Advice needed for high altitude 10 miler

Hi, Sandy, I'm not a high altitude person myself (you're already training 2000 ft above me!), but you might already have an advantage, being half way there so to speak... in comparison to those of us coming from the flatlands and coastal plains of this beautiful country of ours. Like I said, I have very little experience in the mountains, so I'd also love to hear what folks have to say. Maybe if you are able to get to the site and train a few days before the event (if only just a little bit) that might be sufficient for acclimatization, though you probably have to count on losing some time and adjusting the pace.

Sandy, I have lived on and off for about ten years around Denver, Colorado elev 5280. Altitude definitely slows you down and has a noticeable effect on your ability to swim at "cruising" or lactate threshhold levels. The website at Colorado Swimming states that an all-out effort over 1500 meters at 4500-6000 ft is equal to a performance 23 seconds faster at sea level. www.csi.org/conversions.aspx Realize that this table is intended to predict the performance of altitude-trained athletes at sea level. In all likelihood, sea level athletes will experience a greater drop off when competing at altitude. For all intents and purposes, 2400 feet is sea level so do not expect your current altitude to offer any significant benefits at 5500 feet. As a ballpark guess, I would expect to lose at least 30-40 secs per mile over the course of a ten mile race. I would not be shocked if many sea-level athletes lost more due to mental frustration or over-exertion at the beginning of the race. An important concept to realize is that altitude not only slows you down, but it makes it more difficult for you to sustain a certain level of perceived effort over a given distance. By this I mean, even without a stopwatch as a reference, a non-acclimated athlete will rapidly feel exhausted and out of breath if they attempt to give the same sort of effort they are accustomed to for a given distance. In essence, your legs and arms try to go at the same rate but your heart and lungs simply can't give them the oxygen to do so, so you are forced to back off your intensity. I would highly recommend traveling to the race site 2-3 days in advance to give yourself time to do at least one decent length open water swim to mentally prepare for how swimming at altitude feels. It really isn't that bad, but it is different and worthwhile getting a feel for if you want to make a competitive effort rather than just swim the event to finish. As far as nutrition goes, drink tons of water. At altitude you lose a great deal of H2O just by breathing so it is important to constantly hydrate. Water is all you need. Training is difficult to simulate. Swimming long intervals with a snorkel might mentally prepare you to deal with less oxygen. The key to competing at altitude is learning how maximize efficiency at a low intensity. Be conservative, have fun and do not set too narrow a time goal as different people respond and perform at altitude in different ways. Hope this answer wasn't too long and gives you some guidelines Good luck, c

If it's at all possible, I recommend traveling to the location of the swim at least a couple days, if not longer, before the event. 5500 feet is actually not that terribly high, and most people who develop altitude illnesses need to go at least as high as a typical Colorado ski result (usually at least a few thousand feet higher than Denver or Boulder.) It's possible swimming causes different physiological loads than skiing on your pulmonary system, but a typical scenario where skiiers get into trouble comes when they fly in from sea level, immediately hit the slopes, and ski all day in the hopes of getting their money's worth. Even a few days can go a long way to helping your body acclimate to the thinner air. If you could do some slow preparation swims on the days leading up to the race, I suspect this would also help, but resist the urge to overdo it! Interestingly, there is a little research on Viagra to combat altitude sickness. I don't know if I'd recommend experimenting, but if you happen to be taking it already, there's probably no reason to stop!

Sandy, One quick clarification, when I mentioned water and hydration as your main concern going into the race I was talking about the difference in hydration between a high altitude race and a sea level race. You'll obviously need to follow a marathon specific nutrition plan before and during your 10 mile race. I mainly swim short course triathlon type races so I won't pretend to offer you advice on nutrition for a ten mile race. Thanks, c

Thanks for the post. I hope you get something out of the other posts as well. It seems like getting there a few days ahead of time would be a good idea. I know that works for high altitude hiking, so it makes sense. I will make sure to add that to my travel plans. I swim for the beauty, enjoyment and accomplishment, not necessarily the time, so I'm not worried about being slower. I just don't want to be so slow that everyone is hanging around waiting for me to finish ; ) Thanks for your info. Sandy

To cslim409 - Wow, thanks for all the great info. I really appreciate it. Now, I need to read up on nutrition. This is going to be a challenge, but that's what makes it worth all the training. Thanks! Sandy

Jim, Thanks for your post too. I appreciate all the great advice. Happy swimming! Sandy

I realize this post is a little old, but thought I'd pass along what the website for the Pikes Peak Marathon has to say about altitude. Of course running to 14,000 ft is a little more extreme than what you plan, but you may find it informative. "How can someone who lives at a lower elevation prepare for the reduced level of oxygen? The effect of altitude that accompanies these races will affect each person differently. However, there is no denying that those who live and train at higher elevations will have, in most cases, an advantage. Exercise physiologists have determined that, for the general population, it takes 10 - 14 days for the body to begin adapting to lower levels of oxygen in the air. However, don’t let that deter you from participating in these races. Every year more than half of the race participants reside outside the Mountain States region and will arrive only a day or two prior to the race and do well. This even includes some top finishers. Conversely, participants who live in the Pikes Peak region and train on Barr Trail sometimes are unable to complete the race. Bottom line, if you train rigorously, are well hydrated prior to the start, take in fluids during the race, and do not over-extend early in the race there is no reason that you should not do well in these races!" The only other thing I would add for swimming specific advice is to do a lot of restricted breathing (especially distance sets) to get your muscles used to functioning with limited amounts of O2 in your bloodstream. Good luck. P.S. As someone else mentioned, try to be well hydrated before your race. The western U.S. is a very dry climate, and it's easy to underestimate the amount of water you lose just breathing.

Thank you very much. That is great information and advice. I really appreciate it! Happy swimming! Sandy