I’m coming to the end of my glorious retreat in Tehachapi and today was a fitting end to what has been a marvelous and productive 5 days away from the rigors of my daily grind.

I slept late this morning (which was just fine), then decided to tackle the 6-mile loop around the resort.  This route is beautiful, but contains many steep grades –some 35% ¼ milers - both up and down.  I had no idea how my knee would react and I felt a little bit nervous about this, but decided to simply banish my fears.  I really wanted to see the view on the downhill side!  But there was another factor to which I had given very little consideration this morning…elevation.

My knees gave me no problems the entire six miles, but let me tell you – I really felt those hills in my lungs.  I live at less than 300 feet, but Tehachapi is at about 4,000 feet.  Now, anything above 8,000 feet is really considered “elevation,” so 4,000 is not enough to create symptoms of true oxygen deprivation, but you can definitely feel the difference. 

I got my first experience working out in elevation several years ago when my husband was preparing for his first trip to Peru.  He and I hiked steep trails at Snowbowl in Arizona, where the base elevation is about 9200 feet. At about 1050 I began to feel really dizzy and ill and ultimately had to come down.  It turns out there is a real trick to working out in high elevations. 

Many elite runners train at high altitudes to increase their red blood cell count, thereby improving oxygen delivery to muscles.  See, at altitude there is less oxygen in the air and so the amount of oxygen in the blood is reduced. In these conditions your kidneys secrete more of a hormone called erythropoietin (EPO), which causes the body to create more red blood cells.  Now, the average life span of a red blood cell is 90 to 120 days, so many runners can train harder and perform better for several weeks after they return from a month-long stay at altitude.

The perfect altitude to create this condition is between 7,000 to 8,000 feet, but while living at this elevation gives a boost to your red blood cells, it also makes it harder to do high-quality training. Easy, long runs are doable, but the thinner air makes it difficult to do intense speed work.  Thus, the expression “Live high, train low.” To illustrate this point, studies at Indiana University with the men’s cross-country team found that when runners who were living at altitude traveled down to about 4,000 feet or lower two or three times a week, they could better perform the faster, harder workouts that primed them for peak performance.

Now, there are several unpleasant (and potentially lethal things) that can happen to you at elevation.  For every 1,000 feet above 5,000 feet, your ability to perform work (like running) is diminished by 3%.  Elevations of 8,000 feet will produce resting heart rate increases.  At very high elevations (14,000+ ft) pulmonary and cerebral edema can set in.  More commonly, runners at elevation experience Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Symptoms of AMS include severe headache, weakness, loss of appetite, insomnia, shortness of breath and vomiting, swelling of fingers and toes, and a hacking cough. Sounds lovely, right?  But don’t panic.  If you’re considering a high elevation race or Ultra, the key is acclimatizing your body slowly.

The climbers’ formula is to “hang out” in elevation with very little stressful activity 1 day for every 1,000 ft. above 5,000 ft before attempting hard work. If you can’t hang out a week or so before your race, train in elevation at least one day a week if possible. If that’s not possible, Runner’s World has some tips:

1. Start slow 
Stick with low- to moderate-intensity running for the first five to seven days. If you're traveling to a race at altitude, plan to run there four to six weeks before the race for peak performance. If that's not possible, arriving at altitude just 24 hours before the start is your best bet. You won't acclimate, but you'll limit your exposure to some of the negative effects of the thin air, namely dehydration and disturbed sleep.

2. Race Conservatively 
Because you will be pushed into your anaerobic zone much faster at altitude, you need to start your race slower and build to race intensity over the first third. Once you get to your normal perceived effort, your times will still be six to 10 seconds slower per mile.

3. Drink up 
Dehydration naturally occurs at altitude, because the air is thinner and dryer. To compensate, try taking in at least three liters (12 or 13 cups) of fluids per day.

4. Get some rest 
Some people find it difficult to sleep at higher altitudes because their increased breathing rate makes it hard to get comfortable. So take short naps if you're tired and avoid caffeine and alcohol as they can interfere with sleep.

5. Readjust to low life
 Allow at least five to seven days back at lower altitude before you try to race again. This will give you time to get the feeling of a quick turnover back in your legs (your turnover will be slower at altitude) and allow your body to reestablish blood-acidity and electrolyte levels.

More tips? Ultra runner Gene Thibeault suggests “pressure breathing” to overcome feelings of shortness of breath at elevation.  To use this technique, purse your lips and release your breath with an audible "whew".  It sounds strange, but it helps with shallow breathing.  He also suggests Motrin to knock out altitude headache.

I am really curious to see if my workouts are any easier once I return to the city after being up here a week.  (Ha, ha, I’ll look for anything to improve my training).  We’ll see.  And my husband’s trip to Peru?  He had no problems adjusting to 14,000 feet…but several in his group had to be taken down the mountain on mules!

If you want to know more about the body’s response to altitude, check out Charles Houston’s book “Going Higher.”

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Tags: running in elevation, ultra running, mountain running, oxygen deprivation, elevation training, running in altitude, altitude training, ams, acute mountain sickness