Your Mind Is A Filthy Liar: The Leadville Interview with Graham Zimmerman
EC: It is one week until you step to the starting line of the Leadville Trail 100. This will be your first attempt at the 100-mile distance. How are you feeling about your preparation?
GZ: I am prepared; I don't feel prepared. This is one of the challenges with this being my first 100, and my first 100 being Leadville. For all intents and purposes, my training has gone well. We used a version of the Lydiard training to help prepare for this. A significant period of aerobic conditioning, followed by a hill phase, and then an integration phase. By the integration phase I felt very fit. And then you get to 10,000 ft three weeks before the race - just before you should be peaking - and everything gets turned upside down. Your legs are fatigued. Heart rate is up. Sleep is impacted. Lungs are winded. It's one of the unique challenges that Leadville presents. Add in it being my first 100, and the uncertainties that manifest inside your head around preparation are tough to avoid.
EC: You headed out to Leadville, Colorado a few weeks early to acclimatize to the high altitude (Leadville sits at 10,200ft). As a North Carolina-based trail runner, what have you done to prepare for a high-country mountain race? What do you feel has been effective and what might you recommend to other flatlanders preparing for similar events?
GZ: Altitude is another part of the training puzzle that you try to solve for. In all honesty, I wouldn't be doing Leadville if my lifestyle didn't afford me the opportunity to come out here early to acclimate. Beyond that, the rule of thumb we have tried to follow for training for a high-altitude race isn't much different from any other race: get as fit as possible.
EC: You have put together an impressive body of work over the last half-year of training. Looking back, what were some of your favorite aspects of the journey? What were some of the challenges and measurable transformations you underwent? And what might have been unexpected or surprising to you about the training plan?
GZ: To me, Leadville is a celebration of the commitment made to an effort. My favorite aspect of this journey has been the training itself. I have had the privilege of training each day with one goal in mind and working alongside a great coach throughout the process. And I'm super excited to share this experience with my girlfriend, friends and family, who will be pacing and crewing me.
EC: What draws you to the 100-mile distance? Do you remember the moment you realized this was an adventure you wanted to pursue?
GZ: There are two things that draw me to 100 miles. First, it is an unfathomably long distance. I want to find out whether or not I can do it. And second, it's a transformative experience. I want to experience the highs and lows that come during 100 miles.
EC: Running 100 miles is hard, and for most, it is pretty darn spooky. How has the taper been going, navigating the inevitable fears and anxieties that stem from running down a dream? Any advice from the front? Observations or suggestions to those of us considering going up in distance?
GZ: Gentle reminder to everyone (including myself) during tapering: your mind is a filthy liar. Trust your training. Be gentle on yourself. And if you're considering going up in distance, do it.
EC: Goals can be super casual and they can rightfully be private pursuits. Could you share with us any time goals or general goals you are cool with sharing publicly?
GZ: I'm a very competitive person, but I don't consider myself to be "racing" my first 100. The goal is to finish. I have personal time goals, and those are going to remain personal for superstitious and arbitrary reasons.
EC: And lastly, how might you distill in a few sentences how you want Leadville to go?
GZ: Buckle.
