The Leadville Trail 100 Run attracts top athletes from all over the globe. It is one of the most iconic and challenging ultramarathons that will push participants to their limits as they set out with the same goal of running 100 miles. This is the story of Joey Miuccio, an everyday athlete pushing himself to complete what he called the "toughest challenge of his life."

Preparation For The Race

Six months before Leadville, Joey ran his first marathon, finishing with 3:20 at the Melbourne Marathon on February 13th, 2023. This would be the longest distance completed before Leadville! He knew that this 100-mile race would be a greater challenge from that day.

Training with COROS

Joey followed our 12- Week 100 Mile Ultra Training Plan to help prepare for the 2023 Leadville Trail 100 Run. After his marathon in February, he took 6 weeks off before he started training.

In addition to his running, Joey still maintained 5-6 days of strength training during the week. Once the training load increased and he was doing back-to-back long runs, he decreased to 5 days in the gym.

Joey's preparation leading up to Leadville 100 Run

As you can see from his Training Status, Joey's Base Fitness increased gradually throughout his Leadville build-up. Joey ran fewer miles during training than other runners, but he felt prepared going into the race. The longest time that he spent out on a run was 5 hours, with the marathon being his longest distance.

COROS Coaches analyzed Joey and 56 other athletes' metrics in the article, LEADVILLE 100: What It Takes to Finish.

Living in Florida and Working a Full-time Job

Joey had to get creative with his training while living in Florida. He walked out his door into the humidity and only had access to flat roads for his training runs. Unlike other runners, he was not spending most of his training on the trails or even running at altitude. Joey did what he could and would run during the hottest part of the day and even added a weighted vest to incline walks on the treadmill to help create a similar environment to Leadville.

He was fortunate that his job as a pilot took him to Colorado a few times throughout his training. While this made for a busy schedule, there were a few hikes and trail runs squeezed in so that he could get some Leadville specific sessions in. Being a pilot also helped with running through the night. He was used to longer trips for work, so staying awake throughout the late hours of the race was no issue for him!

While some would let work be an excuse to miss training runs, Joey only missed an 8-mile run during the entire 12 week cycle.

Leadville Trail 100 Run- Race Day

Joey's full race analysis from COROS Training Hub

Joey knew that in order to make the cutoff time and finish, he would have to focus on his heart rate. As you can see above, he averaged 128 bpm throughout the race, which for him ends up being lower than his Aerobic Endurance (COROS Zone 1) HR zone.

The Ups and Downs

The day before, you could feel the anxiety that lingered about the unknown of what the next 30 hours had in store.

Joey got very little to no sleep the night prior, but that did not stop him from feeling incredible for the first 38 miles up until Twin Lakes aid station. He started the race feeling fresh and spectators questioned how he was so happy.

Photo credit - Israel Palacio

It wasn't until he reached Hope Pass at mile 40 that he started to feel tired, his water supply was running low and all he could think was "just make it to the next aid station".

The downhill of Hope Pass is where it started to hurt- physically and mentally. "To get downhill it was a bunch of tiny, quick steps instead of running; running just hurt too much", Joey shared. But going back uphill is where it got very emotional for Joey. It was a combination of hiking, crying, and eating until he reached Twin Lakes aid station at mile 62 where he knew his team was waiting, he no longer had to do this solo. Joey just barely made the cutoff but was able to get fixed up and would continue to finish the race with his pacing team.

Photo credit - Israel Palacio

The final 6 miles were incredibly tough. His body was showing its fatigue from the wear and tear of the last 94 miles. During the tough moments, his mindset was strong. Joey thought "I am not injured, I may be beat up a little bit, but I know the pain of quitting would suck way longer than putting one foot in front of the other to finish this race."

With his pacing team by his side, Joey reached the finish and walked it in with 29:33:43 on the clock.

Joey and members from his support crew. Photo credit - Israel Palacio

"It was so worth it. Crossing the finish line was super emotional. The underdog story of not knowing if I could do it, and a lot of people doubting that I could do it because of where I lived and the lack of miles that I was running. Being able to prove them wrong felt super super good."

Photo credit - Israel Palacio

What would be the one piece of advice you would give athletes racing a 100-mile race for the first time?

"Take it slow, take it really slow, especially the beginning miles. It's a long race, don't worry about running fast. You are going to burn fuel too fast, sweat too much and burn out your legs if you go out too fast. "

Photo credit - Israel Palacio