Running in high altitudes

kathleenneriducharme

I'm doing a half marathon in 3 weeks in Park City, Utah where the altitude is extremely different from where I live. Is there anything I can do to prepare for the difference? Going there beforehand to practice isn't an option. Thanks.

jgnatca

I was about to tell you to go there beforehand. I'm at a loss what else to advise you. The thinner air can knock the stuffing out of you.

GlassAngyl

That elevation is nothing compared to Leadville Colorado. Practice there and Utah will seem like a breath of fresh air.. literally.

heybales

Improve your aerobic capacity the best you can - but too late now for any training to make much of a difference at this point, considering a week of taking it easy.

spiriteagle99

You may not have serious problems. People are affected differently. If you can sleep lower and just run the race and go back to lower elevation you may have less trouble. How long will you be there to acclimate? Even a few days can help. Make sure you're well hydrated. Don't drink alcohol beforehand. You will want to run more slowly than usual. Altitude affects your ability to get oxygen to your muscles. Expect it to feel harder.

Azdak

Don't know the elevation difference offhand, but there is nothing you can do at lower altitude that will train you to perform better at higher altitude. How much that will affect you is variable, so there is no practical way to predict what will happen.

Azdak

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

You may not have serious problems. People are affected differently. If you can sleep lower and just run the race and go back to lower elevation you may have less trouble. How long will you be there to acclimate? Even a few days can help. Make sure you're well hydrated. Don't drink alcohol beforehand. You will want to run more slowly than usual. Altitude affects your ability to get oxygen to your muscles. Expect it to feel harder.

You definitely would not want to start at your sea-level pace. Altitude also affects your ability to physically breathe in enough volume of air (ventilation), although I am not sure how much affect that would have at, say 6K-7K feet.

In 1981, a doctor did a series of tests on a party of climbers to Mt Everest. The single best predictor of performance was ventilatory response to inspired air that had a lower % O2. They did exercise testing, breathing in air that had an O2 saturation similar to that at 24K feet. Those that had the highest ventilatory response did very well on the mountain, at least one who summited w/no supplementary oxygen. Those who scored lowest, never acclimatized and never made it above camps 2-3, regardless of their aerobic capacity, althletic achievement (e.g. Marathoners), or mountaineering experience.

kathleenneriducharme

Thank you. Appreciate the input.

jjpptt2

I agree with the others that there isn't much training you can do at this point that will have any meaningful impact on your performance.

Not knowing the elevation difference or what you're currently conditioned to makes it hard to offer any real advice, but preparing mentally for a harder race at a slower pace is probably a good starting point. I live/train at about 1500' and have done some running and hiking at 8500' and the elevation is not crippling, but definitely noticeable.

BoxerBrawler

I ran every day while I was in Utah... I was wondering about the higher elevation as well. Oddly enough, I found no difference in my performance what so ever. However, I was shocked that after running for about 45 minutes in the blazing sun at almost 100 degrees I wasn't sweating at all... when I returned to my families house and mentioned that I didn't work up a sweat, my uncle said "Yeah... that's how people die out here" LOL! Not funny really but... the air is so dry, or at least it was when I was there, that you just don't sweat... it dries up before it can even come through your skin. End up dehydrated quickly and don't even know it! My suggestion is to make sure you drink a lot more water than you normally do

heybales

I was thinking the only other thing that could be done in time available - is to confirm you do NOT have lower than possible red blood cells for carrying the required oxygen.

Usually the lungs can take in more than enough air than what the body can even use all the oxygen out of (talking a fit runner which I'm assuming you are), I think it was about 33% of oxygen in a breath is extracted for use.

At this point you aren't meaningfully going to increase the mitochondria for using extra oxygen for fat oxidation for endurance.

But, the lack of red blood cells to carry the oxygen could be improved, not to the same level as high-altitude training could cause, but just on the off chance your body isn't making them to the max.

You could confirm your diet or supplements are giving you everything your body needs to do the max it can right now. You may be perfectly right in current diet and body is at max already.
But it may not be either.

Relatively simple method compared to getting blood tests done. Just eat some of the right things to help.

http://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-increase-red-blood-cells

midlomel1971

Recently I would see a guy running in my area wearing, what looked like, some kind of oxygen mask. I was super-puzzled and a little creeped out. I mentioned it to a friend and the gym and he said, 'Oh yeah, that's so-and-so..he's training for some mountain climb." I think there are masks you can buy to help you acclimate to exercising in higher altitudes.

stanmann571

midlomel1971 wrote: »

Recently I would see a guy running in my area wearing, what looked like, some kind of oxygen mask. I was super-puzzled and a little creeped out. I mentioned it to a friend and the gym and he said, 'Oh yeah, that's so-and-so..he's training for some mountain climb." I think there are masks you can buy to help you acclimate to exercising in higher altitudes.

They don't actually work.

rsclause

I live at about 760 feet above sea level. When I went skiing this past year I was needing to stop often to catch my breath at 12000 feet. It was not until day five that the out of breath feeling went away. The good news is that the base elevation at Park City is a good bit less than that. The more time spent at that elevation the better you will be even if you are not training. You may even want to ride a lift up to the top and enjoy the view for several hours in the days prior to the race to assist.

lorrpb

Arrive a few days early if possible to help acclimate yourself. Otherwise I'm not sure there's a lot you can do in 3 weeks.

