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RACING AT ALTITUDE
With the Donner Lake Triathlon, the Death Ride, Cascade Classic and Master's Road Cycling Districts at Diamond Valley coming up, I've been getting a few questions about how to prepare to race at altitude and when to arrive.
This stuff is pretty important. I've had several clients who are literally world-beaters at sea-level get trounced at altitude because they simply were not physically prepared for the thinner air.
The ideal preparation for altitude is impossible for most athletes with families and real world jobs, but I'll describe it just in case you have the opportunity to use it ever.
IDEAL PLAN:
Go to altitude over 6,000 feet five weeks before your event and stay high for three weeks. Drive down hill to train and sleep as high as you can, up to about 9000 feet. The first week at altitude is all endurance and recovery pace training. The second two weeks are normal training. Remember it is living high rather than training high that is most beneficial.
14 days before your event, return to sea-level for a final week of harder training.
5 days before your event, return to altitude and stay there until the event.
SECOND-BEST PLAN:
Go to altitude for days or weekends as much as you can and return to altitude five days before your event, staying until the event.
REALISTIC PLAN FOR MOST:
Arrive at altitude less than 18 hours before event start. The period from 18 hours to 5 days after arrival at altitude performance is worse than if you arrive at the last moment. This is because the first stage of altitude adjustment includes the body's elimination of water in order to thicken the blood. The effect of this blood thickening is that you feel better at low intensities of exercise, but lose endurance and so slow down more in longer events. Note that you can't overcome this effect by drinking extra water. That just leads to extra urination as the body has adjusted how much water it is willing to hold.
Remember, if you want to perform well at altitude, "You must be high". Good luck.
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