Elevation, baby!!!!!
For 5 full days, (then one travel day home) Paul and I will be in Colorado. We start our adventure in Boulder (5,430'). Then we will head to Estes Park (7,522') for several days. During our days in Estes, we plan to drive and hike through Rocky Mountain National Park (7,800'- 12,183').
I know some people are super heroes and elevation does not affect them. I am not one of those people. I am a good 3 minutes slower per mile but my perceived exertion is that of a sprint. I try to take deep breaths but I can't. I have to take walk breaks, at least at first. It's not pretty!
The day we arrive in Boulder (after getting up at 2am to drive to the airport) I'm supposed to do a 6 mile marathon pace (7:49) run.
HAHAHAHA!!!!! Not happening!!!!!
One of the days we are in Estes I'm supposed to run 12 miles. That would take me over 2.5 hours (at least) and I'd be sucking wind the whole time. Not happening!!!!
Here's what I'm supposed to do during the two weeks affected by our vacation. (Vacation days are highlighted!)
| Monday | Tuesday | Wed | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| 6/6 Easy 6 |
6/7 5x1km (400 recovery) 1.5 mile w/u & c/d |
6/8 REST |
6/9 6 @ Tempo 1.5 mile w/u & c/d (Get up at 2am for 6:10 flight out o Baltimore. Arrive in Boulder @ 8am) |
6/10 Easy 7 |
6/11 Easy 6 |
6/12 Long- 12 |
| 6/13 Easy 6 |
6/14 4x1200 (400 recovery) 1.5 mile w/u & c/d (Get up at 3am to catch 5:25am flight home to PA.) |
6/15 REST |
6/16
7 @ Tempo 1.5 mi w/u & c/d |
6/17
Easy 6 |
6/18
Easy 10 |
6/19
Easy 8 |
Here's how I altered it:
| Monday | Tuesday | Wed | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| 6/6 5x1km (400 recovery) 1.5 mile w/u & c/d |
6/7 Easy 3 |
6/8 6 @ Tempo w/ 1.5 mile w/u & c/d |
6/9 REST (Get up at 2am for 6:10 flight out o Baltimore. Arrive in Boulder @ 8am) |
6/10 Easy 6 |
6/11 Easy 6 |
6/12 Easy 6 |
| 6/13 Easy 6 |
6/14 Easy 6 (when I get back in PA!) (Get up at 3am to catch 5:25am flight home to PA.) |
6/15 4x1200 (400 recovery) 1.5 mile w/u & c/d |
6/16
REST |
6/17
7 @ Tempo (1.5 mile w/u & c/d) |
6/18
Easy 6 |
6/19
Long- 12 |
The week of 6/6 I am supposed to have
47 miles but will only have 37. However, I think the duration
and effort of my runs
at elevation will make up for the missed miles. Not to mention we're
going to be hiking our asses off! I know for a fact we will hike more
than 10 miles over the course of our vacation. Hopefully that will count for something!
The
week of 6/13 I am also supposed to run 47 miles. I still make it to 47 miles
but I altered some of the distances to make up for the 12 mile long
run I was supposed to have the week before.
I
don't know if this is a clusterfuck or if it will work out for me. We
will see, I suppose!!
And
honestly, if the elevation is kicking me in the ass and I can't run 6
miles within an hour, I will probably just stop
at the one hour mark... even if I only have 5 miles at that point. I'm
not a super hero. I can't do everything!
Are you a superhero who can run at elevation?
Do you see any glaring problems with how I switched things???
What's the highest elevation you ever experienced? Paul and I drove to the top of Mt. Evans two years ago! It was freezing in June! I was dumb and wore shorts and flip flops. We hung out up top with the billy goats for a little bit. I even got a shot of one peeing!
Me post run in Boulder, 2014!
Do you see any glaring problems with how I switched things???
What's the highest elevation you ever experienced? Paul and I drove to the top of Mt. Evans two years ago! It was freezing in June! I was dumb and wore shorts and flip flops. We hung out up top with the billy goats for a little bit. I even got a shot of one peeing!
