Congrats to David for an amazing run yesterday at Leadville. Huge win by 30 mins and breaking the long standing course record (since 2005) by over 16 mins.
https://run247.com/running-news/ultramarathon-news/leadville-100-2024-results-report
Was going to post the same. Can we claim him to be our own?
Was going to post the same. Can we claim him to be our own?
Yes, very impressive run. He is so talented.
Can we claim him to be our own?
Absolutely. Dave’s been around here longer than most current active users. He’s not very active any more but checks in from time to time. Back in the day he provided great running/training advice here on ST. He still does through his coaching business and podcast.
Btw, in searching to see how long he’s been around (2008), I came across this thread he started in 2009 about Leadville with some comments of his that are great in retrospect.
Any results from Leadville?
People that finish that race must be so focused (or absolutely insane). I can barely stay awake for as long as Leadville takes.
Just attempting that race shows extreme testicular fortitude (or the female equivalent).
Just out of curiosity, is this a well marked trail or do you need to have some compass skills?
How long does the average BOP runner complete the race in?
Cheers
It’s a well marked 100 mile course with a 30 hour cutoff. There were about 775 starters, only 61 of which finished under 24 hours. Of the 399 finishers, 144 finished in the 29th hour.
Thanks for the info, and sorry for being lazy.
So an almost 50% “DNF†rate. I would assume that a good deal of people “finish†after the 30 hour cutoff?
Looks like a really interesting challenge.
So an almost 50% “DNF†rate. I would assume that a good deal of people “finish†after the 30 hour cutoff?
no - they pull you off the course. There are cutoffs at each aid station, arrive there after the cutoff and you won’t be allowed to continue.
This saves a lot of time effort and money spent on rescuing exhausted people from the mountains…
As Doug mentioned, there are time cut-offs at each station. However, every year (including this year) there’s a small handful of folks that make the cut-off at the final aid station BUT do not make it to the finish by the 30 hour mark.
Dave also delivered some epic race reports. Someone should dig them out.
Was hoping for a race report too
.
An interview on the front page would be great as well!
He discussed it on his latest podcast episode. I haven’t listened to it though.
We pinched each other to make sure it wasn’t all a dream before recording this celebration episode! This one was all about processing David’s course record run at the Leadville 100 Miler. For 19 years, Matt Carpenter’s Leadville record of 15:42 has been talked about as one of the most untouchable marks in running. But a lot has happened since 2005, with advances in training, fueling, shoes, and altitude science. So even though Matt is a GOAT, we thought it was possible.
Yes, it seemed like low odds. All we knew for sure is that there would be a chance for one half-court shot at history.
And shooters shoot.
David ran 15:26, setting the new record by 16 minutes on a magical day. We share all of our initial reactions: the build up, what made the shot seem work taking, why adversity might have been a blessing, how the sport is changing, and how it all unfolded. During the race recap, we took tangents to talk about all of the weird and wild moments! We are still processing everything, so you’re getting our raw, sleep-deprived feelings on what happens at the edge of human experiences.
The race story ends with an emotional moment that we’ll both never forget. We just want to take a step back and share that with you all. Throughout this journey, the podcast has been our weekly check-in with people who we love so much. Yes, there has been humor, sadness, frustration, joy, setbacks, and everything else along this journey. But coming into that finishing chute, breaking the unbreakable record… that was only possible because of love. And we love you all!
This is also the LAUNCH DAY for Huzzah, the new female athlete performance and health hub from Megan! It’s the culmination of so much work, and you’re going to love it. Follow now at the link below.
Thank you all. If this is a dream, we hope that when we wake up, we remember what it felt like to know there were all of these people out there shooting big shots, being silly, feeling feelings, and shining their lights.
Guess he wasn’t using Spring Energy for fuel. 😂
Thank you all so much! I am a Slowtwitcher through and through. Even though I don’t post anymore, I still check in almost daily to keep up on training theory for multisport (since I think Ironman has some of the most important lessons to teach us about how the body responds at the limits of human performance). Plus, through all these years, ST has remained a kind and smart enclave for endurance talk on the Internet!
