Here’s a technical question for the coaches. I have a race coming up the first part of october that’ll be at altitude (6.5-8k feet). The problem is i live at 2k. (for those interested it’s xterra tahoe). i do realize it’s best to either get there way early, or way late, but i’ll be there about 3 days b/f the race (hanging out, being a tourist, enjoying the fact i qualified 
). also note that it’s a mtb/off-road race, so there’s not much steady state type stuff going on. i think the race will be more of a “go hard, recover, go hard, recover” type thing.
so… to my question: what type of training can i do to maximize my peformance at this altitude? duration? frequency? (both for running and mtb). thanks for the advice!
Maximizing your performance will come due to acclimitization as well as training. What type of training volume, frequency and duration are you currently doing?
Volume: about 10-14 hours/week
Frequency: 2 swims (only about 3000m total, i hate the water, and most xterra ppl cant really swim that well anyways) 3-4 runs (about 20-25 mpw, broken down as: 1 long trail run w/ some climbing, 1 easy run on the trail, 1 up tempo flat road run, 1 “fun run” ) 3 rides (1 long road ride about 3 hours or so, 1 mtb ride w/ focus on technical skills about 2 hours or so, and then 1 “just for fun” road/mtb ride).
if you need any more specific info, just lemme know!
Can you add some training hours into the week for the run or bike?
yeah, no problem
swim: about 1’30"
Bike: up to 8 hours or so
run: about 4 hours
note: these are certainly relative, and i’m planning on going up to around 18-20 hours/week for the next few weeks before the race (4’: swim; 10’ bike; 6’: run)
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I do not think there is any way to train for the altitude part except train at altitude. The timing thing you obviously know - how about coming up the morning of the race and staying after? Sleep low as possible if you go up a few days prior - preferably below 4500-5000. I don’t know if any of the altitude meds like diamox would help if you took it a few days prior to the trip - the whole diuretic/racing thing seems counter-intuitive yet its not really that strong of a diuretic…drink lots of water either way. Take it easy for those first few days up.
Seems like if you think its a burn/rest/recover type of race - then you should replicate that in training.
Being well-trained for the event regardless of altitude is the key. Train well - recover - race well rested - have fun - don’t stress the altitude.
Dave
Congrats on getting into Tahoe! Well I am not a coach but do have some first hand experience as I also qualified for and raced Xterra Tahoe two years ago. Dave is right on - nothing you can do to acclimate unless you live there or stay for an extended period of time. 3 days before is about the worst time to get there for your race unfortunately. I had two separate friends that did this and it was ugly (Keystone and Big Bear). The only thing I might recommend is some kind of ride/run at altitude so you know what it will feel like. It will not help much physiologically and some might argue that it could put additional stress on the body, but I think it helps mentally to know what your breathing will be like.
The lake is usually on the cold side and there are usually waves, if not from the lake itself then from the boat that films the pros. I would not necessarily discount the swim, there are a lot of fast swimmers out there - this is nationals. If you are not comfortable running on gravel for about a hundred yards and on the pavement for a few hundred more then bring some tevas or an extra pair of running shoes. On the bike you have about a mile before you start climbing. The climb ascends 1500 feet in about 3 miles and is quite sandy. Hutchisons at 35 lbs should work pretty well for the course. If you are not a top swimmer and a strong biker then you will be passing a lot of people on the climb. The sand gets deep and will sap your energy. There is one line that is not quite as sandy on the side if you can get it then great. I had to contend with people walking and forcing me into the deep sand. Once to the top of the first climb you are on a single track and it is really tough to pass and really dangerous in spots unless someone pulls over. Save some energy because there is another tough climb with some sand then another climb up some single track to the top (8700 feet). The descent is a little technical and the dirt is loose in spots but really fun. Then you descend the first climb and head back in. Be comfortable descending in loose dirt/sand. This is where the lower tire pressure helps. The tricky part is that other parts of the course do not dictate lower tire pressure so youll have to make a decision on that one. I think the total climbing was around 3K.
The run is technical and has some creek/log crossings. Two laps on this course is just plain tough. Make sure to hydrate more than you think due to the altitude as the run is where it really hits you More info than you ask for but hopefully that helps some and you can design some specific workouts for the race.