I’ve been receiving an abnormally high amount of questions about training and racing at altitude lately. It may be due to the fact that the debut of Ironman Utah is drawing near or perhaps that more sea level athletes are thinking a competitive edge might be found at a higher elevation. There is some science behind altitude training but some facts may surprise you. When I was a student at Colorado University in Boulder I lucked into a debate on the pros and cons to altitude training for the endurance athlete. It was hosted by CU’s resident altitude expert Dr. Gamoff, inventor a device called the Gamoff Bag. It’s a chamber, about seven feet long and thirty six inches wide that can be used to manipulate the atmosphere around one person. The debate only had maybe 30 people in the audience but many were world class athletes. Magda King, the first woman to ever ascend all 8,000 meter peaks was in the audience and she spoke of using the Gamoff bag to help speed her preparation for her Everest summit. There were also two Kenyon’s in the audience both of whom had held the world record in 10K at one point and time, and their reason for living in Boulder was based entirely on the elevation of the city. The upshot of the debate is now pretty common knowledge: time at elevation will force your body to develop a greater number of red blood cells and therefore make your body better at delivering oxygen to muscle tissues that need it on race day. But wait! There’s a down side. Training at elevation is less beneficial than training at sea level (or even below sea level). The reasons are simple; recovery time is longer at elevation, therefore less training volume can be met, and your body doesn’t react as fast as it might during the actual workouts. If you want to race a 40K time trial on your bike at sea level and you want to average 29 mph, then your training needs to include intervals that are at and above that speed. If you’ve committed to training at 9,000 feet you may not be able to push your bike to that speed at that elevation so you will never really train the leg speed or power needed for race day. The conclusion of the debate was that the ultimate situation would be to sleep at altitude (approximately 8,000 feet above sea level) and train at sea level. This “sleep high, train low” theory has been and is currently used by many athletes. The elites who train at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs (elev 6,184) often sneak up near Woodland Park to sleep at 8,500 feet. Those elites will take the theory even further by periodically running speed sessions on a treadmill while attached to a respirator that simulates the air quality at sea level. That kind of device or commitment to travel isn’t always available to people who have jobs or family has them keeping them to one specific elevation for daily life. Scott Tinley always used Steamboat Springs, Colorado as his altitude getaway and I see that recently retired Mike Pigg is selling his chamber for a mere $8,500 (retail $12,800). So the question remains: how does a mortal such as us, one who refuses to cheat with epo or any form of blood doping, one who cannot afford a hyperbaric chamber, one who can’t be driving up to elevation every night for sleep – what can we do to help ourselves? Here are some suggestions: A) There are two schools of thought about living at sea level and having to go up to race at elevation: 1) go up 10-14 days before and acclimate or 2) go up the night before the race and pretend it’s no different. These both work pretty well but it’s the middle ground that will kill your energy. Spending 3-7 days at elevation seems to exhaust the body as it’s working overtime to adjust, leaving you feeling beat. At the same time 3-7 days isn’t enough time to make the biological changes needed for improved performance on race day. B) Hydration becomes even more critical when trying to acclimate – drink water. C) There’s been talk about “hypoxic training” where you sort of breath less or hold your breath during efforts in order to dupe your body into believing that it’s at altitude. I’ve never read a study that got me past how absurd this sounds. D) If you are going to go up early try what many national cycling teams do: two days high, two days low, two days high. This seesaw effect is rumored to produce good changes without as much fatigue E) Eat a bit more carbs a bit less protein and bit less fat. You’re body is at work trying to make big changes inside so give it the energy it needs to succeed. I’ve saved the best news for last. There are a ton of LA Tri Club members headed to IMUT after months of training and years of living here at sea level. The elevation at Provo is only 4, 500 feet above sea level. In biological terms that’s not that high. Altitude affects each individual differently but for most it takes the thin air over 6,000 feet to really start to negatively affect your average joe. So for Provo go up when you like, get to know the course, sleep well and treat yourself like a god for the days prior to the race. You’ll be fine.