GettingThere62

I live there! Park City is at 7,000 ft. Some people find they can hardly catch their breath walking, others don't feel it much. If there are many climbs on the course you might struggle. As others have said dehydration is a big issue. Some people get headaches and sleep disturbance from the altitude. DH had a nose bleed for two weeks when we first came here

midlomel1971

stanmann571 wrote: »

midlomel1971 wrote: »

Recently I would see a guy running in my area wearing, what looked like, some kind of oxygen mask. I was super-puzzled and a little creeped out. I mentioned it to a friend and the gym and he said, 'Oh yeah, that's so-and-so..he's training for some mountain climb." I think there are masks you can buy to help you acclimate to exercising in higher altitudes.

They don't actually work.

Well I heard he successfully completed the climb, so he must have done something right.

Azdak

midlomel1971 wrote: »

stanmann571 wrote: »

midlomel1971 wrote: »

Recently I would see a guy running in my area wearing, what looked like, some kind of oxygen mask. I was super-puzzled and a little creeped out. I mentioned it to a friend and the gym and he said, 'Oh yeah, that's so-and-so..he's training for some mountain climb." I think there are masks you can buy to help you acclimate to exercising in higher altitudes.

They don't actually work.

Well I heard he successfully completed the climb, so he must have done something right.

It's a coincidence, not a cause. He could have just as easily walked around with a frog in his pocket and had the same effect.

You can actually study a product like those masks and determine if they work or not.

They have been studied.

They don't work.

stanmann571

Azdak wrote: »

midlomel1971 wrote: »

stanmann571 wrote: »

midlomel1971 wrote: »

Recently I would see a guy running in my area wearing, what looked like, some kind of oxygen mask. I was super-puzzled and a little creeped out. I mentioned it to a friend and the gym and he said, 'Oh yeah, that's so-and-so..he's training for some mountain climb." I think there are masks you can buy to help you acclimate to exercising in higher altitudes.

They don't actually work.

Well I heard he successfully completed the climb, so he must have done something right.

It's a coincidence, not a cause. He could have just as easily walked around with a frog in his pocket and had the same effect.

You can actually study a product like those masks and determine if they work or not.

They have been studied.

They don't work.

Ultimately, they provide a minor aerobic benefit/increase in capacity, but nothing close to the actual benefits of training at altitude.

Mostly because the biggest benefits/adaptations from training at altitude come while not training(ie sleeping, walking, living life)

GettingThere62

GettingThere62 wrote: »

I live there! Park City is at 7,000 ft. Some people find they can hardly catch their breath walking, others don't feel it much. If there are many climbs on the course you might struggle. As others have said dehydration is a big issue. Some people get headaches and sleep disturbance from the altitude. DH had a nose bleed for two weeks when we first came here

The rest of my post got lost...
The other thing to remember is the UV is really intense so lots of sunscreen!
Have a great time and welcome to a really great place. Enjoy!

T1DCarnivoreRunner

Is there anywhere you can go beforehand within that elevation? I'm not suggesting 'training' at that elevation, but just physically being there. Have you experimented with higher elevations in the past? If yes, are you prone to elevation sickness?

My advice would be to take it easy and spend 3-4 days before-hand sleeping at progressively higher elevations until the night before, where you sleep at the same elevation where you will run. But since that isn't an option, the only thing I can think of is to breathe through your nose during training in order to minimize air flow; and really push yourself for the next 2 weeks, then do only 1 or 2 easy runs the during week before-hand.

The biggest change I've done was a HM at about 3K feet higher than where I live, and I slept at roughly half the change 3 days ahead, and then slept at about the same elevation 2 nights ahead and did an easy run at that same elevation. The night before-hand, I also slept at that same elevation. That worked pretty well, but I trained very hard for the prior 6 weeks. And that was not even close to the same elevation you are looking at (though I went backpacking up to 7.6K ft. and then back down to 4.3K the next day with 48 lbs. and over 17 miles).

fittocycle

I would strongly suggest you arrive three days prior to adjust to both the altitude and drier climate. If you can't, then please drink lots of water a few days prior. Altitude sickness is a real condition. Not everyone gets it but it happens frequently. Staying hydrated will help prevent it. And the others are right about the sun. It's must more intense at a higher elevation

cwolfman13

I would highly recommend arriving at least a few days early to help let your body acclimate to the higher elevation. I live at elevation and we've had relatives and friends come into town from sea level and they have very real issues with altitude sickness, particularly if they're exerting themselves...symptoms are similar to the flu or a really bad hangover.

You're going to need to go at an easier pace and you're going to need to drink more water as you dehydrate faster at elevation due to your kidneys producing more urine.

GiddyupTim

I don't have much to add. But I know that when NBA teams have to play in Denver, or the soccer teams have to play in Salt Lake City, they either arrive a day or more early, so they can get a workout -- or couple of workouts -- in at altitude, or they fly in right before game time. I don't know why the second strategy works. But supposedly it does.
Altitude really effects me. I live an hour from the Lake Tahoe area. If I go up there and run, I am fagged from the start of my run. But, usually I am much much better by the second run.

kathleenneriducharme

GettingThere62 wrote: »

GettingThere62 wrote: »

I live there! Park City is at 7,000 ft. Some people find they can hardly catch their breath walking, others don't feel it much. If there are many climbs on the course you might struggle. As others have said dehydration is a big issue. Some people get headaches and sleep disturbance from the altitude. DH had a nose bleed for two weeks when we first came here

The rest of my post got lost...
The other thing to remember is the UV is really intense so lots of sunscreen!
Have a great time and welcome to a really great place. Enjoy!

I've been to Park City many times. It is beautiful, but I haven't ever run there.