7 THINGS I'D DO DIFFERENT AT LEADVILLE
I KNOW, I HAD A RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME TIME AT LEADVILLE. But, the racer in me can't help wishing I'd done a few things differently. That's a good thing. To review, while it's fresh.
So, here's what I'd do different.
7. I would have pre-driven the course with my crew (Surfergirl) on Thursday so I could rest more on Friday.
6. I would have her meet me at Pipeline with a bottle then scoot over to aid station at the bottom of Columbine. This would allow me to carry less at the start. More importantly, it would give her more time to get back to Pipeline... she only made it with 6 minutes to spare. That could have gone real bad.
5. If possible, I'd get to Leadville 10 days early and pre-ride some or all of the course at a race pace... then head somewhere else to taper and play on the resort runs with lift access.
4. I'd rent a house for Thursday-Saturday nights in Leadville. We stayed with my sis' in Breck. They have an exceptional place, but turned out to be a lot further than I'd imagined. I've stayed in Leadville before, the houses are a little ramshackle, but being close saves a lot of energy.
3. For my prep, I would do more long days on the MTB with enough food and water to go 6 hours non-stop. These would be adventure rides, on technical trails. The past few years I've done so much road riding my MTB skills were still not quite primed. Big Bear would be great, so would Mammoth.
2. The altitude is still the biggest killer for us sea levelers... leaving for the mountains a month early, I have to imagine, would be a true game changer.
1. I would hustled my butt across the Finish Line instead of coasting in and enjoying the fanfare... because, if I'd gone a mere 32 seconds faster (which I could have easily done) I would have qualified for the Silver Corral!!!... a dream come true, and a lot closer to the front and the fastest guys.
Just little things. The big things I got right: awesome bike, my body weight down 7 lbs, lots of upper body and core strength, my food was spot on. In no way am I complaining, just doing the wise thing... review and improve.
Who knows... maybe there's another PR out there?
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