Dig deep.
Racing within myself and beyond myself for more than a Leadville 100 record.
Mantra: Dig deep.
When my alarm went off at 3 AM on the morning of the Leadville 100 mountain bike race, I was almost certain we would not be racing for a record time. Between the smoke hanging in the air, the wind that had whipped through the trees overnight and the loose, dry trail conditions - it simply seemed like the universe had other plans. I let go of my quiet hope and committed to my plan.
In so many ways, that plan was full of unknowns. And the conditions were a brilliant reminder that a great race here was about embracing that unpredictability. I didn’t know how my body would respond to my longest race ever at 10k feet of elevation, how the group dynamics would unfold among the elite women, even what it would be like to take bottles in the hectic feed zones. So much of this challenge was new to me.
But, as my dad said to me the day before the race, “it might be your first rodeo, but you know how to ride a horse.” In addition to making me laugh, his comment made me realize that I did, in fact, know how to ride a horse.
There was something deep within me that was prepared for this challenge.
As I stood on the start line, I turned my mind inward and reminded myself of that preparation. Though I had only decided to enter the race six weeks ago after wrist surgery, this race had quickly captured my imagination and my focus. In my last week riding the trainer indoors, I watched just about every youtube video and listened to every podcast interview I could find on the event.
When I was back on the bike, it was Leadville that powered me through a few weeks of big volume at altitude. And when I finally got to study the course in person - I was blown away by how dynamic and engaging the challenge proved to be. I raced the stage race with no expectations - looking for strengths I could use and weaknesses I could minimize. I practiced my nutrition and hydration strategies, rehearsed my mental plan to master the hard moments and visualized how I wanted to feel at every juncture in this race.
Calm and collected. Patient and persistent. Strong and steady.
Now, all that was left to do was race. From the start, the racing was dynamic. A smaller group of seven or eight women broke away by the bottom of the first climb and descent - and with the wind, we spent a fair amount of time looking at each other with no one wanting to pull through. Knowing record pace would be unlikely, I made sure to fuel well and conserve as much energy as possible until we got to the more technical climbing where drafting would not be a factor.
We pushed the pace slightly as we went up and over Sugarloaf and a smaller group formed to work together in the flats. You are right where you need to be, I told myself. I focused on my breathing and how calm and relaxed I could stay in my body as we rotated through the pace line.
When we got to the iconic Columbine ascent - a 3000 foot climb reaching above 12k feet of elevation - I committed to my pacing plan and settled in at what I thought I could sustain for the hour long climb. By the half way mark, I was alone. And from that moment to the finish line, I would ride both within myself and beyond myself to try and keep that lead.
I descended Columbine safely and began the long, flat pipeline section back. The head wind was strong and with the camera motorcycle in front of me, dust whipped directly into my face. To be honest, it was a little bit miserable.
Stay focused. Execute the plan.
Eat. Aero. Pedal. Repeat.
I knew it would take perfect execution to stay away in this race. With no reliable information on how long my lead was, I had to stay locked in. I knew from the tight battles at the stage race that things could always come back together. 95 percent of my best would not be enough. It had to be 100. It had to be everything.
It took all I had to stay focused on the task at hand and not to let my mind wander to the two plus hours of racing still in front of me. I split the effort into chunks - seven distinct sections, more than half of which were now behind me. But I knew the hardest part was coming up.
Powerline climb is the most famous visual from this event - with a maximum gradient of over 30 percent and extreme exposure to the sun. As I climbed, I could feel myself straining to ride a pace that at sea level would be the equivalent of an easy endurance day. I committed to giving one hundred percent of what felt like the five percent I had left to give - making it through one small, steep section at a time.
From there, I knew exactly what I needed to do. In a race where so many things had been entirely unknown, as I crested the Powerline climb, I knew I had been here before. In the last day of the Leadville stage race, I had attacked over this climb and secured a one minute lead. From there to the finish line, I had made a calamity of errors from forgetting to eat to coasting critical sections where I could have gained momentum. A very strong Melisa Rollins had caught me in the flats and beat me to the finish.
I had gone back over those sections multiple times since that race day. I had made a plan in case I was alone and in case I was in a sprint. I knew not to underestimate this course or my competition.
I am still learning not to underestimate myself.
As I made my way up and over the final climb, I was shocked to find myself still alone now on the final flats to the finish. I kept looking over my shoulder, convinced I would soon see the form of the chasers behind. As I turned left onto the pavement and rode up next to the camera moto, I asked desperately for a split. 7 minutes.
At first, relief. I wasn’t going to be caught. But as I looked down at the time, I had a sudden realization. I had time to fight for the record.
Mental math is hard at this point in a race. If a train is traveling at 15 miles per hour how long does it take that train to ride the 5 miles up the dirt boulevard back into the heart of Leadville, Colorado. Honestly, who knows.
But there was a chance.
There is a saying that a strong why can endure any how. And in that moment, I felt such a deep sense that the universe was conspiring to help bring the very best out of me. The reason I had entered this race was for this moment - the moment when I would be asked to go beyond what I thought myself capable of giving.
I dug deep, put my head down and gave what I had. And, ten minutes later, when I looked up at the clock above the finish line, I burst into tears. 6:48:55. A new record.
This race meant more to me than I can put into words. But I will try.
I had one of the most meaningful days of my cycling career in a place and at a race that I never expected to be. That meaning came not just from the accomplishment - but from what it required of me. And from sharing that experience with the family and friends who gave me the courage to try.
Leadville doesn’t ask for much - just absolutely everything you’ve got. And in giving that, I was able to find a feeling I’ve been chasing mentally and physically for the better part of the last 5 years.
It was a reminder that doing hard things gives us the opportunity to dig deep within ourselves and see clearly who we are in this moment - and who we can choose to become in the next one. There is freedom in that choice.
I have spent so much time looking outside of myself to repair what has felt like a broken relationship with racing. I have changed just about everything - new coach, new team, new sponsors. And it was in this race that I realized what all of that change had truly allowed me to see - that what I was searching for is and has always been within me.
I just had to dig.
Message: it is within you…
I’m not a huge religious girlie. But this passage has stuck with me.
Musing: in a world focused on what you can get…
What more can you give?
I cannot adequately express how happy I am for you for your win. You are so deserving of this tangible success. But please know that even in the past few years, when you may have been struggling with race results, you still provided profound inspiration to me and many others. I did not see you once show any sign of negativity - disappointment sometimes, yes - but no blame, no complaining. You found the positives and kept moving upward. I have to think your success at Leadville was karma paying you back for all the sparkle you've given to the world. Kudos to you and your team!
Amazing race, Kate! My daughters were there watching their dad race, and you are such an inspiration to them (all of us, really). Amazing victory and beautiful write up. Keep sharing your passion because it fuels us all!