Article

Title Posted By Date
Triathlon 101 - Introduction to LA Tri Club& the Multisport World Chris Lohman 01/26/2016
Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race Report Liz Kollar 08/17/2011
Racing with 'heart'.. someone else's heart Tim Bomba 12/03/2010
Ironman Brazil 70.3 Race Report, 8/28/2010 Nils Taylor 09/01/2010
Race Report: IM Coeur d'Alene '09 Audra Lalley 07/22/2009
Make a Smooth Transition Jamie Silber, USAT Level 2 Coach 06/03/2009
Konrad's Top 10 Cheap or Free Ways to Get Faster Konrad Ribeiro 03/30/2009
Swim, Stride & Suds Konrad Ribeiro 03/24/2009
2009 Ocean Speed Circuit info and FAQ's Konrad Ribeiro 03/24/2009
.: 2009 Spring Training Camp :. Liz Oakes 02/03/2009
Craig Alexander scheduled for Monday, Feb. 2nd Meeting Liz Hamm 01/19/2009
2009 Events Scheduled Liz Hamm 12/15/2008
2009 Sponsor Search Paul Hekimian 12/04/2008
My Kona 2008 by Mark Lytle Mark Lytle 11/15/2008
2008 Member Award nominations open until Dec. 1 Liz Oakes 11/05/2008
XTERRA USA Moves to Utah–The End of an 8 Year Run in Incline Village, NV Erin Beresini 10/24/2008
The Inside Triathlon Merger with Triathlete Magazine: Good or Bad for Triathlon? Erin Beresini 10/22/2008
Monaco 70.3 Tamara Adelman 09/28/2008
Monaco 70.3 Sept. 7, 2008 Tamara Adelman 09/22/2008
IM Wisconsin on a Mountain Bike Gil Solomon 09/16/2008
Ironman Training without your spouse divorcing you– Rhabdomyolysis – Full Vineman Richard Valdez 09/10/2008
'Oh, The Places You'll Go' - Dr. Seuss Tim Bomba 06/25/2008
What is my "Training Level"? Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced? Konrad Ribeiro 06/03/2008
Buy A Bigger Bowl Jeff Matlow 05/16/2008
LA Tri Club presents Conrad Stoltz & Melanie McQuaid Club 04/16/2008
April 1st, 2008 Arkady Hagopian 04/15/2008
17 THINGS THAT TRIATHLON HAS TAUGHT ME ABOUT LIFE Jeff Matlow 04/15/2008
HI, MAINTENANCE. Jeff Matlow 02/19/2008
The Race from Head to Heart Brian Melekian 01/23/2008
LA Tri Club intervewied for Slowtwitch.com Herbert Krabel 12/11/2007
Welcome to the New Home of the LA Tri Club! Brian Morel 11/14/2007

