Leadville: Fighting the Inner War

A Strategic Guide to Mastering the Leadville Trail 100 MTB

By Jason Tullous, Head Coach, Tenāc Championship Coaching

Introduction: Leadville Is Not a Race. It’s a Battle.

The Leadville Trail 100 MTB is not your average endurance event. It is a grueling, high-altitude, mind- bending, soul-searching experience. Some see it as a race. But for those who prepare deeply and face it fully, Leadville becomes something more: a personal war. A battle between who you are and who you aspire to be. A confrontation with pain, fatigue, doubt, and the elements. This guide isn’t about beating others. It’s about outlasting your fears, outthinking your fatigue, and overcoming yourself. This is not about war in the traditional sense. It’s about the internal war that every endurance athlete faces at the edge of discomfort. The difference between success and failure at Leadville often comes down not to fitness, but to mindset, preparation, and execution.

This is your battle plan.

Chapter 1: Understanding the Nature of the Fight

Leadville is fought on multiple terrains:

• Physical: 104 miles at altitude, over rugged mountain roads, with 12,000 feet of climbing.
• Mental: Doubt creeps in early and often. The pain cave opens wide and invites you in.
• Emotional: You will question your purpose. You will feel highs and lows.
• Logistical: Fueling, pacing, hydration, equipment—each demands precision and adaptability.

Success means understanding that Leadville is chaos wrapped in beauty. It’s structured unpredictability. Preparation helps, but adaptability wins.

Chapter 2: Know Your Enemy

At Leadville, the enemy is not the rider in front of you.

Your true enemies are:

• Altitude: The thin air of the Rockies steals your power and magnifies your mistakes.
• Fatigue: Long before the finish, you’ll be emptied out. What you do next defines you.
• Doubt: The inner voice that says, “This is too much.”
• Overconfidence: Starting too hard. Ignoring the plan. Getting cocky on Powerline.
• Neglect: Poor fueling. Weak mental preparation. A bike unready for battle.

To overcome these, you must prepare with intention. You must rehearse adversity. You must expect things to go wrong and develop the tools to respond.

Chapter 3: The Tools of the Warrior

To fight well, you need a toolkit:

Strategic Fitness

• Build endurance and power tailored to your unique physiology and time constraints.
• Use your training to simulate course conditions: altitude, terrain, fatigue.

Mental Fortitude

• Practice staying present.
• Visualize success and rehearse your response to adversity.
• Develop mantras or anchors: “Relax, Breathe, Grind.”

Precise Nutrition and Hydration

• Know what your body needs per hour: carbs, fluids, sodium.
• Test your fueling plan long before race day.

Equipment Mastery

• Ride the gear you race. Know every sound your bike makes.
• Optimize for reliability, not just speed.

Tactical Intelligence

• Use course knowledge to create micro-goals: Twin Lakes. Columbine. Powerline.
• Plan your efforts between aid stations like battlefield checkpoints.

Chapter 4: Discipline Equals Freedom

Too often, we think freedom means going with the flow. But at Leadville, discipline is what allows creativity.

It’s what keeps you upright when the wheels wobble and the legs scream.

• Discipline in Pacing: Stick to the plan. Race with restraint.
• Discipline in Execution: Don’t miss a feed. Don’t skip the hydration.
• Discipline in Self-Talk: Talk to yourself like you would a friend in a fight.

When chaos comes—and it will—discipline keeps you steady.

Chapter 5: Train for the Unknown

You can’t plan for everything. Weather changes. Legs fail. Gut turns. This is where mental training matters.

• What will you do when the plan breaks?
• How do you respond when others pass you?
• Can you recalibrate on the fly and still find success?

Expect the unexpected. Practice discomfort. Get comfortable with improvising under stress.

Chapter 6: The Will to Win

Winning at Leadville doesn’t mean standing on the podium. It means meeting the moment with your full self. It means choosing courage when you could choose comfort. Finish or not, the real goal is to not quit on yourself.

To cross that line knowing you left nothing behind. To fight the good fight, mile after mile.

Final Words: This is Your Fight

Leadville doesn’t care about your excuses. It doesn’t care about your numbers. But it will reward your preparation, your grit, and your discipline. This guide is just the beginning. The rest is up to you. Show up ready. Show up humble. Show up committed to the fight. And when it gets dark, when your legs are gone and your mind is foggy—remember:

You are not just riding.

You are at war.

Want more?

gotenac.com – Schedule a consultation with Coach Jason Tullous