Tune in here to this episode of Grits, Guts, and Determination, The Leadville Race Series Podcast, a leading authority for all things Leadville! Host Cole Chlouber, son of race founder Ken Chlouber, takes us on a story-telling journey of the 38-year rich history of this race. We learn all the tips, tricks, and stories from the Leadville community members! Joining us today is Ryan Krol, a runner, biker and new founder of his own coaching business, Boundless Coaching. Listen as he shares about his move from the midwest, his career start with Lifetime, and his recent move into endurance sports himself.

To kick off the conversation, Cole asks Ryan to share the story of how Leadville found him. He fell in love with endurance sports while living in Oregon and participated in the Mt. Hood 100 miler and Ironman. He got a job at Life Time with the hopes of transferring to Colorado in the future. To do well as a trainer, Ryan believes it important to find your niche. He established himself as the endurance trainer and built a solid clientele. Ryan has always been interested in athletics and tried his hand in wrestling and track during high school. It was during the 100 miler that Ryan really found what he was looking for from endurance sports - being broken down mentally and physically. After moving to Colorado, Leadville became his next goal.

Then, Cole asks Ryan to explain what drew him to endurance sports in the first place. He has always had a good work ethic, and was drawn to endurance sports because they are all about commitment, rather than having a special gift or talent. Race day is the one day science can be proven wrong, and it all comes down to who wants it the most. At this point, Ryan has 4 of each Leadville run and bike races under his belt. Ryan’s run time at Leadville has gotten even faster since his first race. He reveals his best time happened the only time didn’t enter the race with the expectation to beat his record. The external pressure of having people count on you is a huge motivation for finishing.

The bike race at Leadville has much more of a teamwork atmosphere compared to the run. The training methodology is much more specific and tends to attract more analytic people. The DNF rate for the run is much higher than the bike because of it’s time length. Though Cole often hints that the bike race is easier than the run, he urges himself not to forget about just how challenging the bike race is. Though he has always finished at Leadville, Ryan shares his DNF stories from other races. Next, they discuss Leadman, the challenge beyond all other challenges. What makes Leadville so unique, Ryan says, is the friendships and relationships one builds there. Everyone who participates has such an interesting story, which only adds to the energy of the race.

Cole and Ryan were both furloughed from their positions at Life Time in 2020. Ryan took this as an opportunity to start his own coaching business, which he considers now to be a blessing in disguise. The clientele he had previously built really helped him establish his new path. As the episode wraps up, Ryan shares advice for Leadville family members to help them make it to the finish line at any event this upcoming summer. To avoid injuries at all costs, consistency and forming good habits now is key. To Ryan, the word Leadville evokes the memories of family reunions, fun summer nights and his tribe.

Thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe, and we hope to see you on the line in August!