<< Leadville 100<<

The run or the bike?

I'll leave the training question to someone else, but regarding altitude in general....

I just spent a week racing in Colorado Springs (+6,000 ft) and live at about 50 ft. I flew in 1.5 days prior and had no issues with riding. Running would have been another story. Others from here flew in the morning of their evening races and also didn't have much problem. Someone else didn't race well at all but he has a history of problems at altitude. Someone else rented an altitude tent for 6 weeks or so prior and she had a fantastic week--broke one world record, 2 golds and 2 silvers in 4 races. She swears by the tent.

I was told either fly in early (10-14 days) to acclimate or fly in as close to the race as possible (day of or the day before).

Post-event we also went up to the top of Pike's Peak (14,100 or so) and just walking around I was OK. Trying to "jog" a bit made me a little light headed.

---

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

I was thinking the bike race. Wow, sounds like you had an awesome time.
Crap that is some good advertising for an altitude tent.

This flatlander is doing a race at 6200 ft altitude in just 10 d. To prepare, for the past 4 mo I've been doing thrice-weekly ergometer session while breathing a hypoxic gas mixture, then set up the altitude tent and slept in it for the 1st time last night. I will arrive approximately 15 h prior to the event, but since planes aren't fully pressurized, to sea level, will effectively be at altitude for approximately 18 h before racing.

>>while breathing a hypoxic gas mixture,<<

This sounds like a good idea. Any way to do this at home? I'm assuming you are doing it at the lab.

clm

---

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

I am actually doing it at home, using one of the original Hypoxico HYP-100 units. It produces 80-85 L/min of air that is as low as 14.8% O2, which simulates an altitude of a little over 9000 ft. By putting a 200 L meteorological balloon between the generator and the face mask to serve as a reservoir, I can train continously at 200 W for 5-20 min, depending on my degree of acclimatization. When the balloon is empty, I then come off the system for the 2-3 min it takes to refill, then go back on again.

I was wondering if you are going to do any blood work pre and post of this expirement?? I have always acclimated very quickly to altitude, a lot faster than the guys I would go up with, so once I did this study. Got all my hemotocrit %, hemogloubin, EPO production, and I think DHEA levels at sea level.. Now I know just from test to test there can be a +/-, but in all areas I was up substancially after a couple weeks of altitude training, especially my EPO production. Which of course accounts for most the other numbers. Doc was quite suprised at how quickly I responded, but it was in line of what I always knew and felt when I hit the mountains. Anyway if you find out anything, I'm sure you will share it with us...

I must have had a long line of high altitude ancestors, they sure were not from the hot deserts...(-;

I read somewhere (the ULTIMATE citation) that altitude acclimation has a largely genetic component. Basically, if you live at sea level and aren't spending money on a tent or vacation to the mountains, then a lot of your performance will depend on your personal physiology.

Getting there at least 3 full days before a serious event is probably essential though. I went out from sea level this year and raced after 4 days in a trail race at 9000ft against some serious competition and felt fine, but after the requisite shortness of breath/easy training in the first day or two. Of course, your results may vary if what I said before has any basis in reality. Unlike Frank Day however, I am not a physician or scientist :)

---

------
David Roche
"The Happy Runner" book: https://www.amazon.com/...Longer/dp/1492567647
Coaching: https://swaprunning.com/

yeah, that's what i've read, too. in 2005 i went to CO for the Mt Evans hillclimb (14,130ft). i live at ~900 ft i arrived in boulder the night before. i also started a ginkgo biloba regimen about two weeks before but i have no idea if it was beneficial. i didn't do too bad on the climb but i did get a little dizzy on each switchback above about 13,000ft. the next day i did the boulder peak tri and did ok there (about the same as an oly i had done two weeks before at home - just a bit slower on the bike)

No. The hypoxic stimulus is insufficient to expect any increase in hematocrit - in fact, even sleeping in an altitude tent for weeks on end hasn't been shown to result in a significant increase, at least on average. (There are studies with shorter daily durations of hypoxic exposure that have found increases in hematocrit, but the simulated altitude is too high to expect anyone to be able to sleep comfortably.)

but the simulated altitude is too high to expect anyone to be able to sleep comfortably.)


I have my own theory on altitude and the bodies response to it. A lot of the tent folks are usually just sleeping in them, which over time will get you some benifit. Of course as you say, the higher you crank them up, the more quickly you will see some changes. But then you run up against the recovery factor, if you do not sleep well, what is the point..I think that when one goes to altitude and actually does some hard training, it acclerates the triggers that boost the bodies response to the altitude. I'm not aware of any tests, but just to illustrate my point, perhaps one hard of training at 8000ft is worth two weeks of sleeping at the same altitude, or something like that. I have a feeling that the increased load on the body at altitude, wakes up that EPO producing machine a lot sooner, and opens the spicket a lot wider than a passive sleep program provides.

Just my unsupported opinion, and what I have found personally over my 30 years of N=1 expirement. What do you think???