I came across this interesting article that discusses training at high altitudes, around 7000-9000 ft. I don’t know who the person is that wrote the piece or what credentials she has, but it’s still interesting.
I live at 9200 ft, and I train high, and live high. I’ve been doing this for almost 5 years now. I do find it easier to ride when down at 5000-6000 ft, I know that my training at higher elevation does make me stronger. A few things I’ve learned about training and living at high altitudes.
- it takes longer to recover after longer workouts. take more time to recover after 3-4 hr efforts or races. I suggest at least one day, or 2 if still feel sluggish after day 1
- vitamins. I found that taking 500 mg C, and 500ui E, help recover faster and keeps the free radicals away. It’s always best to get your vitamin need from natural source. I tend to have a hard time to get as much as I need from veggies and fruit, so I supplement.
- it’s much harder to get a high heart rate at higher elevation. do your LT test at the same elevation you train at so that you can have a base line during your training bouts.
- stay hydrated even when not training. the air is drier at high altitudes and becoming dehydrated even when not training is easy. your pee should ALWAYS be a straw color to clear.