High altitude and flat bars – A recipe for disaster at Leadville 100 if you don’t follow the science

Lining up for this year’s Leadville Trail 100 MTB, I underestimated the challenge ahead, convinced that science wouldn’t apply to me. I arrived in Leadville on Thursday afternoon, just 36 hours before the race, which served as the third stop in the Life Time Grand Prix. 

I hoped my body wouldn’t notice the sudden change in altitude. It didn’t take long for my body to recognize the sudden lack of oxygen, reminding me that the effects of altitude are very real.