I live in NJ. I am thinking of doing the Leadville 100 run in Colorado this August. I don’t have any experience running at a higher altitude.
Here are my questions:
Well all I can say is that I know a couple of guys that lived at 7,500 (Evergreen, CO) give or take that went up to Leadville a few weekends beforehand to get ready for it. They said without those weekends, they were going to be doing some good suckin. I would look up how long it is suggested but I think the earlier the better. I am from Indiana and run quite a bit and when I ran at 8,000+ during Thanksgiving weekend while out in Colorado, I was doing some solid heaving. It tends to wear off pretty quickly but you won’t be able to run like you do in NJ. Flat and downhill no problem but uphill is where the problem lies obviously. It wont be severe but you will feel it. So with all this ranting, I would think the earlier you get there, the better. Go to Denver for a couple days and then move on up if you can work that schedule. It will help you adjust without shocking your body to start running at whatever Leadville is at to over 10,000 feet.
Hope this helps.
Tough to adjust to 10,000+ft in elevation when you are coming from sea-level…
Is there a ban on using Viagra yet? I’ve heard that using Viagra can SIGNIFICANTLY improve performance at altitude… http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060624120556.htm
I went up to Telluride for some training last summer and ran between 8,500 ft and 12,000, roughly the same elevation you’ll be at at Leadville… I was coming up from Phoenix (about 1,200ft elevation)… Your performance will be SIGNIFICANTLY affected by the altitude change… There simply isn’t enough oxygen to run at a pace you’re accustomed to running easily… I can usually click of 6 min/mile miles pretty effortlessly, but found myself struggling to hold 7-8 min/mile pace for the first week.
I would suggest coming out to Leadville as long as possible prior to the race to adjust, and check out the Viagra if it is legal. I’ve never tried Viagra for athletic performance ( or any other kind of performance…) so PLEASE don’t take my word for it…
Some people advocate that if you don’t have time to acclimate, simply come out as close to the race as possible (day of, or day before), I think the rationalization is that your body isn’t going to acclimatize in a few days to a week any way, so why not avoid a lot of the altitude stress and come out as close to the race as possible… I don’t think this is a good idea as I know what I felt like when I ran the day I arrived… I felt terrible… HR jacked way up while running pathetically slow…
It takes a solid 4-5+ weeks to get any new red blood cell increase, however, hemoglobin weight will jump up even after as little as a week at altitude… I am assuming that going out to Leadville 4-5 weeks prior to the race probably isn’t possible or practical for you…
Perhaps you have make a quick sojourn to altitude sometime in the spring or early summer to see what the altitude feels like???
Tough to adjust to 10,000+ft in elevation when you are coming from sea-level…
Is there a ban on using Viagra yet? I’ve heard that using Viagra can SIGNIFICANTLY improve performance at altitude… http://www.sciencedaily.com/.../06/060624120556.htm
I went up to Telluride for some training last summer and ran between 8,500 ft and 12,000, roughly the same elevation you’ll be at at Leadville… I was coming up from Phoenix (about 1,200ft elevation)… Your performance will be SIGNIFICANTLY affected by the altitude change… There simply isn’t enough oxygen to run at a pace you’re accustomed to running easily… I can usually click of 6 min/mile miles pretty effortlessly, but found myself struggling to hold 7-8 min/mile pace for the first week.
I would suggest coming out to Leadville as long as possible prior to the race to adjust, and check out the Viagra if it is legal. I’ve never tried Viagra for athletic performance ( or any other kind of performance…) so PLEASE don’t take my word for it…
Some people advocate that if you don’t have time to acclimate, simply come out as close to the race as possible (day of, or day before), I think the rationalization is that your body isn’t going to acclimatize in a few days to a week any way, so why not avoid a lot of the altitude stress and come out as close to the race as possible… I don’t think this is a good idea as I know what I felt like when I ran the day I arrived… I felt terrible… HR jacked way up while running pathetically slow…
It takes a solid 4-5+ weeks to get any new red blood cell increase, however, hemoglobin weight will jump up even after as little as a week at altitude… I am assuming that going out to Leadville 4-5 weeks prior to the race probably isn’t possible or practical for you…
Perhaps you have make a quick sojourn to altitude sometime in the spring or early summer to see what the altitude feels like???
