[wa5yom]

I have signed up for the <a href="http://www.steamboatsummer.com/info/events/sbcccalendarevent.marathon_08.item.asp" target="_blank">Steamboat Springs Marathon</a> ...June 1.......<br><br>
I will arrive a few days before....<br><br>
It starts at about 8500 ft...down to about 6800 ft.<br><br>
I have NEVER run in altitude....<br><br>
Any racing suggestions?<br><br>
How about anyone that has never trained in altitude...but raced there.....What was your experience?

 

[choovie]

You'll be a new member of the Mile High Club!<br><br>
Just the usual advice: Go early, get acclimated, stay hydrated, get plenty of sleep, and listen to your body.

 

[millbot]

Hey Tim, that looks like a nice fast course. <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"><br><br>
I train mostly at ~4500', and I have done a couple net downhill races starting at ~8000'. On the uphill stretches, although breathing was not difficult, I sometimes felt like I was struggling to get enough oxygen. But I was able to keep my goal race pace or better on the downhills.<br><br>
I agree with choovie that you would help your body acclimate if you could give yourself a couple days at elevation before the race. And you need to be careful to stay hydrated.<br><br>
I think FF has some information on how you can expect altitude to affect your performance.<br><br>
I gotta try a low-elevation race one of these days.

 

[RunsTheBitterroot]

When I did the Tahoe marathon, one of the guys there said to start out slow and then tapper off. Should have listend. I was training at the same altitude as Milbot in the SLC area at the time. 6000ft seems to be a magic altitude number where there is the most significant difference in the amount of air available. Though I didn't seem to have problems breathing, I was more fatigued than I would have expected towards the last 3 miles of the race and became slightly delerious. Being at altitude for the duration and having 2 steep hill climbs at the end contributed to that. On the other hand the Jupiter peak steeple chase starts at about 5,000 to 10,000 ft for about 8 miles and then drops back down for the remaining 8 with no hill climb at the end, didn't wear me out like the Tahoe Marathon. Part of that could have been time on my feet and conditioning, as it didn't take near as long to complete the Jupitor Peak steeplechase.<br><br>
When I run around here, for some reason going from low altitude to high and then getting out quickly, I don't seem to notice altitude. I have read where it is a good idea if you are going to run at altitude and don't have a few weeks to aclimate that it is best to race as soon as you get there. I suppose my observations might bear that out.<br><br>
I did check out the link there and have been there, this is a beutiful route, I am kind of excited for you as this will be a wonderful race. I am setting here counting on my fingers to see if I have enough time to get ready for that. Good Luck, Larry

 

[Coach Craig]

As others have mentioned, hydration becomes critical at higher altitudes.<br><br>
I don't really think getting acclimated for just a couple days will make that much of a difference. If you had a week or two, that would help a lot.<br><br>
One thing you can't control, is altitude affects different runners very differently. I spent some time training in Mammoth Lakes, where we lived around 7,000 ft I think, and did some training runs maybe up to 9,000 ft. I honestly didn't notice the altitude at all. When we dropped to low altitude for an interval workout, I actually felt worse. But I know of some elite athletes who simply can't function at all at altitude and have no choice but remain at sea level. Fortunately, those cases are the minority. Most people notice it, but it isn't a big problem. If you are lucky, you will be one of those ones who doesn't even notice the difference.

 

[wa5yom]

So......I too hope I am one of those that don't notice the altitude...but if I do....is the cure to just slow down?

 

[CoyoteMark]

I've done some mountaineering, so I thought I would add my 2 cents.<br><br>
The altitude might impact your performance, but 8,000ft is generally not high enough to suffer from actual <i>Acute Mountain Sickness</i> (AMS) aka Altitude Sickness. Here in CO, a few skiers each year suffer from AMS, but those are typically the folks who flew in from sea level and hopped right on a chairlift to 10,000 ft.<br><br>
So if you decide to go sight seeing and ride the Gondola, take it right back down if you start to feel queasy. Better yet, if you want to go up the mountain walk up. Don't go to high to fast.<br><br>
Emphasizing a point that everyone here has made: drink lots of water- more than you normally would. You loose more water than typical just by breathing at high altitude, and dehydration exacerbates altitude problems.<br><br>
Like Coach said, genetics is a determining factor in acclimatization. You might not notice it at all. If you are flying straight into Steamboat you might feel a little out of breath at first, but that will pass. You can expect to have a higher resting heart rate and breathing rate the first night, that will slow down after a few days. As Coach said, to truly acclimate it takes weeks, not days- however several extra days before the race will help a lot.<br><br>
The initial symptoms of AMS are headaches and nausea. If you experience mild headaches and nausea when you first arrive, drink a lot and rest. If the symptoms get worse rather than better (puking, pounding headache), go to the hospital. The only real cure for AMS is to go down to a lower elevation. If you are running your race and you feel light headed or nauseous, just slow down and take it easy.<br><br>
Like I said to begin with, it is unlikely that you will have any problems at 8,000 feet.<br><br>
Have fun- Steamboat is beautiful in June, and there will still be snow on the peaks this year- it has been a great winter!