I just posted the following article on my website, http://www.triandcatchme.com , and thought some people on SlowTwich might be interested…
Mount Charleston, NV - The Best Altitude Training Venue No One Has Heard Of?
Most world class endurance athletes and coaches, at some point in their career, try altitude training as a means of achieving a higher level of fitness. Typically only used prior to key races, such as the Olympic Games, National Qualifiers, World Championships, or other “A-Races,” altitude has been proven to be effective in boosting performance for individuals that respond physiologically to it.
Recent research into altitude training has shown that the most effective protocols necessitate a “live high, train low” situation where an athlete can subject themselves to hypoxic stress while living and sleeping, but descend to a lower elevation for faster and more intense training sessions. Unfortunately, most of the locations typically associated with altitude training don’t meet the criteria to live high and conveniently train low. Conveniently, is a keyword. In the midst of peak training volume, the last thing coaches and athletes want to do is drive hours and hours a day up and down mountainous areas when they could be resting or preparing for the next training session. The cumulative stress of trying to get up and down from high to low could quickly negate any benefit from altitude.
Locations such as Flagstaff, Boulder, Park City, Mammoth Lakes are some of the more common locations associated with altitude training, however, not one of these locations offer the ability to quickly descend to a truly low altitude in a short amount of time. Furthermore, the weather at these locations limits one’s ability to be able to train year round.
Ultimately, athletes and their coaches end up compromising in choosing an altitude camp location.
Based on my experience as an athlete, I have laid out the following criteria that an altitude camp should be able to meet:
Proximity to major international airportAbility to train 12 months/yearAbility to live at a variety of elevations between 5,500-8,500ft based on whichever elevation a particular athlete responds to bestAbility to quickly descend to under 3,000ft in <30minEntertainment options within reasonable proximity. Yes, athletes need a break once in awhileConsistent weatherGood training optionsNot be too expensive to live and train300+ days of sun/year
Okay, you might be thinking to yourself that these criteria describe an untenable situation. We have to compromise, right? After all, none of the typical altitude camp locations meet all of these standards. Not Flagstaff, Mammoth, Boulder, or any other typically considered location fits the bill.
To my knowledge, there is only one venue that checks all of the boxes
A short 30 minute drive north from Las Vegas on Interstate 95 is state road 156, also known as Lee Canyon Road. In a matter of 18 miles this road climbs from 2,500ft on the desert floor up to an astounding 8,600ft at the base of Ski Las Vegas. That’s right, a ski resort in Las Vegas. Going the speed limit, it takes you 20 minutes to get up, 20 minutes to get down. Along the way there are rental cabins scattered from 8,500ft to 5,500ft where an athlete could choose their accommodations based on their preferred “high elevation.” On the other side of a mountain ridge is the town of Mount Charleston. At an elevation of 7,500ft, the sleepy little town of Mount Charleston has the largest variety of accommodations, from hotel lodging to condo rentals.
Need to descend from your lodging for a bout of intervals? 20 minutes down the hill, and several ear-pops later, you’re at the bottom of the mountain and ready to do your workout. Need to get to the airport to pick-up another coach or athlete? It’s an hour away. Need to get to the pool? 30 minutes away. Want to catch a movie, see a show on the Las Vegas strip, or go to a world class restaurant? It’s right there for you.
Okay, how about the weather? Las Vegas has 300+ days of sunshine a year. It’s drier and cooler than Phoenix. Yes, it’s cold at 8,000ft in the middle of the winter, but the roads are usually still clear and a 20 minute descent gets you to much warmer air.
If a smart company, or maybe the US Olympic Team, were to install an Olympic-size swimming pool at the base of Mount Charleston, we would literally be talking about the most PERFECT ALTITUDE TRAINING SITE ON PLANT EARTH.
There is nowhere, which I know of, in the United States, and maybe the world, that offers the kind of convenience that Mount Charleson offers.
Just look at some of the shortcomings of the following competing locations:
Flagstaff,AZ --2.5 hrs to closest International Airport. Descent to Sedona or descent to bottom of Wapaki Loop is inconvenient and does not get you to a low enough elevation. Winter training is limited.Park City, UT – Winter training is limited. Decent to Salt Lake City is still does not get you close to sea level.Mammoth Lakes,CA – Inconvenient to travel to. Is there anything to do for entertainment close by? Eastern slope of high Sierras can get awful cold in winter.Boulder, CO – No chance of being able to descend lower than 5,000ftPlaces in Alps --Winter training is limited. Expensive. Difficult to travel to for Americans.Places in South America – Travel is expensive. Difficulty descending conveniently. Difficult to travel to for Americans.
If you take your training and racing really, really serious and are considering “going to altitude,” I think that Mount Charleston has to be on your short list of destinations.
