Next Relay is at Altitude - Tips for Running at Altitude

Before the worldwide pandemic hit, my relay team Password: Penguin had signed up to run another relay.  This time we were going to run in Colorado.  There was some trepidation from a few of my teammates due to the race being at altitude.  But they still decided to run it.  I think it was due to the fact that this race would have us running through some of the most beautiful portions of northern Colorado.  So if the pandemic doesn’t cause the race to be cancelled, the Penguins will be heading to Fort Collins to participate in the 17th Annual Wild West Relay and Get Your Ass Over the Pass Race on August 7th and 8th. 

The Wild West Relay starts off in the foothills Fort Collins before heading deep into the heart of the Rocky Mountains.  The race is part of the Road Less Traveled Relay Races.  I ran one of their relays in the Green Mountains of Vermont back in 2012.  They create their relays to take the runners through beautiful landscapes and across diverse and challenging terrain in iconic locations in the United States.  What I liked about the race I ran with them was that even though it was a difficult course it definitely had a friendly vibe and was totally runner-focused.  The Wild West Relay course will have my team run over two mountain passes and through three national forests before reaching the finish line in Steamboat Springs.  Of course this will mean running at some very lofty altitudes.  Most of the course will be run at over 7,000 feet above sea level. 

With that in mind, I wanted to discuss what it means to run at altitude and what we can expect.  In my work, I have traveled and run at altitude many times.  Let me tell you, if you’re not from a place with a high altitude, running in the thin air of places like Denver or Salt Lake City can be very difficult.  I learned that any time I was going to run at altitude I needed to change my mindset.  I had to make sure that no matter what distance I had planned, I needed to always start a little slower than usual.  Once I got comfortable in my breathing, I could pick up the pace a little bit.  I cannot stress enough how important it is to start out slow.  It is a known fact that your pace will typically slow by 30 seconds per mile above 7,000 feet. 

What can a runner do to be able to race well at altitude?  The first thing to consider is when to arrive ahead of the race.  Most people recommend arriving at least 10 days before the race.  This period of time allows your body to adapt to the demands of altitude and acclimate to the thinner air.  This is typically not possible for most runners.   Based on other friends who travel and run at altitude, they all agree that arriving 48 hours prior to the start of the race will allow your body to avoid the most detrimental inhibitors of performance at altitude.  It is during the first 7 days at altitude that your body starts to adapt to working with less oxygen.   At 6,000 feet above sea level you have 17% less oxygen making a hard effort seem even harder.

I have found that one of the best things a runner can do to help acclimate is to hydrate.  Living in the desert, I am accustomed to drinking water constantly.  But most articles about running and training at altitude stress hydration.  When I get to a city at altitude, I make it a point to stay hydrated to help my body more easily adjust to the higher altitude.  The fact is that air is much drier at altitude, so like in the desert, I find that I need about twice the amount of water I would normally consume at sea level.   In Boy Scouts we always said, “Before you hit the trail, your urine best be pale.”  It isn’t a bad mantra for running at altitude.

I was recently reading about things a runner can do to help his body be better prepared for running at altitude.  One article noted that our red blood cell mass and oxygen demands increase at a higher altitude.  The author recommended that one way to prepare your body to run at altitude was to supplement your diet with iron before arriving at altitude.  The typical recommended daily amount of iron for women is 18 milligrams and for men is 8 milligrams.  If you add an iron supplement, it is said that it helps prevent altitude sickness and helps to increase red blood cell counts.  Most recommend increasing your iron intake by at least 5x for 30 days prior to your race.  However, since I am not a doctor, please consult with your doctor before increasing your iron supplementation.

While arriving early and increasing your iron intake can help, there is only one thing that can truly prepare you for a race at altitude and with a lot of elevation changes – do some hill training.  I have studied this relay’s course and there are definitely numerous uphills and downhills.  This means that to really be prepared, it's a good idea to add a hill workout once a week to your training which will help improve your hill running form.   Luckily for me, I have been including hill training as part of my weekly training for several years now.  A few of my teammates live in areas with no hills.  So overcome this, they have prepared for past hilly relays by running their hills in parking garages.  Other options available are climbing stairs or running up the stadium bleachers at the local high school.  The key is to get your legs used to climbing however you can.  There is no excuse to not include hill training.  Remember, if it’s easier on your legs to climb the hill, it easier the run is overall. 

The other thing I learned running at altitude and is good advice in general is to learn to run by effort, not by pace.  As I said before, it is clear that no matter how trained you are for a race you will simply run slower at altitude.  I will be coaching my teammates to use their perceived effort, not their pace/speed, as their guide.   It is best to ease into the run gradually increasing effort as you feel more comfortable with your breathing.  If you really start to feel good after a couple of miles, then it is time to increase the intensity.  The key to knowing your perceived effort is to learn your paces during training and how they feel.  This knowledge will allow you to know what effort level to dial in on race day.

I am not worried about running this relay even at altitude.  I will train hard to prepare.  I will force myself to take the first mile of each of my three legs at a slow pace until I feel ready to increase my speed.  But most importantly, I plan to take advantage of the great views as I run through the mountains.  I plan to enjoy a leisurely paced run to keep my heart rate in line as my body works harder to get oxygen.  As I have said before, a huge part of racing is the mental battle as you run each leg of a relay.  The key is to stay positive and know that even when my lungs and legs are burning, I can finish.  Hopefully these few tips I have provided will help you when you have the chance to run at altitude.

Apr 13 – 7.10 miles (1:10:46, 9:58 pace) – Hill Repeats
Apr 14 – 3.10 miles (24:28, 7:53 pace) – Speed Work
Apr 16 – 5.10 miles (42:00, 8:14 pace) – Tempo Run
Apr 17 – 5.50 miles (49:45, 9:03 pace)
Apr 18 – 8.10 miles (1:14:08, 9:08 pace)
Apr 19 – 5.10 miles (47:32, 9:19 pace)
Apr 20 – 6.20 miles (1:02:14, 10:02 pace) – Hill Repeats
Apr 21 – 3.20 miles (25:01, 7:49 pace) – Speed Work
Apr 23 – 5.10 miles (41:30, 8:08 pace) – Tempo Run
Apr 24 – 5.50 miles (48:55, 8:53 pace)
Apr 25 – 8.10 miles (1:17:42, 9:36 pace)
Apr 26 – 5.50 miles (48:21, 8:47 pace)

Total Miles:  67.60 miles
2020 Total Miles:  580.50 miles