Lucie Hanes Chases 5.14 After a Podium Finish at the Leadville Trail 100

It’s one thing to run 100 miles. It’s another to run them all higher than 10,000 feet above sea level, snag a spot on the race podium, and then head back to the crag a mere handful of days later to keep chipping away at one of the country’s most notorious 5.14 sport climbs. But that’s exactly how this week went for PhysiVāntage athlete Lucie Hanes.

Photo: Lucie (second from left) after running 100 miles in less than 24 hours!

Hanes has never been able to choose between the two sports that make her feel most alive. So, she chose door number three: both.

After discovering climbing in college through the University of Virginia Outdoors Club, Hanes fell headfirst for the cragging lifestyle. Evenings in the local bouldering gym led to weekends in the New River Gorge, spring break trips to the Red, and eventually a cross-country move to Colorado. There, she found purpose in the unique demands of the steep and bewildering rock at Rifle Mountain Park. 

All the while, Hanes had also been cultivating a love for long-distance trail running. Settling down in the Western Slope of Colorado made it easy to go straight from her front door to the trailhead for a few miles of active recovery on her days off from climbing. That’s the only place she ever intended running to hold in her life: a casual activity to keep her body moving between climbing outings and enjoy the landscape of her new hometown. But Hanes is admittedly not the best at moderation. 

“I’m learning that I don’t tend to half-ass anything,” she laughs. “It’s typically all or nothing for me. If I enjoy doing something, I’m inclined to get all I can out of it.” 

So, in typical fashion, running quickly became more than just a side dish to climbing’s main course. Hanes began competing in ultramarathons and saw a future in the sport. But she didn’t want to give up climbing to get there. 

“I didn’t know of anyone else that was trying to spread themselves across two outlets in this way,” Hanes reflects. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold myself back from going full-bore in both. I wasn’t sure if it was possible to find a balance that felt both authentic and sustainable. I’m still not always sure. I just treat every day as an experiment. And so far, it’s working.” 

For Hanes, that looks like dividing her energy between time on her climbing projects and time on her feet. A breakthrough in Rifle Mountain Park on El Chapo (5.13c/d) last season led her to spend the spring making quick work of two other 5.13 climbs in Rifle, Foxhole Conversion (13b) and Fluff Boy (13c), that then inspired her to consider the possibility of reaching the elusive 5.14 mark. She found her perfect match in the Rifle classic The 7PM Show (14a), a powerful climb with precious few rests and plenty of technical trickery. Hanes currently has the climb down to one fall. 

Days off from climbing feature longer runs, speed workouts, or complete rest. Despite her busy training schedule, Hanes recognizes the importance of true down time. A brush with the scary side-effects of chronic low energy availability last year prompted her to prioritize better self-care habits. She takes a non-negotiable full rest day each week, plus a recharge week with reduced activity every four to six weeks. Smart sleep hygiene and high caloric intake help her manage the intense training load in between. 

Hanes’ summer running season culminated in racing the Leadville 100 in August, her first crack at the distance. While she couldn’t help but dream big, Hanes focused on approaching the race as a celebration of all the work she’d already put in. “I came in ready to trust my instincts,” she says. “I raced with my heart more than my head, and decided to see what would happen if I simply leaned into what felt best in each moment.”

The strategy took Hanes to a second-place female finish among over 800 runners, out of which only 362 completed the distance under the strict 30-hour cutoff. Hanes credits her success not only to her own hard work, but also to the support of her race crew—including her fiancé Ben Rathbun and local running partners Lina and Joel Simpson—who refilled her physical and emotional tank at each aid station. They brightened her spirits before she could fall too deep into any of the many lows she experienced throughout the race, so that she could keep pushing through to the next high. Mental training also played a crucial role in helping her stay present through the discomfort and regulate her rapidly oscillating emotions. 

After a few days full of little but sleep and gentle stretching, Hanes eased back into climbing as a way to lubricate her stuff joints and find comfort in routine while she continued to recover. She plans to get back on her current project at Rifle, The 7PM Show (5.14a) over the weekend with the goal of sending in the coming weeks once she’s shaken off fatigue from the race. 

When she’s not climbing or running, Hanes writes for a living and works as a sports psychology consultant for other outdoor athletes. Reach out to her at Inside Out Athlete for support with the mental side of athletic performance!

Lucie's Favorite PhysiVāntage

Lucie Hanes keeps her hardworking joints happy with a daily dose of PhysiVāntage Supercharged Collagen mixed into her morning oatmeal. Her favorite post-training snack, a big bowl of cereal swimming in Weapons-Grade Whey, facilitates recovery in between each session on her schedule. PhysiVāntage electrolyte drink, FLOW, is her go-to for hydration and muscle function support.