[LyNx]

Well I was just thinking today ( I know you smelled the smoke ) and I was saying why go up to CO to do the LT100 and not try to find some other shorter XC races in the area to do to help build up towards the LT100. So are there any XC races in and around the Leadville area say 2 weeks before the race and maybe the week or 2 after??

 

[trail717]

Here are two

The Laramie Enduro http://www.laramieenduro.org/ is two weeks before the LT100

The Durango MTB 100 http://www.gravityplay.com/MTB100/index2.htm is one week before the LT 100 (because its just one week before the LT you could do the 33 mile option as a fun training/race)

FYI, If you have not seen this link http://www.ride424.com/calendar.php

 

[LyNx]

Thanks, I saw the link for the Endurance race calender in another post and looked, but all said 100 or longer so I didn't worry to browse the sites carefully. Maybe I will do the shorter version of the Durango race - all I saw when I went to the site was 18k of climbing and immediately said "no way"

The Laramie Enduro http://www.laramieenduro.org/ is two weeks before the LT100

The Durango MTB 100 http://www.gravityplay.com/MTB100/index2.htm is one week before the LT 100 (because its just one week before the LT you could do the 33 mile option as a fun training/race)

FYI, If you have not seen this link http://www.ride424.com/calendar.php

 

[trail717]

Big climb 1st loop

Thanks, I saw the link for the Endurance race calender in another post and looked, but all said 100 or longer so I didn't worry to browse the sites carefully. Maybe I will do the shorter version of the Durango race - all I saw when I went to the site was 18k of climbing and immediately said "no way"

If you did the 1 loop option there would be a big, but fun, climb. If you look at the results you can get an idea of 1st loop times from elite level to avg joes. Personaly I think doing the 1st loop would be ideal training for LT as long as it was done more as a training ride vs a "give it all" race pace. It is a fun loop, the best of the three, as good/better imo than any section of LT, worth doing in its own right. But best of all you could play Tourist in the Durango area, tons of stuff in the area + alot of MTB

Good Luck

 

[used2Bhard]

Xc

http://www.racemsc.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=6

On the XC side of things...Telluride, which has been a world cup course is the weekend before. Unfortunately, it's not very close to Leadville. Eldora is the weekend after, and it's a fun XC course without the brutal climbing that charaterizes Telluride. At that point you'll be in pretty good shape.... Leadville is gonna kick my butt being sandwiched between two XC races and two STXC races......

I just sent my application off, so maybe I'll see you out there?

 

[LyNx]

Thanks for the info U2BH, I think I might give the Telluride a miss and go for the 50km version of the Durango race. After Leadville if I can afford to hang around till the next weekend, the XC in Eldora looks like fun and the location is quite close to Denver so heading back to Denver to fly out will be easy from there - I'd guess.

What I'd really like to do is head on over to Snow Mass on the 12th after the presentation and watch some of the stuff going on over there at the Nationals, but I think I'll be to tired to do anything but go to the awards - just call it a gut feeling or something

Damn this trip seems to be snow-balling into something more than I had thought about. Just need to figure out how to properly fund this "expedition" so I can stay an entire month and I will be super.

http://www.racemsc.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=6

On the XC side of things...Telluride, which has been a world cup course is the weekend before. Unfortunately, it's not very close to Leadville. Eldora is the weekend after, and it's a fun XC course without the brutal climbing that charaterizes Telluride. At that point you'll be in pretty good shape.... Leadville is gonna kick my butt being sandwiched between two XC races and two STXC races......

I just sent my application off, so maybe I'll see you out there?

 

[roaddog]

Telluride is a lot of fun. Maybe not the race itself...yeah I like it. But just hanging out in To hell u ride is good. Race schedule conflicts have kept me from Laramie the last few years but it was good then.

 

[Ptor]

...I think I might ... go for the 50km version of the Durango race.

The year I did all 100 miles at Durango my riding partners did the first loop version as training for Leadville. After it was all said and done, other than the length they thought the Durango 50 K was tougher than Leadville! It would be good prep for you. But that being said, a much better run race is the Laramie Enduro, with an overall nicer course. Leadville is almost smack dab in the middle between Laramie and Durango (I make that drive all the time). But IMHO, Durango has the most to offer for a visitor/vactioner in the entire southwest...