Leadville Trail 100 MTB: 6-week KICK OFF training plan

If you’re an intermediate cyclist targeting the Leadville Trail 100 MTB and coming out of winter or early spring ready to step things up, this 6-week plan is designed to kick-start your training and guide you toward the specific demands of one of the most iconic and challenging mountain bike races in the world. It’s the ideal transition phase to rebuild rhythm, lift fitness, and develop the aerobic strength, durability, and mental resilience required for racing at altitude on the high mountain terrain of Colorado.

Who’s it for?
This training plan is aimed at intermediate mountain bike riders with a solid base of fitness who are ready to begin a more purposeful build toward Leadville. Whether you’ve trained consistently through winter or are re-establishing consistency as the season changes, this plan provides structure and direction at exactly the right time of year. Importantly, it’s written by a Leadville finisher, shaped by real race experience and a clear understanding of what the event demands physically, mentally, and logistically.

Is it for you?
This plan assumes you’re comfortable riding both indoors (such as Zwift) and outdoors, and happy blending structured quality sessions with longer endurance rides as conditions improve. It’s ideal if you want to transition smoothly from winter training into more event-specific preparation without burning out, while rebuilding aerobic fitness, climbing strength, and long-ride durability. The focus reflects the realities of Leadville: sustained climbing at altitude, long steady efforts, rough forest roads, and extended time above 10,000 feet where pacing, fuelling, and resilience are critical.

You’ll be preparing for iconic sections such as the gradual opening climb out of Leadville, the long ascent of St. Kevin’s, the high-altitude grind over Sugarloaf Pass, the relentless Columbine Mine climb topping out above 12,600 feet, and the fast, technical descents and rolling terrain that follow as fatigue sets in.

What’s involved?
The plan builds progressively over 6 weeks, carefully balancing structure with flexibility to support consistent progression. Each week targets the key training zones, using indoor sessions for precision and efficiency alongside outdoor rides to develop endurance, climbing strength, fatigue resistance, and real-world MTB skills. There’s a strong emphasis on aerobic conditioning, sustained tempo and sweet-spot work, long steady climbs, and maintaining output under fatigue; all crucial for handling Leadville’s prolonged climbs, altitude stress, rough surfaces, and cumulative load of a long race day.

The goal isn’t to peak during these six weeks. Instead, it’s to come out of this block fitter, tougher, and more confident, perfectly positioned to move into the final, more Leadville-specific preparation phase ready to manage the altitude, conquer the climbs, and take on one of mountain biking’s ultimate endurance challenges with confidence.