Road to Leadman: Silver Rush MTB 50 and Run 50 Race Plan
Race Plan: Silver Rush MTB 50 and Run 50
Goals:
The Silver Rush MTB 50 happens on Saturday and the Run 50 on Sunday. The MTB 50 race is billed as: “Need a nice challenge? Then forget this one. It’s nasty. Cut the Blueprint for Athletes Leadville Trail 100 MTB in half, remove all the easy parts, throw in technical descents, burning lungs and wild animals and you’ll have a good understanding of what you’re about to get into.” The Utah Leadman said it was tougher than the Leadville MTB 100.
Leadman competitors are required to race one. There is a separate competition called the Silver King/Queen where competitors race both back to back. I’ve learned that many Leadman also do the Silver King for training – and just for the shear challenge. So I signed up for both.
This race also sets competitors starting corral for the MTB 100 in August (see the chart below). Starting position is critical, else you’re stuck behind slow riders. Since somewhere around 50% don’t finish before the cutoffs, this can put you in a bad place. The goal is to get as far away from the white corral as possible, where the lottery winners who don’t do a qualifying event start – they are notorious for showing up drastically undertrained. Ideally, I’d like to be in the Purple corral or better since this puts me with riders who are on track to finish the MTB 100 in under 10 hours. I’m guessing I’ll come in between 10 and 11 hours for the MTB 100, so that puts everything behind me.
If a Leadman does the Silver Rush 50 Run, their time is multiplied by 4/7 to determine the starting corral shown below. If you do both, the best time is used. I was tempted to just do the Run 50 since I could run myself into a better starting corral, but I’ve never done straight up MTB race. The closest I’ve come is Xterra Utah.
My goals for these races are:
· Use the Silver Rush MTB 50 as practice for the Leadville MTB 100. Get used to riding a MTB with a crap-ton of other riders around, something that doesn’t happen during a normal ride.
· Land in a good starting corral. If I can’t do it on the MTB, I’ll get a second shot on the run where I’ll need to run an 11:22 to land in the Purple corral. I’m confident I could run this course in about 10 hours under normal circumstances. However, doing it the day after a tough 50 mile MTB race…
· Don’t fuck up the rest of the Leadman. Stay within my skill level on the bike. There are sections even the winner will walk. If I don’t like something, dismount and hike-a-bike. Drop the Run 50 if there is any risk of injury.
· Have fun! How many people get to do this kind of cool shit? Seriously.
MTB Gear Checklist:
There are no drop bags allowed for the MTB 50. That simplifies things in that I don’t have to plan what to put in drop bags. However, it means I must carry everything I need and there will be no contingency of backup gear along the way.
My MTB
My ride is a Felt Edict full-suspension cross country (or XC) mountain bike. I’ve upgraded the drive train to a Shimano XT 1X with a 32T chainring up front and the OneUp Shark mod on the rear cassette that gives me a gear range of 11T to a dinner plate sized 55T. This gives me a solid top end where I don’t spin out until about 27-28MPH and a granny gear for the steep climbs. I installed a Stages PM, which honestly isn’t much use on a MTB because you can’t look down at your bike computer often, but I got it on clearance for $400. It might help me avoid overcooking it on some of the long non-technical climbs. I also installed Ergon grips with bar ends, as it’s usually my grip that would give out before my legs. This has all been tested on numerous rides, including the 80-mile White Rim in a day (WRIAD) in Canyonlands NP in May.
MTB Gear
· Osprey Raptor 6 hydration pack with 3L bladder filled with Tailwind, basic first aid, and Gu Chomps in hip pockets. Everyone recommends bottles for the MTB 100, but this race you are going up or going down, making it difficult to take your hands off the handlebar. The Leadman alumni recommended a pack for this race. I hate wearing a pack but wore it for WRIAD and was fine.
· Garmin 810 and Fenix 3 as backup with HR monitor. If it’s not on Strava, it didn’t happen.
· LG Course helmet and aviator sunglasses.
· EN cycling kit with Giro Empire VR90 MTB shoes. Probably wear arm warmers and long fingered gloves at the start. If not, they’re in the pack. Fingerless gloves if it’s warm.
· LG cycling jacket or vest in pack.
· Water bottle on the downtube with ice cold water for dowsing, if it heats up.
Running Gear Checklist:
Drop bags are allowed for the Run 50. However, there is only one at the halfway point at Stumptown.
Running Gear
· Hoka Challenger 3 trail running shoes and socks
· EN hat (to protect head at 12,000ft) and aviator sunglasses
· Aftershokz headphones
· Northface BTN running shorts
· Salomon running jersey
· Race belt with S-tabs, basic first aid, sunscreen stick, and Advil in pocket
· Garmin Fenix 3 and HR strap
Running Vest
· Gu Chomps in front pockets
· 2 soft flasks with 17oz of Tailwind Nutrition
· 2 soft flasks with Tailwind powder but no water in right and left zipper pockets – I’ll fill these with water at aid stations
· Phone in left zipper pocket with music playlist ready to go
· Light weight running jacket in back pocket if there is a risk of rain, or wear it at start if cold
Drop Bag
· 2 soft flasks with 17oz of Tailwind and 2 with just powder to reload at the halfway point
· Old pair of shoes as backups in case I have a wardrobe malfunction
· Extra lube in case of chaffing
MTB Race Morning:
· Wake up by 7:00AM, if I can manage to sleep that late
· Eat + coffee up
· Apply sunscreen
· Depart by 8:15AM riding bike to get to race start by 8:30AM
· Start the race at 9:00AM
MTB Race:
My strategy is basic: bike within my skill level. I’ve improved a lot in the last year, when I rode a MTB for the first time in 20+ years. But I’m still a mediocre technical rider. If it looks sketchy, jump off and hike-a-bike. I can use my runner’s legs to power hike up steep sections while riders blow out their legs grinding. I’ve found I can go almost as fast. Then my bike legs are fresh at the top.
