Leadville, The 100 Mile Mountain Bike Race Podcast p/b Shimano

Fatty and Hottie join a wide array of experts to talk you through your final prep for the big race. Merilee and Ken welcome you to the family, two-time-defending champion Rose Grant describes her race strategy and why it doesn't change depending on others, Tamira Jenlink and Ryan Cross underscore the most important things you should think about for the race (including the weather), and two of the smartest and most-experienced cycling minds we know of -- Josh Poertner of Silca and pro racer Jeremiah Bishop -- give you tips for the best, most successful race you can have this weekend. This is a can't-miss, information- and inspiration-packed episode!

Fatty's a lucky guy: not only is Hottie an amazing podcast co-host, he's also an experienced Leadville racer and crew chief. When you add to that the fact that both he and Mrs Hottie are detail oriented and fast on their feet, well...you've got a LT100 crew that dreams are made of. In this episode, Hottie and Mrs Hottie share their secrets for crewing success. You -- and your crew -- will not want to miss it!

You're getting down to the final days before the big race. In this episode, we bring Denis Faye back to the program to talk about some fueling strategies to use in the days before the LT100. We also spend plenty of time detailing the miles from Hagerman Rd to the Turquoise Lake Climb up to the Carter aid station, then down Kevens and to the pavement. It's a lot to know, and the more you know the better you'll be prepared.

Cole Chlouber has arguably been a part of the Leadville 100 in more ways than anyone else. Son of race founder Ken Chlouber, Cole literally grew up with the race and has marked it, measured it, ridden behind it, cleaned up after it, ridden it, worked with the staff on it, and now is following his father's steps as the face of it. Enjoy this story-filled episode from someone who loves this race as much as we do.

We've got so much to cover in this episode, starting with the second half of the Powerline Climb, which has a lot less climbing than the first half (but doesn't feel like it). From there, we talk about your tapering strategy with Coach Cody Waite -- and he's got a great free offer for a tapering plan for you.  Finally -- we've got a group ride planned for the Thursday before the race. Get the details in the show, and be sure to go to leadville.fm/groupride to sign up for your own custom bottle from The Feed (sign up fast; this is only for the first 100 people).

Fatty has said, many times, that the two best weeks of cycling vacation he's ever had were riding with Andy Hampsten in France...and racing the Breck Epic the week after the Leadville 100. So what makes for a fantastic MTB stage race, and should you consider racing it (spoiler: yes). We get together with Breck Epic founder Mike McCormack to talk about what to do with all that fitness you've earned...whether it be the Breck Epic, or Mike's newest race...The Vail 100.

Between last year's course changes and this year's start and finish changes, Life Time has been making some bold moves in the Leadville 100. We bring Life Time's Ryan Cross onto the show to detail what the changes are and how they'll affect you.

The Powerline Climb is undeniably the toughest part of the Leadville 100. You're exhausted, you're hot and exposed (or it's raining and you're exposed), and the false summits just keep coming. Well, in this episode we  tell you how to get through this extraordinary segment of the LT100. We also welcome Coach Cody Waite back to the program for more training advice as we get to the final month before the big day.  

You've crossed the Pipeline inbound timing mat -- just 30 miles to go! But this is, without question, where the race REALLY begins. And the 5 flat miles we talk about in THE COURSE today are surprisingly tough. We talk you through every mile of it. But the real focus of this episode is an increeasingly-popular piece of equipment in mountain biking: DROPPER POSTS. Are they reliable enough? Are they too heavy? Will they make you safer and faster? Which ones are the best? We dig into all these questions and more.

Our profesor of GI, Denis Faye, joins the show again to explain how we can increase our capacity to take on race fuel. A bigger gas tank is what we want...but like a lot of things Leadville, it doesn’t come easy. We also take on one of the new sections of the course, with race strategies on how to approact the inbound singletrack bypass and get to the Pipeline Aid Station with enough left in your tank for the final -- and hardest -- quarter of the race.