News & Updates

Title Posted By Date
LA Tri Club Open Water Swim Paul Hekimian 11/14/2023
Teen Team - Legacy Triathlon Paul Hekimian 05/03/2023
Race Report - Stage Coach 400 - Ian Murray Paul Hekimian 04/04/2023
Masters Swim Program Paul Hekimian 02/07/2023
LATC Performance Membership Paul Hekimian 02/06/2023
LATC Youth Fundraising Paul Hekimian 02/02/2023
LATC Launches Teen Team Paul Hekimian 02/02/2023
Race Report - Mark Allen Church Paul Hekimian 10/31/2022
Member Spotlight - William Bowden Paul Hekimian 11/30/2021
Member Spotlight - Mark Church Paul Hekimian 11/30/2021
Member Spotlight - Shelly Williams Paul Hekimian 11/30/2021
Member Spotlight - Kara Cannon Paul Hekimian 11/30/2021
Sponsor Spotlight - AAA TLC - Dr. Stephanie Marcy, PhD ABPP, Clinical Psychologist Paul Hekimian 11/30/2021
Member Spotlight - Allison Joy Paul Hekimian 11/30/2021
Member Spotlight - Stephen Sweeney Paul Hekimian 11/30/2021
Member Spotlight - Jeff Freedman Paul Hekimian 11/30/2021
Member Spotlight - Viktor Toth Paul Hekimian 11/30/2021
Member Spotlight - Annabel Polanco Paul Hekimian 11/30/2021
Member Spotlight - Diana Ramirez Paul Hekimian 11/30/2021
Member Spotlight - Luis Flores Paul Hekimian 11/30/2021
Member Spotlight - Greg Bicksler Paul Hekimian 11/30/2021
Member Spotlight - Kyle Holland Paul Hekimian 11/30/2021
Member Spotlight - Sydney Miyatake Paul Hekimian 11/30/2021
Member Spotlight - Julio Garcia II Paul Hekimian 11/30/2021
Member Spotlight - Victor Weber Paul Hekimian 11/30/2021
Member Spotlight - Will Westwater Paul Hekimian 11/30/2021
Member Spotlight - Alex Goodman Paul Hekimian 11/30/2021
Member Spotlight - Mario Ocampo Paul Hekimian 08/18/2021
FREE Open Water Swim Workouts Paul Hekimian 05/19/2021
LATC Season Kick-Off Meeting with Heather Jackson Paul Hekimian 03/15/2021
The DNA of INJURIES Paul Hekimian 10/19/2020
First Thursday with Special Guest Joe Friel Paul Hekimian 05/25/2020
Paralympian, Three-Time ITU Triathlon World Champion, Ironman 70.3 World Champion, first woman to finish an Ironman on a prosthetic leg Paul Hekimian 05/19/2020
FREE LATC / TriFit Daily Online Workouts Paul Hekimian 04/28/2020
The Game Changers - Dotsie Bausch Paul Hekimian 03/30/2020
Triathlon Hour - Guest: Chris Foster Paul Hekimian 03/30/2020
Season Opener Paul Hekimian 01/24/2019
New Racing and Training kits Paul Hekimian 01/24/2019
Daniela Ryf Paul Hekimian 01/24/2019
We Treat More Than Just Back Problems! Benjamin Kleinbrodt 07/30/2018
Mercury Rising : Beat the Heat Gareth Thomas 05/19/2018
Time to Tri Paul Hekimian 02/19/2018
YEP 2017 Photos Paul Hekimian 01/25/2018
Exclusive: Jesse Thomas Enters His First Ironman Paul Hekimian 02/26/2017
LA Tri Club Swim Workout w/ Coach Stu, Thursdays & Sunday's 02/08/2017
7 Ultra-cooling Summer Beauty Tips by Herbalife Nutrition Jennifer Guran 02/08/2017
Mucho Gusto Ride Series Paul Hekimian 02/01/2017
LATC NRG RUN EVENTS Hosted by Coach Jamie Silber Paul Hekimian 02/01/2017
YEP (Year End Party) Award Winners Paul Hekimian 01/22/2017
Mucho Gusto Kits Paul Hekimian 01/01/2017
Open Water Sighting: What You Need To Know Shoulder Injury Prevention 04/13/2016
BREATH RIGHT, SWIM BETTER Shoulder Injury Prevention 03/23/2016
Coast2Coast Swim Challenge - May 22nd Shoulder Injury Prevention 03/23/2016
NEW Member Dashboard NEW Member Dashboard 02/12/2016
Shoulder Injury Prevention Shoulder Injury Prevention 02/12/2016
2017 New Racing and Training Kits Paul Hekimian 01/14/2016
YEP Awards Recipients YEP Awards Recipients 01/12/2016
2015 Year End Party (YEP) Put on your dancin' shoes it's PARTY TIME! 01/09/2016
2015 Ironman Viewing Party/Picnic Who says Friday the 13th is unlucky?! 11/02/2015
Strawberry Stand Ride Deborah Carabet 10/20/2015
New Pit Crew Tee's Paul Hekimian 09/10/2015
Santa Barbara Triathlon 2015 Pictures Deborah Carabet 08/24/2015
MaccaX LA Trianing Camp Paul Hekimian 06/30/2015
5th Annual Coast 2 Coast Paul Hekimian 05/20/2015
New Ocean Swim Workout Paul Hekimian 03/24/2015
Nutrition Night Paul Hekimian 02/28/2015
Last week to get your Orders in. Paul Hekimian 02/16/2015
SwimLabs Stroke Analysis Paul Hekimian 02/05/2015
First Thursday Paul Hekimian 01/26/2015
YEP-Beach Edition Paul Hekimian 01/22/2015
Sirens and Titans Fitness on Sunday, January 11th 2015 Paul Hekimian 12/18/2014
Secrets to Significantly Growing Your Event or Business Through Clubs Paul Hekimian 11/18/2014
Tri Lab Brick and BBQ Paul Hekimian 11/14/2014
LATC Sneak Peak of 2014 NBC broadcast of the Ironman World Championship 10/26/2014
Sirens & Titans Fitness Camp Sirens & Titans Fitness 10/12/2014
THE IRONSTRENGTH WORKOUT Dr. Jordan Metzl 10/06/2014
The Club Race and BBQ - October 4, 2014 Paul Hekimian 09/23/2014
Another Fantastic First Thursday Social Paul Hekimian 08/08/2014
Congratulations Ironman 70.3 Vineman LATC Members Paul Hekimian 07/16/2014
Coast 2 Coast Swim Challenge Paul Hekimian 06/20/2014
Winning Insights for Endurance Athlete Nutrition Chris Lohman 06/09/2014
You may LOVE doing it. You may HATE doing it. John Carlisle 05/29/2014
Tri Talks - Year ONE in Triathlon Liz Hamm 03/14/2014
2014 Spring Training Camp Liz Hamm 02/24/2014
Fun Run SCAVENGER HUNT Liz Hamm 02/21/2014
Year End Party Liz Hamm 01/29/2014
New Club Kit "hive" Design Offered Liz Hamm 11/11/2013
CPR & First Aid Certification Class Offered Liz Hamm 10/23/2013
RACE Life Time Tri Oceanside & RSVP for Andy Potts Meeting Andy Potts 10/14/2013
Newbie, Noobie - The Experts Konrad Ribeiro, Jennifer Kramer 09/23/2013
Sponsor Spotlight: Zone 3 Multisport Glenn Mantel 09/14/2013
A Year's Journey: Getting Dumped, My Mom's Death 3 Days Later, Losing 35 Lbs Ana Beatriz Cholo 08/23/2013
Youth & Jr National Championships - LATC & TTS Team Reaches New Heights Ian Murray 08/07/2013
LA TRI Club Gives Scholarship Grant to Help 32 Needy Kids Learn to Swim with Non-Profit ‘One with the Water’ and CoachArt LA Tri Club 07/12/2013
PUR PAK making news with MACCA Liz Hamm 06/17/2013
Cardiac Screening offered June 15 Liz Hamm 06/10/2013
2013 Coast 2 Coast Swim Challenge – June 2nd Roberta Silverman 05/21/2013
1st Annual LATC Never Evers Triathlon Liz Hamm 03/07/2013
Hunter Kemper Meeting September 30th, 2012 Paul Hekimian 10/31/2012
Think you don't need a heartrate monitor? Coach Gareth explains why you should think again. Chris Lohman 08/20/2012
Youth and Junior Triathlon Team Having a Great Year Chris Lohman 07/17/2012
Swim to Save Lives at the Coast 2 Coast Swim Challenge Chris Lohman 05/11/2012

