CCW: When did you start mountain biking?

HT: I started mountain biking in April 2022.

CCW: Can you remember the first time hearing about the Leadville Trail 100 race?

HT: I first heard about the Leadville Trail 100 when I watched the EF Gone Racing video about it in 2020. I had just started riding and Leadville seemed so outlandish at the time. I never thought it was something I would attempt.

Austin Rattler LT 100 qualifier November 2023

CCW: Where did your LT 100 journey begin?

HT: My friend Kasia convinced me to do the 2022 Austin Rattler with her. It was my first mountain bike race so I planned to do the 40 mile course, but Venny and Kasia convinced me I could do the full 60 mile. After the race, I wasn’t going to put my name in the drawing for a Leadville coin, but was convinced the chances of being pulled were slim. Sure enough, my name was pulled and the journey to Leadville began.

CCW: How has training been like leading up to the event?

HT: Before this year, I had never done structured training, but decided to give it a go in preparation for Leadville. I have been using TrainerRoad for my structured workouts and adding in long rides and races on the weekends. I have really enjoyed the structure of the training plan and being able to see progress throughout the year.

Long Training ride through the sam houston national forest

CCW: Any big hurdles you've had to overcome in training?

HT: I have been very fortunate this year and am thankful for a mostly healthy training season. The biggest challenge I faced in training was a really rainy spring in Houston followed by a scorching summer. I spent a lot of time on the trainer during the rainy days and tried to embrace the hot days (but I really hope Leadville isn’t as hot as Houston).

CCW: What corral are you starting in and does that affect your pacing strategy?

HT: I am starting in the orange corral, but my starting corral isn’t going to impact my pacing strategy. My plan is to ride my own race and control what I can. There are some things you can't control, and I am trying to not let those things distract me from my goal. I want to ride consistently and at a pace I can hold the entire day…because it is going to be a long one.

CCW: What is one thing you're excited about and one thing you're anxious about?

HT: I am excited about a lot of things, but mostly meeting a bunch of awesome people out on course. I think that is what makes events like this so special - you bring a bunch of people together who love riding bikes and love challenging themselves. It is amazing to be part of. On the flip side, what I am most anxious about is definitely descending Powerline. I love to climb, but confident descending is still something I am working on. Fortunately, I got to pre-ride Powerline last week and I am feeling slightly better about it.

CCW: Liquid nutrition, solid nutrition, or both? Do you have an ultimate super fuel when the going gets tough?

HT: I will be using liquid and solid nutrition. In the past, I have relied mostly on solid nutrition, but I have intentionally focused on incorporating more liquid nutrition in my preparation for Leadville. I often find it hard to take my hands off the bars for long periods of time during a mountain bike race so having a hydration pack full of liquid nutrition simplifies things. I will be using Tailwind Nutrition Endurance Fuel in a USWE Hydration pack. For my solid nutrition, I will be using Untapped Salted Cocoa Maple Syrup, Clif Blocks, and Betty Lou’s Bars. I’ll also have Red Bull and potato chips at the aid stations.

CCW: Let's switch over to gear. What kind of equipment changes did you make to your bike setup?

HT: I made quite a few gear upgrades in preparation for Leadville. I upgraded from mechanical to electronic shifting. I really enjoy electronic shifting, but the main motive for the swap was to improve the ergonomics of shifting and alleviate some wrist pain I was experiencing while riding. I also made a few upgrades to make my bike lighter: Cantu M930 carbon wheels, a XX1 Eagle cassette, and Maxxis 2.25" Aspens. Collectively these upgrades shaved about 3 pounds off the weight of my bike! I also had a little fun with the upgrades and decked the bike out with oil slick wheel decals, cassette, and valve stems. The oil slick theme won't make me any faster on race day, but I sure like how it looks.

CCW: It's mile 88, you feel like you're crawling along, and the mental demons start knocking. How do you overcome hitting that wall?

HT: I recently heard Izzy King say that the type of suffering we go through during bike races is a privilege, and I couldn't agree more. Both my aunt and uncle passed away very young after battles with cancer. Their suffering and the pain of losing a loved one pales in comparison to the suffering on the bike. When things get tough, I think of them and their courage in the face of suffering and I ride for them. I am so thankful that my body is capable of hard things and it isn't something I ever want to take for granted.

CCW: Do you have any goals you can share with us?

HT: I am hoping to finish under 12 hours and get a little buckle!

TMBRA Miles of Discomfort Mtb Marathon race - comfort, texas

CCW: Do you have any big takeaways from training? Shout outs?

HT: My biggest take away from training for Leadville has been the importance of rest. I know that seems like a funny thing to say about training for a big event like Leadville, but structured training showed me the negative impact pushing too hard was having on my riding. The added rest this season has also helped with a lot of nagging aches and pains I have experienced in the past. Another key part of my training was (and will continue to be) the support of those around me. I huge shoutout to my boyfriend, Gio, for being flexible all year so that I could fit my training in and for always encouraging me. Thanks to everyone who kept me company on long rides and made training a lot more fun. Thank you to everyone who has done Leadville before and offered advice to help me succeed. And last but definitely not least, thank you to everyone from Houston who is coming to help crew and cheer us on! I can’t wait to see you all on course.

Behind the Wheels

Leadville Trail MTB 100 Pre-Race Interview with Hannah Thombs