The picture above is Molina and me on Day Four of our high altitude training camp. We are on Loveland Pass, one of the most beautiful climbs in the Rockies.
Two weeks ago, I offered some general outlines for training camps. A little over a year ago, I offered some general outlines for altitude training. In reviewing those pieces, it struck me that they lacked practical advice for how YOU might approach a training camp at altitude. So that is my mission this week... offer you practical tips on how to get the most out of a 3-10 day altitude camp.
Why go to altitude?
Training at altitude produces desirable physiological changes for endurance athletes. My experience is that the most valuable (and potent) altitude stimuli occurs via blood desaturation during exercise at altitude. If you want to review the science on altitude then see the two book references at the bottom of this piece -- the books contain summaries of the best work that has been done on altitude.
For the endurance athlete, I define altitude:
Low altitude is less than 4,500 feet
Moderate altitude is 4,500 to 6,500 feet
Mod-High altitude is 6,500 to 8,500 feet
High altitude is 8,500 to 10,500 feet
Very High altitude is over 10,500 feet
The first tip is to spend the bulk of your training camp one level higher than home. For example, if you live at sea level then be based at moderate altitude (4,500 to 6,500 feet). Remember that the primary goal is blood desaturation, then recovery. If you live/train too high then you end up with excessive desaturation and inferior recovery. Each day during training, feel free to sneak up a further level -- however -- be careful when training two-levels-up as fatigue/training stress is greatly magnified.
At an altitude camp, my main goals are (order of importance):
- Increased red blood cell growth via blood desaturation during training (my main goal each day)
- Build endurance through volume overload
- Maintain sport specific strength via hills (bike/run), big gear work (bike) and paddles (swim). I find low cadence work (swim/bike) to be well-tolerated.
- Enhance LT (not FT) performance via sub-LT, mod-hard blocks (generally 10-20 minute pieces at the end of an hour steady-state main set). See file at bottom for explanation of my terms.
- Maintain general strength -- keep overall training load such that I have enough energy to hit the gym every 4-6 days.
Some altitude training locations:
- Jindabyne, NSW, Australia (3,000 feet; nearby Thredbo is 4,500 feet)
- Bend, OR (3,600 feet)
- Boulder, CO (5,400 feet)
- Font Romeu, France (6,000 feet)
- Vail, CO (8,300 feet)
My most common mistake with training at altitude is going too hard during the camp. Don't race during altitude training camps.
Tips to avoid going "too hard":
- If you have access to sport specific testing then keep your heart rate under lactate threshold (as defined in the file below, ~2mmol definition of LT)
- If you don't have access to testing then Mark Allen's MAP formula makes an effective cap, not target!
- If you can blow yourself up in group training situations then: (a) make sure your camp partners are physically weaker than you; and/or (b) drop off the back _immediately_ when you hit the long climbs.
I have seen outstanding athletes ruin their training camps on day ONE, from ignoring the tip above. Even if you follow that tip, you may find that your early days at altitude leave you quite tired.
As well:
- Disrupted Sleep -- if you can't sleep then assume you are training too intensely, reduce your heart rate cap by 10 bpm for 48 hours to regroup.
- Sleep -- even if I have a little trouble sleeping, I make sure that I lie down for 10 hours per day. Molina likes naps -- I skip them so that I can fall asleep more easily at night.
- Work -- don't expect to get any work done, you may be able to field easy telephone calls but you won't be able to devote much quality thought
- Family -- don't con your spouse into running support. Keep family vacations about family.
- Fitness -- arrive fit and train below your level of fitness. Altitude and increased training volume will give you the stimulus you desire.
- Hydration -- in your first 72 hours at altitude increase your rate of hydration when training and across the night.
- Nutrition -- always keep your heart rate down for the first two hours that follow solid food (if you ignore this tip then you will get "GI-feedback" that may have you sleeping on the couch). During training, keep your solids for the tops of long descents and use liquid nutrition. Make sure you have a protein source across your long training days. Avoid depletion, I tend to gain a couple of pounds during my most successful training camps.
Final Tips:
- Gizmos -- leave your GPS and Powermeter at home, your training paces and power will be impaired at altitude -- this is the price you pay for building those red blood cells. I place my PowerTap in heart rate mode so that I am not tempted to chase watts.
- Gearing -- use humble gearing. Most athletes will do best running a triple up front with a 30-tooth small ring. You need a lot of gears to stay under your heart rate cap in the early days.
- Swimming -- unless you are a very efficient swimmer then you will have to dial your swimming way down. A good rule of thumb is to add 10% to your send-offs for each "step up" you take in altitude. Yes, you will likely need 20% more time to survive a workout in Vail if you are coming from sea level.
- Running -- run easy and consider substituting trail hiking for your long runs.
- Fun -- I was really lucky to have Scott along for this camp. He is my ideal training partner -- stronger than me mentally, great attitude outside of training and not seeking to kill me in training. I caught him looking at a map of South Western Colorado this morning so perhaps I can tempt him back in 2009!
- Jacket -- always carry a rain jacket -- every single ride -- the weather changes FAST in the mountains
Finally, one that I learned from Chuckie V, NEVER CLIMB INTO LIGHTNING. The mountains will be there next time.
Hope this helps,
gordo
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Recommended Reading
- Swimming World Magazine Web Article on Altitude -- good section on where athletes/coaches can go wrong
- Wikipedia on Altitude Effects
- Randy Wilbur's book on Altitude Training -- the best summary of the literature that I've found
- Physiological Bases of Sports Performance -- great general reference for coaches and athletes (out of stock in USA, hyperlink is to amazon.ca)
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