Swim Training

Title Posted By Date
Swim Workout by coach Jamie at InfiniteNRG Paul Hekimian 04/25/2015
Swim Paddles for Triathletes: Harmful or Helpful? Gerry Rodrigues 01/29/2011
2010 Wed Ocean Speed Circuit INFO Konrad Riberio 03/30/2010
Desert Tri Roster 2010 pdf Ray Barrios 03/04/2010
Triathlon Training Series, Volume One Ian Murray and Jamie Silber 09/30/2008
Five Mistakes That Lead to Injury Olympian Jeff Galloway 08/28/2008
LA Tri Club presents Conrad Stoltz & Melanie McQuaid LATC 05/13/2008
Konrad's 1-hour swim workouts (updated 5.3.08) Konrad Ribeiro 05/04/2008
Gearing up the mind and body for the coming triathlon season. Ian Murray, Head Coach of LA Tri Club 01/02/2008
The best sport on the planet, and the best club in the sport. Tim Bomba 11/14/2007
Flickr an LA Tri Club Member User Guide Brian Morel 11/10/2007
Lactic Acid - Friend or Foe? Robert Forster, PT 11/10/2007
Wetsuits Tom Long 04/21/2007
Sculling: The forgotten drill Brian Morel 04/21/2007
Bilateral Breathing Brian Morel 04/21/2007
Swimming Article by Brendan Terry Brian Morel 04/21/2007
Good Swimming is Relaxed Swimming Brian Morel 04/05/2007
Local Pools 09/20/2005
LA County Beach Advisory 09/20/2005