This has all been a surreal experience. If I woke up and it was all a dream, it would have been a damn good dream. The record was considered the most unbeatable in trail running for a long time, but I think that started to shift in recent years. So when I made my goals for 2024, I just put this one race on there. Here’s the Strava link for those interested: https://www.strava.com/activities/12175284780
Some notes:
-I trained at a reasonable volume, usually around 10 hours a week (whereas most top male ultrarunners do 20+ hours). My strength is my speed.
-I fueled with 500+ calories per hour, all from gels and sports drink
-I decided to run every step of the course, even the steep parts on Hope Pass
While I doubt many in the world would have predicted this outcome, I bet there are some old ST posters who would have. Thank you to the OG people in this community for believing me back when I was a fledgling duathlete in NYC looking for a community. Love you all <3
I can answer any questions people have as well! Our podcast episode gets into the details… and it may make you cry. Click “Follow” here: https://podcasts.apple.com/...2868?i=1000666016598
mega congrats!
While I doubt many in the world would have predicted this outcome, I bet there are some old ST posters who would have.
honestly after the Silver Rush 50 result, I was expecting it 
well done !
astonishing the difference in calories/carbs ideas, just in the last few years.
I went and read Matt’s 2005 report, seems he was doing 300 cal/hr which at the time was outrageous.
I practiced my fuel regime about five times a week almost year round right down to the number of sips I take per hour. Yes—18 sips an hour is what I need to stay hydrated. More if it is hot, less if it is cool. I get those 18 sips by taking 3 sips every 10 minutes. Further, I dump Carb-BOOM energy gel and Gatorade Endurance Formula right into my bottle or CamelBak so that I get about 50 calories every 10 minutes. My energy levels stay constant and I am never shocking my system like what would happen if I ran an hour or more and tried to take in the same number of calories at one time. As an added bonus, I can minimize the weight I carry based on the time it takes to get from one aid station to the next. Fish Hatchery to May Queen? 24 sips…
To come up with these numbers I had to experiment with what works for me. If I lost weight, I added sips. If I peed too much, less sips. Etc. But the point is I spent a good deal of my training time working on my fuel systems because I think it is the biggest factor between success and failure in an Ultra.
Haha, yes! 120-140 grams of carbs per hour, motivated by cycling and Victor Campanaerts’ win on Stage 18 of the TDF specifically. For those who don’t follow me elsewhere, here was my summary:
500+ calories per hour.
Heading into the Leadville 100, I wanted to chase Matt Carpenter’s legendary time of 15:42. That presented an obvious problem—Matt is a GOAT, who was better than I could dream of being. How can you compete with someone whose VO2 max was one of the highest ever recorded, and who trained with methodical focus in a way that was ahead of his time? Answer: I’d need to disrespect the distance by pushing harder.
My plan was to run every step of the course, as close to aerobic threshold as I could, going into Zone 3 when I had to on climbs. To do that for 15.5 hours, I’d have to slurp carbs like my life depended on it, since my glycogen burn rate would be high.
Here was the plan for every 2.5 or so hours based on training and the science showing that it’s possible to push up to 120 grams of carbs per hour at higher efforts:
- Hour 1: Science in Sport Beta Fuel gel (40g carbs), another Beta Fuel, Precision Fuel and Hydration 100 mg caffeine gel (30g carbs)
- 30 min break from gels
- Hour 2: Beta Fuel, Beta Fuel, Precision gel without caffeine
I supplemented that with sports drink in every bottle, mixed with Precision electrolytes, aiming for 24-36 ounces of fluid per hour. Doing the math, depending on aid station Skratch concentration, some hours I would consume closer to 140g carbs/hr. I didn’t take in anything other than Precision, Skratch, and Science in Sport (not even plain water). I did that for 15:26, a 16-minute record ahead of my heroes who ran Leadville before me. I may not have GOAT talent, but perhaps I’m a GOAT at slurping.
This approach pushed the limits of our understanding of human physiology. But to do something I have never done, I knew I’d have to try something that hasn’t been done.
