LEADVILLE JUST GOT EASIER: WHAT IT TAKES TO EARN A BUCKLE | Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast 597
About this episode
Jonathan Lee discusses the changes to the Leadville Trail 100 MTB course and the fitness requirements to earn a buckle.
🚀 Try TrainerRoad risk-free! 👉 www.TrainerRoad.com - Donate to Jonathan’s Leadville Foundation Fundraiser: https://give.ltfoundation.org/leejonathan // SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST! iTunes: https://trainerroad.cc/apple2 Spotify: https://trainerroad.cc/spotify2 Google Podcasts: https://trainerroad.cc/google // TOPICS COVERED (00:00:00) Jonathan’s Leadville Injury and Training Update (00:12:20) Becoming a More Well-Rounded Athlete (00:15:15) How the 2026 Leadville Course Changed (00:19:25) The FTP and W/kg Needed for a Leadville Buckle (00:24:05) How Rare Is Buckle-Level Fitness? (00:26:45) How Much Altitude Acclimatization Helps (00:28:15) Why Aerodynamics Matter More This Year (00:31:10) Final Leadville Buckle Targets and Takeaways The 2026 Leadville Trail 100 MTB course is shorter, climbs nearly 1,900 feet less, and has tighter belt-buckle cutoffs. Coach Jonathan Lee breaks down the FTP and watts per kilogram needed for the big and small Leadville buckles, how rare that fitness is by age and gender, and why altitude acclimatization and aerodynamics matter more than ever, plus why a fractured scaphoid ended his own Leadville race before it even began. // RESOURCES…
Sponsors
TrainerRoad
More episodes of Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast - Presented by TrainerRoad
- STRENGTH TRAINING IS WORTH 9 WATTS? | Dialed Health’s Derek Teel | Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast 598
- A SUB-5 LEADVILLE? HOW THE COURSE COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING | Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast 596
- INTERMITTENT HYPOXIA: ALTITUDE TRAINING YOU CAN ACTUALLY DO | Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast 595
- The Mental Trap That Makes You Slower | Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast 594
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast - Presented by TrainerRoad podcast page.