Training at seal level; Racing at altitude. (Read 221 times)

My daughter is running in the West coast JO in Reno this weekend. She has never trained or run at any altitude significantly above sea level. I read this online:

"If you live at sea level and have a race at high altitude, you should train at high altitude for at least two weeks, though preferably three to six weeks, before your competition. Dehydration and acute altitude sickness symptoms are more likely to occur within the first one to two weeks of altitude exposure, and will likely worsen race performance. However, since these symptoms often take 24 to 48 hours to develop, you may also wish to race within 24 hours of your arrival at altitude. Although you will not acclimate to the altitude during this short time frame, you likely will avoid the physical symptoms of altitude exposure."

WE don't have weeks to train, we would be driving up the morning of the race.

I was thinking of  possibly showing up a couple days early but apparently that will have no effect, or based on what I read, it could have a negative effect on acclimation. Has anyone experienced this and is there a good strategy to deal with having to drive from sea Level to 4500 feet and immediately run a 3000M race? She runs 1500M 24 hours after the 3000M.

Thanks for any help offered.

My daughter is running in the West coast JO in Reno this weekend. She has never trained or run at any altitude significantly above sea level. I read this online:

 

"If you live at sea level and have a race at high altitude, you should train at high altitude for at least two weeks, though preferably three to six weeks, before your competition. Dehydration and acute altitude sickness symptoms are more likely to occur within the first one to two weeks of altitude exposure, and will likely worsen race performance. However, since these symptoms often take 24 to 48 hours to develop, you may also wish to race within 24 hours of your arrival at altitude. Although you will not acclimate to the altitude during this short time frame, you likely will avoid the physical symptoms of altitude exposure."

 

WE don't have weeks to train, we would be driving up the morning of the race.

I was thinking of  possibly showing up a couple days early but apparently that will have no effect, or based on what I read, it could have a negative effect on acclimation. Has anyone experienced this and is there a good strategy to deal with having to drive from sea Level to 4500 feet and immediately run a 3000M race? She runs 1500M 24 hours after the 3000M.

 

 

Thanks for any help offered.

If you are worried about the medical side, I don't think you have to be too concerned about 4500 feet. I don't think that is usually high enough for people to start having issues with altitude sickness and certainly don't know anyone that has had issues going from sea level up to 4000 or 5000 feet.

When I get over 5000' I start to feel it but its not bad only a little dizzy. Its worse when its cold. I don't think she will have any problem.

Two data points:

1. As others have said, 4,500'  MSL doesn't qualify as "high altitude".
2. I lived in Chicago (594' MSL) back in 1990 and raced an Olympic distance Triathlon in Mammoth Lakes (7,880' MSL) that summer.  I literally drove from Chicago to San Francisco, spent a few days with family, and then drove to Mammoth Lakes two days before the Triathlon.  I did a half mile pool swim in town the day before the race and was very concerned at my feeling of exhaustion throughout the workout.  The the race started with a 1,500 meter swim in Crowley Lake (6,781' MSL), the 40 kilometer bike started off down hill, climbed over Sherwin Summit (6,426' MSL), dropped a bit, turned around, and headed for the town of Mammoth Lakes where the 10 kilometer run routed us up and down and all over town, I'm pretty sure the highest point we hit during the run was about 9,000' MSL.  My typical Chicago area Olympic distance Triathlon that summer was run in the low 2:20 range, the Mammoth Lakes Triathlon took me more like 2:45.  I was pretty whipped at the finish, nothing unusual about that, and suffered no altitude sickness.

I told you the above to tell you this, for someone in good shape (like your daughter), the "rules" don't really apply; yes, two or more weeks of training at altitude would be the best, but failing that, I believe it would be best for her to get up there a day or two before the event and do some light workouts, if for no other reason than to get used to the thinner air.

Please update us on how she did in the race. 

IMO showing up a few days early would be about all you could do at this point to help.

When I go hunting at higher altitudes I like to get there a few days early and get at least 2 nights sleep in at the higher altitude before I do a lot of heavy exertion.

The best thing for altitude is allowing your body to produce additional red blood cells while you sleep at night at higher altitude.  Running with restrictive masks, etc. is all a bunch of hooey.

I've never heard anything that would indicate that showing up a couple days early would have a negative affect on acclimatization.

Don't worry about it.

4500 feet is not "high altitude".

If you're driving up, that should be plenty of time for her body to acclimate to the relatively low altitude she'll face there.

Splitting hairs there. It is not "high altitude" but 4,500 is certainly high enough to feel an effect.

Ideally you want at least a week or two to acclimate. Without that, then driving up the day of or day before is best. Hydrate before the race, and after. And consider pace adjustment. She might want to start out about 2 or even 3 seconds per lap slower than normal and try to close fast over the last 500 or 600 meters.

Agreed, virtually impossible for someone to suffer from altitude sickness at only 4,500' MSL, even if they're COPD (of couse such an individual will have plenty of other issues).

FWIW I grew up in Reno, lived there most of my life, then moved to coastal Maine, so now I live at essentially sea level. I've been back to Northern Nevada several times since I relocated (about 10 years ago now) and haven't experienced any altitude issues. I haven't raced on my trips back home, but I have run (and hiked up Mt. Rose) and it was fine.