Leadville 100

I went to see the documentary of the Leadville 100 mountain bike race the other night.  It's a race that starts in the town of Leadville, Colorado.  It's 50 miles out and back.  The ride gets interesting when approaching the peak of Mount Columbine.  It's a climb from ~8000 feet up to more than ~12,000.  It's definitely a separator of the men from the boys.

1500 racers are eligible through a lottery system to attempt the feat.  Half of them finish.  One question I have (among many) is for the riders who make it and don't.  What kind of training did each of the two groups perform?  There were a few older riders who finish the race in 12 hours.  You are removed from the race if your pace is not at 12 hours at given points.

I'm not quite gung-ho enough to register for the 2011 race.  I've got plans to ride the Wilderness 101 in the Pocono's, along with the Shenandoah 100 in September for next year.  Along with a handful of longer road biking adventures.

However, if the two 100 mile mountain bike rides do not destroy me, then I may enter the 2012 Leadville lottery and see what happens.  That's quite a commitment given that I'd have to travel to the Rockies.

For the record, I busted out a 17.5 mile loop in 1hr 9min last night around Accotink/Wakefield Park and along the CCT to Pickett Road.  I just need to do 5+ of those at elevations of 8k-12k for the Leadville training.

I'm left pondering this thought ... How does one train for a 100 mile mountain bike ride?