You've crossed the Pipeline inbound timing mat -- just 30 miles to go! But this is, without question, where the race REALLY begins. And the 5 flat miles we talk about in THE COURSE today are surprisingly tough. We talk you through every mile of it.

But the real focus of this episode is an increeasingly-popular piece of equipment in mountain biking: DROPPER POSTS. Are they reliable enough? Are they too heavy? Will they make you safer and faster? Which ones are the best? We dig into all these questions and more.

Our profesor of GI, Denis Faye, joins the show again to explain how we can increase our capacity to take on race fuel. A bigger gas tank is what we want...but like a lot of things Leadville, it doesn’t come easy. We also take on one of the new sections of the course, with race strategies on how to approact the inbound singletrack bypass and get to the Pipeline Aid Station with enough left in your tank for the final -- and hardest -- quarter of the race.

We've avoided this topic for 4.5 seasons, because it's (almost) as personal as your saddle choice...but we're waiting no longer. This episode is all about tire choice. Plus we get into the 9 miles between the base of Columbine and the singletrack turnoff. While you won't gain or lose a lot of altitude in this segment of the course, you're going to work for every mile -- and we'll help you know what you can do to power right through it!

Coach Cody is back to help us fine-tune our training plan for the Leadville 100...now less than two months away! Pay close attention now so you'll be faster on race day. We also deep-dive on the course, this time putting the miles between the turnaround and the Twin Lakes Dam Alternate feed zone. It's a good opportunity to catch your breath, catch up on fueling and hydration, and make a well-informed prediction on your finishing time for the race.

Eventually, we all have some bad luck, and that  often means injury, regardless of the plans you have made. When that happens, what do you do? We pose that question to cycling legend and Unbound winner Yuri Hauswald, who is working through that exact situation right now. Yuri brings extraordinary insight and authenticity to the problem athletes have when recovering from injury. Do not miss this episode.

This episode is all about pain. Sorry, it's just a fact. For our segment on THE COURSE, we talk about that brutal two miles to the turnaround: mistakes to avoid, places you'll likely hike instead of ride, and why it's absolutely essential you hug the right side of the trail. 

We then bring on Dr Sprouse to talk about something thousands (we're guessing, but a pretty good guess) of LT100 racers have experienced: cramps. And how (maybe, hopefully) you can avoid them.

We're always happy to have Tamira Jenlink -- Race Director for the LT100MTB -- on the program, but this time she brings some news that you will NOT want to miss. Seriously. We mean it.

We're also detailing out the course --both strategy and mile-by-mile tactics -- from Twin Lakes Dam to the Goat Trail on Columbine. And since this includes the segment of the course that is different (and longer) as of last year, you'll want to pay special attention to how it's changed and how these changes will affect your race. 

How difficult can it be to drink? Judging by the number of hydration problems you see on race day, pretty darned difficult indeed. Dr Kevin Sprouse joins us to talk about how to stay hyrdrated on race day. We also dig into the surprisingly challenging 12 miles between Pipeline and Twin Lakes Dam, and how to achieve your goal for this part of the race: to get to the base of Columbine fueled, fast, and ready to climb.

When people talk about Leadville, they rarely rhapsodize about the flattish segments that connect the iconic climbs. And that's too bad, because how you ride between the climbs determines how you feel when you get to those climbs. In this episode of The Course, we help you ride smart on the road, seting a strategy for maximum gain with minimum effort.

We're also pleased to have Dr Justin Ross join  to talk about a critical part of your Leadville prep: training your brain. Considering that most Leadville veterans agree this race is (at least) 80% mental, this conversation could make a real difference to you on race day.

We'll see you at the starting line!

Considering that it represents only a tiny fraction of the time you spend on the LT100 course—just a few minutes, really—the Powerline descent deserves an outsized amount of preparation. Why? well if you ride it right it'll be behind you in a moment. If you ride it wrong, however, the Powerline descent can absolutely ruin your day. So of course we're going to give this quick downhill trip the time it deserves on The Course. We also meet up with Coach Cody of Waite Endurance, this time to talk about your next phase of training: high-intensity workouts. Follow his advice now and, come race day, you'll be glad you did.