ANNA'S LEADVILLE 100 STORY
For Anna Curtis, completing the Leadville 100 was a bucket list race. The beauty of the mountains and the grit required to complete a race of this magnitude drew her in.
Keep reading to learn about her experience and what it really feels like to take on Leadville.
How would you describe Leadville to someone who’s never been there?
Leadville is exactly what I imagined a small western town would be like. The entire town is surrounded by picturesque mountain views, and you're extremely close to many popular trails and mountains. Everyone was so friendly, and it was easy to get swept up into the adventurer culture. I spent a good amount of time wandering back and forth along the main street patronizing the cafes and shops. I would love to go back just to stay in the town while adventuring along the local trails.
What inspired you to sign up for Leadville 100 in the first place?
Leadville 100 was one of my top bucket list races due to the beauty of the mountains and the amount of grit and determination that is required to finish it. Going on adventures, exploring the mountains, and wandering the countryside is something that I have dreamed about since childhood. When rabbit asked if I would like to run, I jumped at the opportunity, and I am so thankful for it.
How did your body react at altitude compared to sea level, where did you train?
I trained almost entirely in the Milwaukee area. I had some lab work done before, during, and after my training block. While all of my markers were indicative of someone who is an endurance athlete, they didn’t show any signs that I wouldn’t be affected by altitude.
I was able to arrive in Leadville four days before the race start. Immediately upon getting into town, I climbed up Mt. Elbert (14,000 ft). While the experience was exhilarating, it also fast tracked my altitude adjustment. I felt pretty sick later that night, and I would highly recommend a slower transition to anyone else! After spending the next day hydrating, I felt much better. I had a difficult time maintaining any kind of appetite the week before the race, and sleeping was difficult due to the dry air. However, by the time that race morning rolled around, I was rested and more adjusted to the climate.
Considering that I only spent four days at altitude pre-race, and it was my first time ever at altitude, I think my acclimatization went pretty well! I would love to see how living at that kind of altitude for weeks or even months would feel like.
Running in Leadville before and during the race was interesting – I could feel that I was in shape, but I could tell that my heart was having to work harder to meet the oxygen demands of my body.
What did your training and preparation look like leading up to this race?
I had a little over two months to train for the race, so balancing my time at work and time training was the most challenging factor when it came to preparing for the Leadville 100. There were many days that I would get home and all that I wanted to do was curl up into bed, but I tried to remain focused on my training and get outside as much as I could. My fiance, Ben Lamers, coached me through Infinity Trail Running to help keep me motivated and on track during this time.
Heat training was a big player in my training plan – I ran outside in the heat and humidity as much as I could, and I spent a good deal of time in the sauna and steam room.
I was able to use an altitude chamber for the final six weeks of my training thanks to Woodway Treadmills (approximately twice a week). Due to time constraints, the altitude chamber ended up replacing most of my sauna/steam room time, but I still ran outside in the heat/humidity as much as I could.
For nutrition, I trained with Neversecond products, since I knew that they would be out on course and several of the aid stations would not have crew access. I didn’t want to fiddle around with drop bags during the race and decided to rely on aid stations for my fueling stops.
What was going through your mind as you made your way up Hope Pass?
My fiancé had run the Hope Pass section two days before, and I was jealous of how he went up and down the mountain so quickly. I kind of felt like I was at a theme park; when I was done with the section I kind of wished that I was able to get in line and do it all over again to see what would happen. Now that I knew what was out there, could I run the downhills faster? How much quicker could I push myself on the uphills? What if I used poles this time?
Was there a breakthrough moment where things suddenly clicked?
There wasn't a doubt in my mind that I could finish the race. To some extent you need to have a certain level of confidence going into these kinds of events, the doubting thoughts will get louder the more fatigued you become. I did worry a little that I might not make the 25-hour cutoff if the course ended up being a mile longer or something catastrophic happened, but I was also weirdly at peace knowing what I had accomplished that day. I knew that I was capable of earning the sub-25, but I was also okay with whatever the outcome ended up being because I knew that I would push myself for it all the way through the end, and that’s something to be proud of.
Who was part of your crew, and how did they support you along the way?
My fiancé, Ben Lamers, was my crew chief, pacer, and running coach. My friends Jenna, Will, and Rachel were also part of my crewing and pacing team! Will paced me from Twin Lakes 2 to Outward/Inward Bound, and then Ben paced me from Outward Bound to the finish. Everyone ran it in together at mile 99, and that was really special to get to do that as a team.
Ben gave me a hug at Twin Lakes and told me how proud everyone was of me, I kept that with me the rest of the race.
How important was community support during the race?
Community support was amazing, and it really made it feel like we were connected as family out there. We stayed in a hostel the week of the race and it was really fun to see each other out on the course during the day and cheer each other on. I think that’s part of what made the Leadville experience so special.
How did it feel to wear the High Country shoes during the 100?
The High Country shoes were game changing! I actually started with a different pair of shoes that I was more familiar with, but that ended up being a mistake for this race. The other shoes were fine for the road section, but as soon as I hit the trails I was slipping and tripping all over the place. I knew that something needed to change ASAP.
Normally I do not swap out shoes during an ultra, but this time it was necessary. At Outward Bound (The first crew aid station that’s approximately 23 miles into the race) I changed into the High Country shoes and didn’t look back! Had I known what was going to happen, I would have just ran the entire thing from the start in the High Country shoes.
I needed a shoe that was comfortable for the ride, rugged enough to handle the technical trail, and that could also handle some speed for the roads and flats. Extra bonus: the colorway is awesome and matched my race kit, so they had me feeling extra cool.
I was able to wear the High Country for a couple long runs during training, but they are a fairly new release, so Leadville was really a great test for them. My feet felt great (or as great as they can during 100 miles) and I didn’t get any blisters, chafing, or bruised toenails (I didn’t even change socks!).
Sometimes during an ultra I’ll do some “strides” to stretch out my legs – going into mile 78 I took off down the road for about ~30 seconds at a 6:30/mile pace and the shoes felt great!
My only complaint is that I don’t have a second pair to show off.
Did you run Leadville?
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