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racing at sea level, training at altitude?
I currently live in Colorado Springs and I am racing Kansas this weekend. I raced this last year, and trained on this course several times, so I know the course pretty well. Last year I lived in Kansas. I also use heart rate. Does anybody have any experience with training at altitude and executing at sea level. I understand that my heart rate should be lower, so I can't really use my test zones. How much lower should I keep my heart rate on the bike. I am not so much worried about the run, since it's last. I'll execute that the same. Thanks Jessica
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Check out your HR in the pre race rides...but you know the average speeds you should be seeing based on last years numbers but slightly tweaked for your new fitness? Sorry there's no formula!!!! I'd watch your hydration / fueling proclivity as the humidity will be different. Again no formula, but just be cognizant of it!
Keep us posted,
P
You really need to monitor your RPE, but don't be surprised if you are doing much better than expected. Let us know how your race turns out and how it felt compared to your training in the Springs.
I have routinely trained at altitude (living at 8400 feet, running at 6200, biking from 5700-10000) for 2-3 weeks about 4 weeks before my last 5-6 IMs. Differences I notice between #s at altitude vs racing at lower elevation. Swimming - swimming is WAY easier at 1000 feet than at 8K; HRs are lower for sure. Biking - I notice no differences in either ability to generate watts or watts/HR ratio. Running: I'm about 15 sec/mile faster at same HR at lower elevation than at 6500'; at same pace, I'm about 5 higher HR. This is on my mind as I am in my second week of my semi-annual CO training camp.
My advice, do not assume any different numbers for your race compared to what your testing at home indicates. If you feel strong enough at mile 9 or so, think about putting on a little speed at that point.
I am so apprehensive about it b/c I raced last year on EN plans (OFF and IN) and beat my goal time of 6 hours by 14 minutes. (probably wasn't an accurate goal based on my fitness) So this is yet another year of EN training under my belt and altitude advantage, so I am scared to even set a goal. I will let you all know how it goes, thanks Jessica
Altitude training:
Sorry, I don't know much about this stuff at all. But let's say a guy was planning to race IMWI next year and owned a trailer that he could take anywhere he could pull it, to live and train out of it, for pretty much as long as he needed to.
IOW, this guy knows some paved roads and campgrounds above 10k feet. This guy could also hook up a homestay in CO at ~8500ft for as long as he needed. How far out from race day would he need to start adaptive process?
First, the key concept is "live high, train low". Like, camp out on top of Mt Pinos (7800'), and drive (or coast) down to Bakersfield (1000') to do your training. While CO has a lot of summertime camping opportunities at 10-11K, it's usually a schlep to get down low enough to do any hard swimming or running intervals that will provide a training effect. My swimming experience over the past 40 years is that endurance or TP yards at 8000' are like meters at sea level (10% slower), and I can't really sprint at all. For running, TP or IP work is hard to near impossible above about 5500'. Biking seems not to be affected much below about 10,500', but then, I don't do a lot of flat FTP work, replacing it with climbs instead (cause there's no flat ground.) So to get a training effect at the same time you are getting a physiologic effect just from exposure to thinner air requires either compromise on how you train, or daily driving to get to an altitude which allows.
The reason to be at 8500' or 10,000', of course, is the lower O2 content per volume of air, and the adaptations the body makes to that. Not everyone increases their hematocrit, but most people will at least increase the size of each red cell. There may be some endocrine changes which are more subtle and esoteric, but there's no question that at least 80% of athletes who are willing to live at those altitudes (either for real or in an altitude tent) will get a positive performance benefit if they stay for 2-4 weeks. Little to no additional benefit accrues after six weeks. The peak benefit will appear then 2-4 weeks after returning to sea level.
As to location, California in the spring and fall (Tahoe/Reno, San Gabriels/Antelope Valley, etc), New Mexico (Sandia Peak/Albuquerque), and CO from May-Oct. seem the easiest choices. MapMyRide.com, with its elevation info, can provide some clues about where some good locations might be. Another spot, is the Wasatch Front in Utah. Live at 7500'-9000' (Park City, Alta) and drive down to 4400' within 45 minutes, but the cycling around there is a bit more problematic.
NB to Nemo - the small resort towns in Colorado are probably as advanced as anywhere in the country when it comes to connectivity, both in the real and virtual worlds.
Does that guy need a training partner to chase around for a week of that time?
BTW, now that registration is up, when is that guy going to sign up for Cali 70.3?
Probably won't do Cali:
@Al, yeah, I could sleep up in Big Bear (just above 7k, I think) and train down in the deserts to the south, east, or west.
Whatev, just talk for now
Sounds like you learned a lot of great lessons that you can apply to future races! I recommend you post this to the Race Reports forum and point out any questions you might have, watch the team help you out with their observations.