Maybe it might be better to run the 100 miler up in Vermont…
Yeah this. If you’re not sure how you respond to high altitude, it would be wiser to not find out while doing an ultra run.
As others have noted, the adaptation period takes time and during that time, you’ll be running notably slower than at sea level. I have done the come in the day before an event at altitude approach (6,000 feet) and it worked okay for me. I am at my worst 3-4 days after arrival up high, hence why I raced pretty well on days 1-3 at the Tour of the Gila this last year and not so much on day 4.
I agree with Jason.
I assume that the OP is not a professional athlete and thus does not have weeks of time to devote to going to altitude and training, because that’s what it is going to take for there to be any real adaptation. Therefore the only real option for just about everyone, is to just go and do the event.
BUT!
There is an individual variation in how people, even really good and fit athletes adapt, both short-term and long term to altitude - some are “OK” and others can* really* suffer. Some start to get acute altitude sickness symptoms at over 6,000 ft. A lot of Leadville is over 10,000 ft!! The OP may be “OK”, or he may be hyperventilating and in trouble on that starting line!!
If really serious it might be worth one reconn trip to figure out how you are going to react. Then there is the more pragmatic approach of just doing something closer to home!!
I have cycled up to 10,000 ft and felt fine - but was really struggling to keep it going. Feels like you are performing with a half of one lung. I have trekked(hiked) in Nepal up to 20,000ft and despite great overall physical fitness, it really does not matter - it’s a supreme struggle to just keep any forward and upward movement going at these attitudes.
Is this your first 100? If so, it may be best to find another one where you can focus on fuel and pacing and not have the additional issue of altitude.
But if your mind is made up, be ready to walk. A lot. 25 hours to get the big buckle translates to a 15 minute mile. Walk every uphill and jog every downhill (but never run) and you should be good to go. Most folks who fail the LT100 do so because they tried to run a 10min/mile pace for the first 20 miles without the benefit of a Matt Carpenters intense planning and V02max.
As for your two questions:
Tough to adjust to 10,000+ft in elevation when you are coming from sea-level…
Is there a ban on using Viagra yet? I’ve heard that using Viagra can SIGNIFICANTLY improve performance at altitude… http://www.sciencedaily.com/.../06/060624120556.htm
If Viagra isn’t legal, another potential option is Diamox. It doesn’t have the same side-effects. I’ve used it at altitude hiking, but not at race speeds.
And it should be mentioned that the same person might be on different sides of the range at different times. I have regularly cycled, skied and/or backpacked at altitude over the past 25 years. Once I had altitude sickness, a few times noticed quite a few symptoms (headache, dry mouth) and typically have had no symptoms other than some typical shortness of breath.
No experience with Ultra’s, and only a few trips to up. I live at ~1000’
I’ve made a few trips into the Smokeys (which I think maxes out around 6500’) and had no issues.
Last Feb during my marathon training, I went to Telluride, Co (8500’) for a wedding. As soon as I could (6hrs), my wife and I went for a short run. It should’ve been an easy run, but I struggled and felt like I was breathing threw a straw. Before I could get home and into the shower, I was balled up in pain. My insides were turning out. I had no clue about altitude sickness. I spent the next 12 hours curled into a ball. I am always the skeptic, but I tried every remedy anyone would offer. I was miserable. I spent the rest of the week barely able to climb a set of stairs. My wife had no issues at all. We both had great marathons 6 weeks later.
I would love to do Leadville, but until I’m retired, I cant see how I can acclimate.
I have read multiple reports of just landing and running as soon as possible if you cant devote a few weeks to acclimating.
Good luck and post a race report!
Don’t under estimate the effects. I live at 3500 feet and when I’m hiking over 10,000 feet I will really notice the difference.