This year I lined up for my 5^th Leadville. It never gets any easier and the emotions never lessen. Walking around the venue and standing on the start line with thousands of other people pursuing a goal is nothing short of electrifying. I get choked up even thinking about it. While the time we’re shooting for may look different, every person on that start line has worked, sacrificed, and put themselves out there by attempting something really, really hard. 

As I stood on the start line this year, I felt especially nervous. I’ve done Leadville enough times now that I know all the different ways the day can play out and as I stood there on the start, I tried to imagine just the perfect day, but the ideas of every possible scenario knocked on my brain trying to prepare me to handle everything. I took a deep breath and looked around. I looked into the eyes of other races, amateurs and professionals alike and I remembered something. Everyone is afraid. I exhaled. Somehow the shared fear softens the moment. And the truth is…we should be a little afraid. The fear is out of reverence for the beast that is Leadville. 

As we pressed off the line, the cold, thin air wrapped around our fingers and hands freezing them, but that pain felt almost symbolic of the temporary pain that hurts immensely, but seems almost irrelevant because you know it’s fleeting. As the trail pitched upwards, the pain in my frozen fingers transitions to my legs as we ramped up the pace. 

We lunged forward up the climb and for about 10 minutes the pace seemd to come almost easily. I was cruising at the front of the group blissfully unaware of the altitude’s grip on my lungs, until it tightened its grip. My legs began to tighten until circles became squares. My pace faltered as I began to slip backwards in the group. Then experience kicked in.

What have 5 Leadville’s taught me: Never panic. Nothing is wrong. It’s going to hurt. It’s going to feel ‘strange.’ It’s just what racing in the thin air feels like, don’t fight it, move through it. 

I found my rhythm again, focusing on going just a little bit faster, then trying to regain the exact pace. I slipped into the group around me, I committed to the effort, and in the span of just a few minutes, I went from falling off the pace, to feeling the strongest in my group. 

Now, I had a strategic mission to complete. The lead group was up the road and I found myself in the chase pack. I wouldn’t be able to close the gap alone, we needed to work together. I began to push the pace up Sugarloaf, shedding the current group I was in, and setting my sights on the women ahead, between the lead group and the chasers. I caught 4 women before the bottom of Powerline and as we set out on the long stretch of Pipeline, it was clear we were motivated to work together in pursuit. 

The 5 of us rolled together, taking pulls and pushing the pace, cutting down the gap from the lead group to us by a couple of minutes. By the time we hit the Columbine climb, we were less than 2 minutes down from the lead. 

When I hit the top of Columbine I had moved into 9^th and in my mind, now the race was on. I began doubling down on my nutrition and hydration, tear and eating two First Endurance Liquid Shots at once. 

As I began the mission back from Columbine I shifted my perspective. What was the best way for me to catch as many women ahead of me as possible? To find the best in myself. 

Instead of craning my neck around the corners to see who was coming into view, I narrowed my focus onto my pedal stroke. The words of Enso Mental Performance rang in my head, “How can I stretch just a little more?”

It felt doable. I didn’t have to catch them right now, I just had to push a little more.

Slowly but surely, the plan worked. 

I crossed the finish line on my last straw, exactly how it should be and I finished 6^th (5^th in the Grand Prix). I got the best of myself on the day, and that’s the best feeling of all.

5 Leadville races in the books and 5 Top-10 finishes. I’m really happy with my ability to continue to show up to this race and put together a strong performance despite whatever the circumstances bring. This race is arguably one of the toughest and most difficult to “get right” out there I’m so thankful that we’ve been able to keep racing near the front year over year. Consistently good is what eventually leads to great.