Run Training

Title Posted By Date
Run Workout by coach Jamie at InfiniteNRG Paul Hekimian 04/25/2015
THE PERFECT MILE from Runners World Ed Eyestone 02/19/2009
Run more efficiently: Add speed work Brian Morel 04/21/2007
Run strong: Building lower leg strength, durability and injury resistance Brian Morel 04/21/2007
Efficient running: Move more horizontally Brian Morel 04/21/2007
Running slow to run faster Brian Morel 04/21/2007
Treadmill threshold workouts Brian Morel 04/21/2007
Google Maps Pedometer 11/01/2005
Run Routes Eric Cheung 09/21/2005

Newbies - General

Title Posted By Date
FAQ for Sunday SGV Sprint Training Sharon McNary 07/22/2008
Guidelines for Beginner Swimmers + Workout Brian Morel 04/21/2007
What is a Newbie? Jason Berkowitz 03/26/2007
How to LOOK like a Triathlete Jason Berkowitz 03/26/2007

Newbies - Swim

Title Posted By Date
Lake Swim Locales William Robinson 06/09/2011
Origins of the Ocean 101 Tim Bomba 01/02/2008
Open Water Swimming Brian Morel 05/02/2007
Triathlon Swimming Made Easy Brian Morel 05/02/2007

Newbies - Bike

Title Posted By Date
Bicycle Maintenance Guide Brian Morel 05/23/2007
Tips on Riding w/ Clipless Pedals Brian Morel 05/16/2007

Newbies - Run

Title Posted By Date
Training for Distance Running Brian Morel 06/01/2007
Getting Started with Running Brian Morel 06/01/2007
The Couch-to-5k Running Plan Brian Morel 06/01/2007
Beinners Guide to Running Brian Morel 06/01/2007
Will Smith on Running & Reading (Key to Life) Brian Morel 05/28/2007

Health & Nutrition

Title Posted By Date
Questions About Probiotics? Markus Boesch 03/27/2015
(Eat Healthy & Thrive) Amaranth Breakfast Porridge Markus Boesch 03/27/2015
Stay Healthy This Holiday Season Markus Boesch 12/24/2014
Lower Your Cholesterol Markus Boesch 11/20/2014
Benefits of Green Smoothies Markus Boesch 11/13/2014
The Truth About Protein Powders Markus Boesch 11/12/2014
Five Reasons to Consider a PLANT STRONG (Vegan/Vegetarian) Diet Markus Boesch 11/28/2013
Plant Strong! How to Start a Plant-Based Diet Markus Boesch 09/17/2013
The Wonders of Turmeric: Ditch the Advil. Markus Boesch 09/06/2013
Super-Food Spotlight: MACA Markus Boesch 08/15/2013
Quiz: Are You Ready to Commit to a Healthy Diet? Markus Boesch 07/16/2013
The Many Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar Markus Boesch 07/16/2013
PROTEIN: Top Plants that are High in Protein Markus Boesch 07/08/2013
Juicing vs. Blending..? The 411. Markus Boesch 07/05/2013
Super Foods That Boost Your Brain Power Markus Boesch 07/04/2013
Want to Be Really Healthy? Go Nutritarian! Markus Boesch 07/02/2013
Ease Arthritis Pain with Good Nutrition Markus Boesch 07/02/2013
Reasons to Eat More KALE Markus Boesch 07/01/2013
Intro to Pranayama Markus Boesch 07/01/2013
Super-Food Spotlight: Chia Seeds Markus Boesch 07/01/2013
What causes that occasional muscle soreness after a workout? Markus Boesch 07/01/2013
Oxalates and Green Smoothies: Markus Boesch 07/01/2013
Make Good Health a Priority Markus Boesch 07/01/2013
Train Movement - Not Muscles Markus Boesch 07/01/2013
Good Morning Sunshine Smoothie Markus Boesch 07/01/2013
Plant Powered 4th of July Feast Markus Boesch 07/01/2013
End Food Cravings Now! Markus Boesch 07/01/2013
Superfood Spotlight: Hemp Seeds Markus Boesch 07/01/2013
Manage Workouts With An Improved Thought Process Markus Boesch 07/01/2013
Make Lasting Changes. Markus Boesch 07/01/2013
Iron Deficiency Anemia and Performance Bob Seebohar, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS 05/04/2009
IM Nutrition Leo Carneiro 10/10/2008

