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 Sandy Monahan.

Sandy has 33 years of experience of crewing and being “Cutoff Queen.” In 1989, she set up her crew for the first time. She shares that her husband, Mike, was the runner and she had already had experience crewing him several times in the past. Mike’s first crew at Leadville consisted of Sandy, their children and their dogs. She shares how her support pack has changed since she first started compared to now. In addition to Mike as a runner, Sandy has crewed for Nick the biker, too. She finds the run is far more difficult to crew for because it is a longer amount of time. For biking, the crew is there mostly for emergency purposes. After a certain point, the crew has to be the voice of reason for the runner and know what needs to look for.

The biggest piece of advice Sandy can offer for crews is to always be prepared for potential weather changes for both running and biking. From her experience, people who transition between biking and running always report that the run is the more difficult feat of the two. In the early dyas of her crewing, there weren’t as many meal supplements available as there are today. During the first 50 miles, Mike would eat solid foods before transitioning to only consuming liquids. Runners are advised to eat as much as they can and more during those first 50 miles, because those are the calories they will be relying on later once they can no longer stomach food. It’s important to train with whatever you’re going to be eating during the race. Crewers have to be very mentally tough in order to carry their runner on to the finish line. Sandy shares some challenging stories she and Mike have faced on the trails. This race is not one from point to point, but rather from the beginning to the end. Cutoffs are there for the crucial safety of the runners. Even in just a 2 hour ride up the mountain, Sandy warns to be prepared for snow, rain, wind and more. At the very least, make sure you have a rainproof windbreaker in your pack. In closing, she offers final advice: always expect the unexpected, make sure your runner always has drop bags at every location and pay close attention to the cutoff times.

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