COMING FROM A LOW ELEVATION TO RUN THE
WILD WEST RELAY

By Jon Sinclair of Anaerobic Management

Here's some suggestions that I've written for a marathon that I help put on here in Fort Collins (The Colorado Marathon):

• Make sure you stay well hydrated through the entire event. Most of us know that drinking fluids during a long race is important, but at altitude it is VITAL. Drink plenty of replacement fluid before, during, and after the marathon. Drinking replacement fluid is better than plain water. On rare occasions people have "overdosed" on plain water. Replacement fluid has enough electrolytes to keep your body in balance and it's safe to drink copious amounts.

• Be very conservative with anaerobic stress. Even living and training at 5000 feet we know that when we get into oxygen debt at higher altitudes it's really tough to get back out. You should be cautious about running any harder than what feels reasonably comfortable. That's a pretty tough task if you're running a mean uphill or racing closely with another person, but it's very important.

• Be as fit and rested as you can be when you arrive. This may seem obvious as it's good advice before any race, but in an altitude marathon it's even more important. The best way to be prepared is to be well rested and to have done lots of aerobic work and hill training. This, of course, includes a good diet and adequate sleep in the last few weeks before the race.

• Some people find it helpful to take an aspirin or two before bedtime. Sleeplessness is a common complaint of "flatlanders" at altitude and for those of us who aren't aspirin sensitive it's a good idea to take some before bedtime. Many people feel it's an effective way of fighting the sleeplessness that accompanies a trip to higher altitude.

• Finally, have a conservative race plan. Run the downhill at a pace that's easy, relaxed, and that you know you can match on the flatter parts of the course.

The same suggestions work for the relay. You need to come to Colorado as prepared as you can be... be as fit and ready as possible. Be trained to run a race of the length of miles that you'll be running in the relay. Be conservative on the first leg. Run all of the hills as aerobically as you can. Train on hills (on a treadmill if you have to).

Finally, while you have it right about arriving as soon as possible before the race, I would make it two days before to give yourself a little cushion on the traveling. While you might give up just a little on the altitude adjustment, you'll also have a day to get over the travel stress and if something goes wrong in the trip it won't be a "fatal" problem.