Other

Title Posted By Date
Pushing the Limits :: Screenings 7/31 & 8/4 Liz Oakes 07/31/2009
Training Computer Comparison Steve Mark 01/08/2009
Tri car member survey Max Miller 09/27/2008
Wetsuit Repair David Ma 06/19/2008
Boise 70.3 Race Report Max Miller 06/09/2008
Palos Verdes Loop Directions Tom Long 03/27/2007
2006 YEP Program Liz Oakes, Brian Morel, S.Stern 03/27/2007
2004 Kona Viewing Pty Program Liz Oakes Members 03/27/2007
Trainer or Rollers? - LATC Member Feedback David Ma 03/27/2007
Podiatrists - LATC Member Feedback alan lehman 03/27/2007
Bike Route: Amalfi Loops Konrad Ribeiro 03/27/2007
Bike Route: Marina Loop Konrad Ribeiro 03/27/2007
Wildflower Long Course - Text Description Babak Azad 03/27/2007
Wildflower Long Course - Bike Image Babak Azad 03/27/2007
Wildflower Long Course - Run Image Babak Azad 03/27/2007
Wildflower Camp Map 2005 LA Tri Club 03/27/2007
Traveling Triathlete Checklist LA Tri Club 03/27/2007
Tour de France Liggett/Sherwen Bingo Konrad Ribeiro 03/27/2007
Bike Route: Griffith Park Brick - 22 Miler LA Tri Club / Mike Janson 03/27/2007
Polar 625 Cheat Sheet Andrew Hannan 03/27/2007
2005 YEP Program Liz Oakes, Brian Morel, Stacey Ster 03/27/2007
Biking from Santa Monica to San Diego (Sea World) Babak Azad 03/27/2007
Angeles Crest Ride FAQ Mark Lytle 03/27/2007
2004 YEP Program/Yearbook Liz Oakes, Brian Morel 03/26/2007
Transition Talk 09.29.04 Luau Meeting Committee 03/26/2007
ROAD ID Member Survey Rosalind Jarrett 03/26/2007
1/2 Ironman Race Advice Julie Miller 03/26/2007
Member Awards History (as of '06) LA Tri Club Members 03/26/2007
Heart Rate Monitors/Cycle Computer Email Response Derek Dunn 03/26/2007
Santa Monica to Santa Barbara Bicycle Route LA Tri Club / Willam Hurst 03/26/2007
LACTATE BUILD-UP OR NOT?? Gareth Thomas 03/26/2007
Race Wheels - LATC Member Feedback Keith Ho 03/26/2007
Side Stitches - LATC Member Feedback Mike Gwaltney 03/26/2007
Men, running and nipples Alan Lehman 03/26/2007
Sciatica help Detra Jones 03/26/2007
Altitude and the Triathlete Ian Murray 03/26/2007
The Power of Preseason Ian Murray 03/26/2007
Running Wild Ian Murray 03/26/2007
Monitor Madness Ian Murray 03/26/2007
Keepin' It Fresh Ian Murray 03/26/2007
Attention Race Fans Ian Murray 03/26/2007
Transition Time Ian Murray 03/26/2007
Seasonal Stuffing and Travel Treachery Ian Murray 03/26/2007
Transitions Pat Abe 03/26/2007
Got Wheels? Lloyd Taylor 03/26/2007
Our Journey Pat Abe 03/26/2007
Life With Water Ian Murray 03/26/2007
The Question of Time Ian Murray 03/26/2007
Free Speed Ian Murray 03/26/2007
Finding Quality Ian Murray 03/26/2007
Didactic Dopplegangers Ian Murray 03/26/2007
Let's Talk Pedals Lloyd Taylor 03/26/2007
Tire and Tube Preparation Lloyd Taylor 03/26/2007
Women Specific Saddles Saveria Tilden 06/20/2005
How to Ride in a Pack When Cycling EHow.com 03/23/2005
Memorable Finishers - Ironman Inspiration Ironman25.com 10/21/2004
Paul Hekimian Interview on Endurance Radio Endurance Radio 09/01/2004
May I Mention Intention Ian Murray 10/03/2001