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| Running in High Altitude (Read 215 times) |
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posted: 3/29/2008 at 8:13 PM |
I have signed up for the Steamboat Springs Marathon ...June 1.......
http://www.steamboatsummer.com/info/events/sbcccalendarevent.marathon_08.item.asp
I will arrive a few days before....
It starts at about 8500 ft...down to about 6800 ft.
I have NEVER run in altitude....
Any racing suggestions?
How about anyone that has never trained in altitude...but raced there.....What was your experience? |
Tim,
Ardmore, OK.
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posted: 3/29/2008 at 10:30 PM |
| Last year I ran the Flagstaff AZ HM. It starts at around 8,000 feet and has 1200 feet of ascents and descents. All I can say is that running at that altitude is tough! I averaged an 8:15 pace. Fast enough to place 3rd among 40+ males. Just a month later at sea level on a much more level HM course (just 400 feet of ascents and descents) I ran a 6:48 pace. My advice would be to go out slow and I mean real slow. No matter how slow you are starting it is too fast! Give yourself at least a half a mile to see how your breath is holding out. Then adjust accordingly. |
Live like you are dieing not like you are afraid to die.
Create tables for posting on RA with a few mouse clicks from a Word table EZRATable.exe |
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posted: 3/30/2008 at 2:37 PM |
twocat......if you get a chance take a look at the elevation chart.....it sure drops fast.....
Thanks for the advice.... |
Tim,
Ardmore, OK.
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posted: 3/30/2008 at 4:48 PM
modified: 3/30/2008 at 4:57 PM |
| I've never raced at altitude above 5400 ft but live at 3400 feet and frequently head to the mountains and do a few trail runs and lots of hiking. Its not always practical but I always plan my 14'er attempts at the end of a vaction week at altitude. Staying ultra hydrated helps most people. We spent a week hiking in Colorado last summer and and came home and pr'ed a 5 k a week later, alot easier training high and racing low. Going to do Bolder Boulder so kind of nervous about it myself , even that altitude. |
The whole world said I shoulda used red but it looked good to Charlene in John Deere Green!!
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posted: 3/30/2008 at 5:08 PM |
| From what I have heard, you are better off getting there the night before. Unless you are there for atleast a week, it is tough to get fully acclimated to the elevation. What I was told is that you get there and run before you body has a chance to realize it's at altitude. Of course, I have never tried it... |
And you can quote me as saying I was mis-quoted.
Groucho Marx
Rob |
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posted: 3/30/2008 at 7:50 PM
modified: 3/30/2008 at 7:50 PM |
Well..I get there Friday evening and run Sunday morning....
Then go to Denver on Monday for Computer training the rest of the week...
This is a Business/pleasure trip......so when I found out a marathon was going on....I had to take the opportunity to run this one....seeing as it was unlikely that I would have ever attempted this one...
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Tim,
Ardmore, OK.
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posted: 3/30/2008 at 11:32 PM |
| You might try and ping CGerber in the main forum, he lives in Ft Collins and does lots of high altitude runs. I would be interested in his opinions also. Da Boat is one of my favorite places. |
The whole world said I shoulda used red but it looked good to Charlene in John Deere Green!!
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New Heart Comedy Show |
posted: 3/31/2008 at 12:18 AM |
| Tim, you know that Daniels devotes an entire chapter to this in his "running formula" book. Worth reading. Good luck. Spareribs |
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posted: 3/31/2008 at 12:46 AM |
Tim:
Last year, we ran Estes park marathon (I believe they claim to be the highest paved marathon in the world) and also running with the horses marathon in Wyoming, 7500 at the start as I recall with a big descent for the last 1/2.
I will echo what others say, plan on going slow. altitude HURTZ.
Good luck.
Dave |
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posted: 3/31/2008 at 10:38 PM |
r2farm...I will do that...
And Ribs...thanks for the reminder.. I will pull that book off the shelf... |
Tim,
Ardmore, OK.
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posted: 3/31/2008 at 11:09 PM
modified: 3/31/2008 at 11:14 PM |
Hi Tim,
From my own personal experience, and from everything I've read, I would agree with the "acclimate early or don't bother" theory. I think getting in on Friday and running on Sunday is your best bet short of devoting a week or more to acclimatizing. Two weeks seems to be the magic number for a lot of people running Leadville and Hardrock.
Also, acclimatization varies wildly from person to person (and even with same person on different trips) and it's not at all related to one's level of fitness. There's actually a higher level of AMS (altitude sickness) in people who are very fit... but I doubt you'll have problems with AMS sleeping in Denver and Steamboat, and you won't be high for long enough at the race for it to matter. (The theory is the very fit have a much lower respiration rate while sleeping which can lead to Cheyne-Stokes respiration.
I would say expect to run a slower time (heck, I've lived here in Boulder at 5500' for 5 years now and I'm still slower than I was at sea level).
Max HR also drops with altitude... so if you race by HR, you may want to adjust. At 8000' my Max HR (and Anaerobic Threshold) is about 10% lower than it is at sea level.
The course is downhill, so that will help... it's the uphills that really hurt when you're acclimatizing. It's also not *terribly* high, with a high point of 8100'. When I lived at sea level and climbed out here I would really notice the suffering above about 10k.
As others have said, hydrate well, but be sure to take in adequate electrolytes. A good friend of mine comes to visit often from sea level. He would drink water like crazy before arriving, and in the first few days, but he'd always get heinous muscle cramps. Turns out he wasn't taking in enough sodium and was diluting the sodium in his plasma. Eat some salty foods when you arrive.  I'd take some electrolyte capsules during the race too... in the super dry and cool air out here it's really easy to lose a lot of fluids and electrolytes without noticing it (the sweat evaporates so fast you never notice it).
Diamox is a medication that can help with acclimatization, but it causes quite a bit of dehydration, so I wouldn't use it for something like a race. It has a bunch of odd side effects too, like tingling in the extremities, swelling, etc. It's more suited to climbers on a long expedition who are sleeping at very high elevations.
The best advice I can offer is expect to run slower and just have a great time! That course is very beautiful and June in Colorado is stunning! Let me know if you have any other questions... I'd be glad to (try) to assist.
- Chris
PS: Bring warm clothes too... it could still snow at 8000' in June.  |
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posted: 3/31/2008 at 11:13 PM |
PSS: The drive from Denver to Steamboat is pretty slow. I'd allocate at least 5 hours from DIA to Steamboat, even though most mapping software says 3hrs 20min. You have to go over a couple of two lane mountain passes.
If you have time on your return trip to Denver, take the scenic way via Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park! It's a BEAUTIFUL drive that takes you up and over 12,000' One of the most beautiful drives in the state... |
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posted: 3/31/2008 at 11:18 PM
modified: 3/31/2008 at 11:18 PM |
| Quote from r2farm on 3/30/2008 at 4:48 PM: Going to do Bolder Boulder so kind of nervous about it myself , even that altitude.
That's a fun and HUGE race... have a great time! It's hard to beat coming into Folsom Field (CU's football statium) in front of 50,000 cheering people!
Are you going to be in town long?
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posted: 4/2/2008 at 5:06 AM |
| Quote from cgerber on 3/31/2008 at 11:18 PM: That's a fun and HUGE race... have a great time! It's hard to beat coming into Folsom Field (CU's football statium) in front of 50,000 cheering people!
Are you going to be in town long?
Probably just a couple nites unless it rains down here on the farm, sure would like to slip up to rmnp, time permitting. Just going to go and have fun.
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The whole world said I shoulda used red but it looked good to Charlene in John Deere Green!!
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