If I woke up tomorrow and found out this was all a dream, I’d be ok with that. It was a good dream. But I think I can say with confidence that despite all of my doubts, I’m not living through some sort of wildly real hallucination. You know how I know? The post-100 gel burps are real. Forget pinching, the hottest way to evaluate whether you’re dreaming is belching. History comes with an aftertaste.
Haha, yes! 120-140 grams of carbs per hour, motivated by cycling and Victor Campanaerts’ win on Stage 18 of the TDF specifically. For those who don’t follow me elsewhere, here was my summary:
500+ calories per hour.
Heading into the Leadville 100, I wanted to chase Matt Carpenter’s legendary time of 15:42. That presented an obvious problem—Matt is a GOAT, who was better than I could dream of being. How can you compete with someone whose VO2 max was one of the highest ever recorded, and who trained with methodical focus in a way that was ahead of his time? Answer: I’d need to disrespect the distance by pushing harder.
My plan was to run every step of the course, as close to aerobic threshold as I could, going into Zone 3 when I had to on climbs. To do that for 15.5 hours, I’d have to slurp carbs like my life depended on it, since my glycogen burn rate would be high.
Here was the plan for every 2.5 or so hours based on training and the science showing that it’s possible to push up to 120 grams of carbs per hour at higher efforts:
- Hour 1: Science in Sport Beta Fuel gel (40g carbs), another Beta Fuel, Precision Fuel and Hydration 100 mg caffeine gel (30g carbs)
- 30 min break from gels
- Hour 2: Beta Fuel, Beta Fuel, Precision gel without caffeine
I supplemented that with sports drink in every bottle, mixed with Precision electrolytes, aiming for 24-36 ounces of fluid per hour. Doing the math, depending on aid station Skratch concentration, some hours I would consume closer to 140g carbs/hr. I didn’t take in anything other than Precision, Skratch, and Science in Sport (not even plain water). I did that for 15:26, a 16-minute record ahead of my heroes who ran Leadville before me. I may not have GOAT talent, but perhaps I’m a GOAT at slurping.
This approach pushed the limits of our understanding of human physiology. But to do something I have never done, I knew I’d have to try something that hasn’t been done.
If I woke up tomorrow and found out this was all a dream, I’d be ok with that. It was a good dream. But I think I can say with confidence that despite all of my doubts, I’m not living through some sort of wildly real hallucination. You know how I know? The post-100 gel burps are real. Forget pinching, the hottest way to evaluate whether you’re dreaming is belching. History comes with an aftertaste.
Congrats Dave!
Thanks so much for the transparency on your training and nutritional strategy.
W/r to your caffeine use you mention having validated the approach with, I think, DNA testing. If you can elaborate, was this standard testing such as 23andMe with results showing you have the gene (CYP1A2?) associated with fast caffeine metabolizing? Or were other tests utilized?
It was really interesting that you found energy levels so closely associated with the caffeine intake. A second associated caffeine question is regarding your day to day non-supplement caffeine intake. Over the years, a lot of caffeine intake for performance recommendations I’ve seen recommend reducing day to day intake (coffee) ahead of event usage. Do you follow this approach?
Thanks for any insights you can share!
**W/r to your caffeine use you mention having validated the approach with, I think, DNA testing. If you can elaborate, was this standard testing such as 23andMe with results showing you have the gene (CYP1A2?) associated with fast caffeine metabolizing? Or were other tests utilized? **
We just use classic 23&me to identify gene variants to determine general safety and efficacy of use. I am a fast metabolizer and respond really well to caffeine, though keep my intake moderate in everyday life (family history of high blood pressure). Usually people know how they respond without the genetic tests, but given the really high intakes in some ultras, is can be helpful to know the hard data.
It was really interesting that you found energy levels so closely associated with the caffeine intake. A second associated caffeine question is regarding your day to day non-supplement caffeine intake. Over the years, a lot of caffeine intake for performance recommendations I’ve seen recommend reducing day to day intake (coffee) ahead of event usage. Do you follow this approach?
I don’t practice or recommend caffeine tapers. The underlying studies are not very rigorous, and for me personally, going off caffeine causes my RHR and HRV to go haywire. That nervous system stress is not worth it at a time when I want to feel gooooood to get the final adaptations in the taper!
Thank you so much!!!