Here we are in bustling downtown Leadville, getting ready for the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race tomorrow. I’ve checked over my bike, cleaned it, taken it for a spin with the CTS Coaches, and cleaned it again afterward. I’m ready, the bike’s ready, and now all that’s left is to relax this evening and have a good breakfast tomorrow
Tonight CTS is hosting a spaghetti dinner at one of the houses we rented for this event. The company is a sponsor of the Leadville 100, so there are coaches and athletes from all over the country who have come here to compete and support their fellow CTS coaches and athletes. We’re expecting more than 130 people for our spaghetti dinner, and at least 50 athletes in CTS jerseys on the course tomorrow!
Earlier today, more than 1000 people piled into an old gymnasium in Leadville for a “medical check” (no known drug allergies and taking no meds is the extent of the check) and to pick up a whole lot of stuff. By the time you leave, you have a t-shirt, a poster, a band around your wrist (so you can start the race the next morning), and a backpack full of product giveaways. And when you’re done with the weekend, assuming you finish the race, you also carry home a sweatshirt emblazoned with your name and finishing time, and of course, a rodeo-style belt buckle.
But the medical check and registration is not just about the stuff and getting people into Leadville early on Friday so we can contribute more cash to the local economy. It’s also an opportunity for one of the best post-high-school pep rallies you’ll ever see. 1000+ athletes and their support crews piled into a gym, listening to Ken Chlouber – part race director, part evangelist – deliver a healthy dose of inspiration and recognition. Riders who are first-timers are asked to stand and be recognized, and then riders who have finished 10 or more times, then the hardy few who have finished all 15 Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Races. The medical staff talks about the dangers we’re all about to face, from dehydration to hyponatremia (water intoxication), hypothermia to lightning strikes, and of course broken bones from crashes. Even some of the stars in the race are introduced. Six-time defending champion Dave Wiens gets the biggest round of applause, and unfortunately Lance was delayed this year and wasn’t able to make it in time.
And at the end, Ken Chlouber reiterates the line he’s said so many times before: “You’re stronger than you think you are. You can do more than you think you can.” It’s simple and it’s true, in endurance sports and anywhere else in life. Ken may say he’s just an old miner, but he’s a wise old miner.
Chris Carmichael
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