Leadville - Day of the living dead

[michael todisco]

Leadville - the short version. It was best of races and it was the worst of races. Raced hard, bonked hard. Got my medal but missed time cut for belt buckle. I was in hurt locker after Columbine Climb but didn't know it until I ascended Power Line.

Now for the details.

The morning start was great I made the St. Kevin climb and the Haggerman Pass with ease. I decended the Powerline like a madman, really feeling it, flying down, passing all the non-descenders, which there were many.

I made the all the time cuts with 20-30 minutes to spare at each one: Twin Lakes inbound and outbound, 40 & 60 miles and Pipeline @ 74 miles with plenty of time for the buckle. Leaving Pipeline I had a little over 4 hours to go 26 miles, piece of cake, right? I was averaging almost 10 miles per hour. The buckle was mine. I was feeling good, a little tired but I thought I had enough in the tank to finish this race strong.

Climbing the Columbine (13,700') must have really kicked my ass, between the altitude and heat (dehydration) but I thought I recovered. So after leaving Pipeline there was Powerline Climb and Sugarloaf to climb. What follow next was just plain ugly. As I started to climb Powerline there was feeling that came over me that wasn't good. Nausea, dizziness, lightheaded - I couldn't drink or eat with getting a violent reaction. I couldn't swallow food, my body was shutting down, but I thought I could push through. I couldn't ride up any amount of grade, even something like 2-3% was unbearable, I had to get off my bike and push. I had 2 big descents to to do, Haggerman and St. Kevins which help me make back some time but I kept seeing the belt buckle slowly slip away. If you finish but don't make the final time cut (13 hours) then all you get is a DNF! A DNF!!! after 13 hours, what did I do all day? Pick daisies?? No dammit, I'm finishing this within the time allowed, I'm getting my medal and a finishing time....DNF, no f'ing way.

So there I am with others, were were the the walking dead, slowly pushing our bikes up the hill. Stopping every so often, to hang over the bars, fight back the nausea and dizziness and somehow continue on to the the finish line. I didn't come all this way to lay my bike down at the last aid station and get ride back to town. So I try to grab so nourishment at the the top of St. Kevins, which I have to immediately spit out and drop down the mountain for the last time.

I hit the flats with 5 miles to go town, time running out, the last long stretch of dirt road seems like eternity and would not end. A slight rise here and I have to dismount, some staff person comes over and gets me on the bike pushes me over the last rise on the dirt, I hit the pavement with 1 mile to go, people are cheering me on, screaming at me to finish within the time cut. 1 more slight rise and a flat and the rise to the finish. The race director is yelling at me to sprint and dig deep if I want a finish time, I get out my saddle for last rise and give all I got to cross the line with 39 seconds to spare!!!!

Debra comes out of the stands crying, a race official comes over and hangs a medal around me. I was immediately taken to the medical tent and put on oxygen.

Would I go do this again & go for the buckle? Damn straight! But next time I have a plan and I need some of you to join me. Who wants in?

PS: Deb was great as my crew support. It really gets complicated out there and she did a great job.

[onegeardoug]

Wow. I know several people that have done Leadville, and none that have the buckle to show for it. Way to dig deep and cross the line in time. Sounds like torture though.

[pace21]

Holy crap. Great job Disco!

[BTurner]

Hey Mike, great job on hanging tough. Throughout the day on Saturday your name kept coming up: How do you think Mike is doing? Do you think Disco is suffering right now? Thank god 24HOGG is not at altitude. Rest up my man and lets go ride.

[Rob]

WOW, just WOW!

[ahamilton]

Mike, you are one tough Sonova Beach! After reading your report I feel like the buckle is yours when you do it again.

[RFollansbee]

OWW. My butt just hurt from reading this. Way to make it through the finish. A DNF would suck after all that effort...

[taudep]

Nice work finishing, sounds like you were so close to that buckle!

[rusto]

I sense a new phrase entering the cycling vernacular, "close to the buckle" which is when you are "on the rivet" and heroically hammering to make the cutoff.

Awesome job!

[Bruce]

Just awesome. Major heart!

[JeremyC]

Mike, congrats dude. I thought I knew suffering but your description took me to another level. I'm in for next year !!! (I've been drinking tonight, you can't hold me to that)

[Smudger]

Fantastic effort Mike. My Scottish vernacular has an incredibly apt description for how you felt at the end of this epic:

buckled

adjective - To be incapacitated due to a variety of factors, most of which involve alcohol.

"Man, Alfonse is stumbling all over the place...he's really buckled."

[michael todisco]

Hey thanks for all your clever comments, I didn't see these responses until today. Love the buckle double meaning, really fits the character of this race.
So who can I count in on my team for next year?

[Len_E]

Michael, nice work old man. That is one awsome accomplishment with your usual amount of style and sweat. Next year, county me out. But, if I can find a mountain bike built in the last 10 years...maybe.

[scottc]

what did you have to do to qualify for the event?

(yes, I'm new here and to Mass...)

[michael todisco]

There are a couple of ways to get in:

(1) There is lottery selection at the beginning of the year. Write your resume send it in and hope you get selected. (I believe I have good way to get in to the lottery)
(2) There (4) qualifying events in June/July, last year was Whiteface Mt. in NY for the east coast
(3) Sign up for the Carmichael training camp in Leadville, however this is expensive and would require (2) trips.

Are you considering Leadville?

[scottc]

Are you considering Leadville?

Yes, I am. A fellow that I work with did it and was high on the experience.

BTW, way to dig deep and stick with it.