Skieologians: here’s a shout out to our Leadman and Leadwoman

Alright everyone — calm down and let me explain myself a little bit, here.

As someone who probably favors running-related stories to a fault, I feel compelled to do some cleanup work after a recent feature on locals in the Leadville Trail 100 Run.

Three weeks ago, I asked the Leadville Race Series for a list of every Coloradan in the 100-mile trail run and mountain bike races, hoping to profile brave local souls taking on the iconic events. Even after organizing a massive excel spreadsheet, there was one group of athletes mysteriously omitted: those taking on the Lead Challenge.

Thus, we missed highlighting three of our own who embarked on the completion of the Leadville Trail Marathon, the Silver Rush 50 run or mountain bike, the Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike, the Leadville 10K run and the Leadville Trail 100 run in a span of 63 days.

Jolene Sandoval, who lives in Leadville but has worked in the Vail area for 20 years, completed Saturday’s 100-mile run in 25:43:34, 12th out of 70 females in the race and third in the 40-49 age group. The director of sales at Manor Vail Lodge and mother of four boys took third overall for women in the Lead Challenge. It’s the second consecutive year she’s been a Leadwoman.

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“On race day everything came together,” she posted on social media. “I took my coach’s advice, ran smart and trusted my body. Which allowed me to make incremental gains at each aid station and finished stronger than I thought possible.”

Sandoval handily beat her run time from last year (29:15:59), despite battling cold rains. She also shaved about 40 minutes off her 2021 bike time (she finished the Aug. 13 race in 10 hours and 38 minutes). She credited her consulting coach, Jared Sweet, with a tweaked approach she felt led to her immense improvements.

“It was drastically different than last year; less endurance, higher intensity and a whole lot of rest (which makes my neurotic self go crazy) and recovery between events (which) allowed me to recover faster after the bike and toe the line with what felt like fresh legs instead of fatigued legs,” she stated.

Sandoval said the highlight was having friends, some traveling from as far away as South Carolina, out on course.

“When I would hear them cheer my name I would run to them and give them hugs and high fives. This is what fueled me and helped me dig deep when I needed it most,” she stated in an email.

She said that one competitor commented during the race, “If you would stop hugging your fan club, you’d make the 25-hour cut-off and get a big buckle,” in reference to the sought-after award.

“With that I responded, ‘I’m enjoying the hugs and celebration with my loved ones.’ Next year will be the year I shoot for the big buckle,” she stated.

“If I can inspire just one person to step out of their comfort zone and test their limits then my mission is accomplished and that is what brings me joy.”

Chris Lindley, the executive director of Eagle Valley Behavioral Health, was attempting his first Leadman last Saturday, inspired by his friend, Myriah Blair, who completed it last year.

“I had the opportunity to crew for her last year in the 100-mile run and I was inspired by not only her level of extreme fitness but her grit,” he stated.

“Seeing what she when through and how she was able to keep pushing blew me away.”

Last Saturday, he checked in at the 43.5-mile mark in 12 hours, 22 minutes and 4 seconds, but did not finish the race. Lindley developed terrible blisters and was experiencing knee pain during the event.

“By the time I got to Twin Lakes (at) mile 38 I knew it was very unlikely I would make it to the cut-off at Mile 50 in time,” he said. “But with my family and friends at Twin Lakes cheering me on and doing all they could to support me, I was not going to quit; rather I was going to go until they pulled me off the course.”

Lindley, who said he’s “hated running” his entire life, said Leadman was one of the “most difficult mental tests of my life.”

“I have learned a great deal about myself and my ability to push through mental road blocks this summer,” he said.

“While my body certainly suffered this summer, and still hurts a bit today, the biggest test for me was between my ears, as I was battling negative self-talk every day about not wanting to run.”

Even though he didn’t walk away with the pick axe awarded to Leadman finishers, he said the ordeal “sharpened my mental axe a great deal.”

“I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to quit,” he said. “My wife, kids and friends were there every day reminding me to keep going, and that you can always do more than you think you can.”

For what it’s worth, 137 athletes started the Lead Challenge and just 33 finished. While athletes can choose between the 50-mile run or bike, thus completing 5-of-6 Leadville events, and still be eligible for the Leadman or Leadwoman title, one of these three just decided to do all six anyway: Nick Kierstead.

Kierstead completed the Leadman challenge by finishing the 100-mile run in 28:48:32. He was 19th overall in the Lead Challenge standings.

In doing all six, he completed the Silver Rush 50 run and Silver Rush 50 bike on back-to-back days.

“I chose to do Leadman because my goal for the year was to run the Leadville 100, and I didn’t want to wait around and hope to get chosen from the lottery,” Kierstead explained.

“I figured the Leadman challenge would be an awesome building block of training that would either make or break me. And if I completed the other five events, then I would be offered a guaranteed entry into the 100 run.”

Kierstead received love from his place of employment as well.

“Congratulations to our own Beverage Director Nick Kierstead on officially becoming a Leadman,” the Grouse Mountain Grill Facebook page posted on Sunday.

“An incredible physical and mental challenge. We are so proud to have this young man on our team.”

“It feels incredible to have accomplished such a monumental feat,” Kierstead said, noting that this was his first summer racing ultramarathons and mountain bike races.

“I am so proud of our team for conquering one of the hardest challenges around and I truly feel that we can do anything,” he continued.

“Your only limit is your mind and if you can conquer that, the possibilities are endless.”

From one runner to another, I’d like to extend a congratulations — what incredible, awe-inspiring performances.

I’d also like to ask for forgiveness. It’s hard to catch and cover everything, but we’ll keep on striving.