I can only rarely look at my bike computer, so I’ll mostly be going by feel. Once I hit about mile 40, it’s a long descent and I just need to blast down to the finish.
The course is
the same for both races:
https://www.trailrunproject.com/trail/7029454/silver-rush-50-run
Run Race Morning:
· Wake up by 4:30AM
· Eat + coffee up
· Apply sunscreen
· Depart by 5:00AM to get to race start by 5:15AM
· Deposit drop bag in correct pile, confirming with volunteer that it is correct
· Start the race at 6:00AM
Run Race:
Trail running is my jam. I’ll keep my HR at 140 or below with short spikes up to 150. When it hits 150, I’ll switch to power hiking. I know what it feels like and only have to look at my watch for confirmation. Simple.
Nutrition Plan:
It’s pretty much the same for both races. I’ll rely on mostly what I carry. I’ll grab cups of water at aid stations on the run.
Target: Consume about 250 calories per hour.
|
Nutrition |
Frequency |
Calories / hour |
Total calories |
|
2-3 oz of Tailwind |
Every 1 mile |
~200 |
1200 |
|
Gu Chomps |
As desired |
~50 |
300 |
|
S-tab salt pills. Take one if hands start feeling chalky. |
As needed |
0 |
0 |
Closing
Thoughts:
Doing the Silver King sounds really stoopid. I just need to remind myself that the prize is the Run 100. Part of the course overlaps with the Trail Marathon course after about mile 18, so I know how to get back to town if I decide discretion is the better part of valor on the Run 50. I’d like to at least make it to the midpoint at Stumptown to use it as a training day. If I do well on the MTB 50 and it’s unlikely I’ll improve my corral, I’ll probably just sleep in and go hike Hope Pass, which is the crux of the Run 100.
If I do pull off the Silver King, my fitness for the MTB 100 and Run 100 should be set. I’ll just work on specificity during the five weeks. Either way, it’s going to be a hellueva adventure!
Recovery ride around Turquoise
Lake in Leadville after the Trail Marathon.
Comments
I was thinking about how to refuel after the MTB 50 to make sure the tank is topped off for the Run 50 the next day. I usually don't have much of an appetite after a big day, somewhat counter-intuitively. I'd like to hear recommendations for food that is easy to get a lot of calories down and easy to digest so I'm not bloated the next morning. Maybe someone like @tim cronk who has done multi-day endurance events has ideas.
Below is cut and paste from my UMFL report... I think the biggest thing you can do is go into Day 1 fueled as normal for an IM (that means carb loaded NOT FAT ADAPTED) , next thing you can do is fuel as much as possible thru day ones MTB (you are already fueling for Day 2, immediately after Day1 eat ( mine was 1 quart cherry juice which is 120+ grams of easily consumed high glycemic carbs along with a sandwhich) eat one more meal of mostly carbs in a few more hours and then snack as needed till bedtime... Repeat on Day 2... I felt fine eating below, never hungry, never bloated, never bonked!
Nutrition- NOTE : Vegan Athlete
Thursday night - Pasta , Sweet Potato, tahini, small amount of veggies
Friday Race Day#1 5000-5500 calories total
Breakfast- coffee, oats,rice,raisins,PB, coconut oil, maple syrup, and almond milk
Swim- gel and sports drink - 200 cals per hr and 16oz fluid per hr
Bike- cliff bar, cliff blocks, sports drink - 290 cals per hr and 21oz fluid per hr
Post Stage - pretzel roll w/vegemite, avocado, hempseed , 1 qt, cherry juice , pretzels
Dinner - pasta, sweet potato , tahini
Snacks- WFM choc chip cookies and Naked Mango Juice
Saturday Race Day#2 6000-6500 calories total
Breakfast- coffee , oats, rice, raisins, PB, coconut oil, maple syrup and almond milk
Bike- gel, blocks, cliff bars, sports drink, pretzel roll vegemite avocado sandwhich , mountain dew, 340 cals per hr and 24 oz fluid per hr
Post Stage- 1 qt cherry juice, pretzels, fig bar cookies
Dinner- 6 pancakes, PB, banana, maple syrup
Snacks - WFM choc chip cookies and Naked mango juice
Sunday Race Day#3 Breakfast and Run totals 3400 calories
Breakfast - Coffee ,Bagel, coconut oil, dates
Run- gels, blocks, sports drink, mountain dew, tortilla w/vegemite 310 cals per hr and 18oz fluid per hr
Post Race- smoothies, pretzel roll avocado vegemite sandwhich, fig bars, pretzels, pizza, cookies, mango juice
I've been consuming more carbs than I normally do the two days before races, but nothing like when I used to choke down 600g for carb loading. I might take in 300g. Since I've reduced my carb intake that stuff is like rocket fuel now.
I'm planning on having about 1200 calories of Tailwind in my hydration pack and my watch set to beep every 15 minutes to remind me to drink. I've said it before, but Tailwind is so money.
I like the idea of the juice as a way to get a bunch of calories in right after the MTB. I usually take an Endurox recovery drink shortly after I cross the finish line. That usually reboots my stomach so I can start taking in food again. I'll also have a Naked Juice or similar and snacks like avocado wraps shortly after to get a bunch of calories down. Your list should give me lots of good ideas for what to eat for dinner. You're the man!
600G of glucid for carb load ? damn, what were you eating to that much hah, I barely hit 200-250G the day before and I wanna explode