Archive - Leadville 100 Ultramarathon Race Recap

In today’s episode, Nick provides a recap from the recent Leadville 100 Ultramarathon, a race that was about “more than the miles” and required the contributions of the BPN team.

On August 21 and 22, Nick raced a distance of 100 miles through the Rocky Mountains, joining only about half of the participants in meeting the 30-hour time limit for completion. With the help of the BPN team, Nick finished the race in 27 hours, 53 minutes, and 5 seconds, having faced 15,600 feet in elevation ascent and descent, high altitudes, and overall both a great and challenging race. Now, he wants to share with listeners about the details of the race - talking about everything from checkpoints to nutrition strategy, ups and downs, and the role his teammates played in the competition.

Nick’s training began in the spring after he was chosen by lottery to be allowed entry in the race. This training included not just preparation for mountain terrain, but training for elevation shifts. The Monday before the race, he and several other BPN workers arrived confident in Leadville ready for more altitude training and trail reconnaissance (for both Nick and his team members who would be shooting film for a documentary expected out in October!). Nick and his team built out a plan for the race, with each member having a specific role outlined. Nick’s main role, himself, was to embrace the suck that would come with enduring the race.

On the day of the race, Nick was up at 2:30 am for breakfast, which consisted of a bagel and some BPN products - G1M and electrolytes; his ultimate goal was to build up his sodium and carbs. He prepared himself mentally, got dressed in carefully chosen clothes, and loaded up about 100fl oz of water in his pockets. The race had an exhilarating start at 4am, and Nick explains his steps crossing checkpoints, maintaining nutrition levels, making connections with his crew, and beginning to knock out the many miles of the course.

The course had 13 checkpoints over its 50 miles (traveled twice), and Nick had 7 drop bags placed at checkpoints where he would possibly if not certainly be unable to see his crew. He shares with listeners about the meals he chose to maximize helpful calories and keep his fluid and electrolyte levels high, the short time windows he allotted for stops, and about his plans to handle GI issues and prevent issues with injury or weariness. Nick also explains how he felt at different points in the race, and how he paced himself.

Listeners will hear about Nick’s fall and bloodied hands, decision to refill water at a mountain stream, and shock at finding crew members at a mountain summit checkpoint. They will also hear about the toll the high altitude took as the end of the race drew near; Nick found himself - with fresh shoes, a pacer, and only 38 miles to go - struggling to breathe. He started to really feel the previous miles, and knew he just needed to get to the end. He just needed to go one more. And one more. And one more. Through a temperature drop, a bout of uncontrollable shaking, a transition to a new pacer, and