Hello everyone. Welcome to the latest episode of The Matchbox Podcast powered by Ignition Coach Co. I’m your host, Adam Saban, and on this week’s episode we’re talking about our own experience with preparing for and racing at altitude as Drew takes on his first Leadville 100 MTB next month.
As always, if you like what you hear, share this with your friends and leave us a five star review and if you have any questions for the show drop us an email at matchboxpod@gmail.com or head over to ignitioncoachco.com and fill out The Matchbox Podcast listener question form.
Alight let’s get into it!
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Show Notes
Episode Summary
In this episode, the hosts break down how to prepare for high-altitude racing, using Drew’s Leadville build as the main example. They cover acclimatization strategy, heat training, fueling at altitude, iron considerations, pacing, recovery, and how to use ventilation data to better understand effort. The conversation also explores when to introduce intensity at altitude, how much training to do while acclimating, and why respecting altitude is as much psychological as it is physiological.
Timestamps
0:01 — Intro: special guest David joins, and the episode topic is introduced
0:38 — Drew’s Leadville qualification and the shift to altitude preparation
3:01 — Training changes heading into Leadville
3:51 — Heat training and sauna use as “poor man’s acclimation”
4:50 — Flagstaff plan for acclimatization before Leadville
6:30 — Weight cut and nutrition strategy discussion
10:02 — Carb needs and fueling changes at altitude
13:48 — Iron/ferritin considerations for altitude performance
15:21 — Race-specific training, tempo work, and threshold preparation
17:51 — Mountain bike specificity and position differences
20:50 — Ventilation metrics and how Drew is using TimeWare
23:52 — How ventilation data relates to altitude physiology
31:19 — Why altitude performance loss is exponential
36:31 — When to reintroduce intensity after arriving at altitude
39:20 — Recommended ramp-in strategy at 7,000 feet
40:30 — Adam’s personal altitude strategy and last-minute arrival approach
43:11 — Course familiarity, descents, and why pre-riding matters
44:43 — Pacing mistakes at altitude and recovery between efforts
47:51 — How many hard altitude sessions to do before race day
49:02 — Respect vs. fear: the psychological side of altitude racing
51:45 — Why riders underestimate recovery demands at altitude
55:20 — Heat training vs. altitude tents and other pre-acclimation tools
58:20 — Leadville logistics, weather extremes, and race-day nutrition
61:25 — Final takeaways and what Drew will change based on the discussion
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