I am very interested in swimming a 10 mile event this summer but it is at 5,500 ft altitude. I train around 2,400 ft. Does anyone have any advice for what I should expect, ie how much slower I will be or what type of training I can do barring traveling somewhere else to train?
Also, any advice on nutrition for that distance race would also be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Sandy
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!
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!
