Looking around here and I’m seeing very little about the Lead Challenge (AKA Leadman). As this year’s race calendar winds down, I’m beginning to plan for next year and I’m looking for a training plan. I’m finding nothing. Anyone planning for this next year or have a training plan from previous years I cloud take a look at?
This might interest you 
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Thank you. I’ve actually completed both the bike and the run, so I know a bit about planning either one. What I don’t know is how to plan both? Would it be best to alternate weeks of long runs and long rides? If I’d normally do say 11 hours per week riding for the MTB or 9 hours running, do I need to train 20 hours per week (spoiler: I can’t). That kind of thing.
I have no idea how any human can run 100m on that terrain at that altitude -chapeau to you. And stacking it with a bunch of other runs and bike races, it’s so impressive what people can do. I have zero insight on what the training should look like, but just wanted to say good luck and props to anyone taking this on.
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When people say LT100MTB is hard, I can’t help but think, “Well, compared to LT100RUN, I’m just riding my bike; not much to be proud of, really.”
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So, I do think the run is harder than the ride. It certainly takes longer. But there’s more to it. For me at least the altitude helps in a way. When I first ran in Leadville I found that if I ran my normal marathon pace, I’d be out of breath in 2 minutes. That was a shock, but it was also a reminder that pacing is key there. It forces you to slow to a manageable (snail’s) pace. It’s that slow pace that gets you through.
The other thing is that there’s a minimum pace for the bike. Go less than 3mph and you’ll teeter over. You can always walk slower, which again helps you avoid blowing up.
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When someone shows me how to coast down a hill while running, I may consider that race.
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Oh!! Let me see if I can get you some info 
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Alrighty!
As far as TR plans go, we don’t have a training plan specific to this event, however, our Tri plans are pretty good at loading you up with a good amount of running and cycling activities.
Given the structure of this series, the bigger part of the focus should be on running. Using a Low Volume TR Tri plan as a starting point due to time constraints and then really focusing on the running could be a good idea. You can then add in more volume to either sport if you’re up for it, prioritizing running.
Then @eddiegrinwald had some thoughts on this as well, which I can agree with, being a trail runner now:
- Focus primarily on running volume first, and using your bike as a form of cross-training as mentioned above.
- Know how many miles you can sustainably run each week while avoiding injury.
- Cycling should probably only be adding in time on the bike since physical conditioning is much more important for running than cycling.
- Really strong runners can probably bike 100 miles without issues as long as they have a good bike setup that they’re comfortable with, but strong cyclists likely can’t just go run 100 miles
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Looking at your training history, your riding looks solid! So, I think really focusing on developing the run aspect will be the most beneficial. It took me about 4-5 months of a solid trail plan to be able to complete a 42K in Patagonia Run and finish in one piece (this with no previous trail running race experience).
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