, riders enjoy the flat(ish) section across the valley base to the big one, Columbine climb.
Before Columbine you are treated to some incredible scenery, and some great single track. You also get to enjoy one of the most amazing feed zones I’ve ever seen in a race. Twin lakes is at 40 miles and the feed station is overflowing with supporters, it must be around 2km long in total and like a tunnel of noise.
I caught sight of my sister in the middle of the track waving her arms in air, jumping up and down, so I pulled over. I’d ridden for 3 hours to reach the 40 mile mark and was happy with that. I got some food, new bottles, and some words of wisdom: “keep drilling Nick.”
The feed station is there to prepare you for the monster climb.
Columbine packs 1000m vertical over 12km, at an average of 8%. Oh and it starts at 2800m above sea level, that’s the height of the top of the Col du Galibier in the Alps.
Altitude lowers the zones you can ride in so I kept my heart rate below 160bpm all the way up. This climb is steep at the bottom then mellows before it goes up. Ken, the founder of the race explains it well: “The Columbine climb goes up, then right up and then straight up!”
When I got to the top of that climb the whole world felt amazing.
There wasn’t too much time to dwell on it – now a quick U-turn to go right back down the trail.
Never have I done a race quite like this. As you smash back down the mountain, starting the second half of the race, there are people who are still grinding up the climb, leg-pressing, walking, stumbling and in a whole world of pain, you can’t help but encourage them, much like the fast people who were doing the same to me as I crawled up!
Now it was hammer time! I was outside the 9 hour cut off for the big buckle [the reward the Leadville gives to racers who manage to finish under 9 hours. 9-12 hours is a smaller belt buckle], but not so far off that I couldn’t get some time back. It was tough, though – the descent is rocky at the top, loose on the corners, fast at the bottom, and covered with people still going up.
At 60 miles I found myself back at the twin lakes feed, meeting my sister again, performing her suicide move in the middle of the track. I took on more food, bottles and was off.
Here I rode back along the valley floor, along the single track (uphill this time), along the fast dirt tracks and now were back to the Powerline climb.
Everyone says the race starts at 80 miles and the return leg up Powerline.
I’d made a friend along the way and we have pushed on to get under the 9 hour time. By the 5th section I had no choice but to get off the bike along with everyone else. Once you’re off it’s so hard and takes up so much energy to get back on the bike. By the 6th section and nearing the top I felt ruined and the wheels were falling off the wagon – I stopped eating too. I did manage a couple of gels and my last bar before cruising on down the other side.
You know things are bad on a bike when you have to get off and eat, so I kept pushing on. That wasn’t too smart, and after a while I did eventually force down more gels and water, followed by some more at the top of the final climb. After 6 hours or riding and eating I tend to struggle to eat energy products and food in general, so I really was force feeding.
The home straight was the home UPHILL straight!
This road is now officially the longest road I have ever ridden, felling sick, empty and just generally ruined I ground my way towards the finish. If you’ve ever pushed yourself well beyond your believed limits, then pushed some more, you will understand the weird thoughts that start to go through your head, then funny noises you start to make, the attempts to think of something to take your mind off the pain.
I pushed and pushed to get to that finish. Out the saddle moments reminded me I was still at 10,000 ft, the air was still thin and I was still ruined. Sitting and grinding was more manageable.
I turned a corner, and the end was near. People at the side of the road shout encouragement and man did that help – a fresh surge of energy appeared in my legs.
When I could finally see the finish, the sense of achievement was back, mingled with relief: the pain could stop, the sick stomach churning and the empty feeling (otherwise known as Bonking) would be soon be gone.
I’d done it. I’d managed 100 miles at above 3000m (10,000ft) above sea level. There were times where I thought I’d have to get off, but this feeling of achievement was worth all the pain.
I saw my family and my girlfriend come over to congratulate me but all I could do was hand my bike over and get on the floor. No words came from my mouth for a good 20 minutes – that’s long for me!
I was fully smashed to pieces, broken, ruined, but proud to have finished such an incredibly hard event.
BUT… I am already thinking about coming back to get under 9 hours.
I finished in 9 hours 19 minutes. After I was carried back to the hotel to nap, clean up and get some food, I began tweeting Dig Deep coaching telling them they have now got 12 months to get me under 9 hours.
In the rider brief Ken the founder of the race gives his motivational talk. He says:
“This race will teach you a lot about yourself, you will discover a lot as it really strips your inner person down to the bare bones”.
Now the dust has settled, and I can talk, walk and speak again, I’ve got the buckle and the event is over, I can still look back and see something in myself that I’d never seen before. In a good way.
Now if any of you out there mountain bike, and maybe race, especially longer distances, then this is something to tick off the list. The Leadville 100 is quite possible one of the best races/events I’ve ever done. The location, course, organisation, people and journey is really something to see and experience at least once. For me I will be back again to get that big belt buckle.
The next day at 7am we are in the school hall again receiving our buckles. I was one chuffed Brit, but all I could think about was next year and the bigger buckle.
So Leadville 100 at attempt number one was 9 hours and 19 minutes and that was defiantly helped by the 12 week coaching program I got from Dig Deep coaching. Having some structure, advice and teaching to ride within myself was so important.
Twelve week plans are a great way to try out coaching, and see if it’s for you. I can honestly say I will continue to use a coach as long as I have goals and want to race, but even big sportives or anything that requires you to specifically train for is worth having that guidance.
So who are Dig Deep Coaching?
Dig Deep are a global cycling and triathlon coaching company, headed by ex-professional cyclists who bring their knowledge and expertise to individuals of all abilities. Their belief is that coaching is for everyone, and I can agree with that, but coaching is one part of the equation. The company provide the complete coaching solution to ensure all needs of individuals are met, from bike fitting to complete nutritional consultations ensuring what is going into the engine in the form of food allows for the greatest improvements.
The team are dedicated and passionate to make things happen for individuals. Using different training methods and technology to monitor, evaluate and supply personalised training. The company are proud to boast many success stories to date worldwide of clients who have embraced the coaching, worked hard…and surpassed their original goals! I have found that you gain confidence in what you are doing, knowledge on how to train efficiently and a real sense of personal achievement. That is defiantly the case with me.