It looks like you are probably getting to BWI right about now! I don't think I have ever run at elevation, but I am sure its really hard. I think it makes sense to modify and just run off effort. Enjoy your vacation!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa! We got to BWI at 3:37. We were a little worried about TSA lines and crap! Of course we were wayyyy early.
DeleteI do not know a whole lot at all about elevation. I'm pretty sure I am always super close to sea level. Depending on travel I do find it tricky at times to incorporate my running, especially if I'm surrounded by non runners!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your trip!
Thank ya! Yeah if it's important then I have to make sure I get up early and do it. If it's not important, then I just do whatever the hell I want- skip- who cares??? IT'S VAYCAY!
DeleteI wonder if elevation bothers runners who live there year round or is it just normal to them. When they come down to speed level are they super speedy?
ReplyDeleteMy sister had a friend that trained with an elevation mask. I'm not really sure why he did it since he wasn't planning on traveling anywhere. Perhaps just for endurance? Have fun on your trip. Can't wait to see all your pics when you return!
I saw someone using one of those on the treadmill at Planet Fitness! All the elites train at altitude. I am not sure of the science behind why it can help.
DeleteSafe travels, my friend. See you tomorrow in beautiful Boulder. I live here so my training year round is 5,000 ft. I am so used to it because we moved to Colorado when I was 5. The highest elevation I have run at was about 10,000 feet--and yes, you feel it. But not as bad as a visitor that doesn't have the blood chemistry (more red blood cells) to handle it. When I ran in Winter Park last year, I was certainly feeling it exertion wise but was very surprised to see my miles only slowed down by about 15 seconds (I thought for sure it would be a good minute or so). My problem is running in humidity. When we go to Mexico, even though I get up at dawn, I am dying in the humidity. The air feels so thick and heavy on my chest and I am just sweating buckets. I feel like the humidity negates the effects of sea level making my running easier! There have been a few times I have run at sea level in areas that were cooler and wow--feels like you can run forever!
ReplyDeleteThat's what I was wondering... what you feel like at sea level with no humidity!!! You are training like the elites, Sue! We hiked at Chatauqua today and it was huffin. Some people were running. Not me. Hell no!
DeleteWithout humidity (and heat) my runs feel amazing and I can drink more! The body can tolerate more alcohol at sea level! I kind of like that...
DeleteWhooo! Have fun!!! You definitely hit the nail on the head when you said the elevation and intensity will make up for the missed miles. When I first reached out to a Hansons coach with concerns about mileage since I run so slowly she told me that if I wanted I could modify the plan to run for time instead of distance. She told me to use 10 minute miles as a measurement and so if the plan calls for 6 easy miles I could run for 60 minutes.
ReplyDeleteYou've prob been reading through the Hansons FB thread a bit too and I've noticed Luke said when you're not acclimated to the weather in an area to go off effort instead of pace. I'm sure his advice would be the same for elevation!
Plus life experiences with Paul are more important than any marathon will ever be! A few days that are slightly off from the plan will be okay - you're going to be training for MONTHS in the long run! And it's still early in the plan! Go have fun!
Yes that is what I was thinking! Plus the time on my feet hiking... and yeah LIFE EXPERIENCES!!! :)
DeleteI run all of my runs at about sea level so this sounds like a nightmare to me. You'll get a great workout though! Have fun in CO!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sam!
DeleteI think you'll be fine. Plus training plans kind of have a built in safety net for situations like this! Have fun! And relax!
ReplyDeleteThanks Wendy!! :) We are relaxing now before going out on the town. We got up at 1am this morning to start our travels. Thank goodness I made this a rest day.
DeleteI have a creepy goat picture in my photo files too. We are so weird. The alterations to your running schedule look good to me. I have no idea how I am at elevation. I don't think I've ever gone up high enough to notice (not physically, anyway ha ha). You're going to come back home and KILL your workouts though.
ReplyDeleteI am going to remember your last sentence when I am huffing and puffing on my six miler tomorrow!!! That this will make week 6 easier!
DeleteLMAO that self-made meme is awesome.
ReplyDeleteI think effort is really an important factor. If Hansons is about EASY running, then that matters more than the specific pace. You have to make adjustments based on environmental factors!
Well we will see how tomorrow goes! I think I will try for an hour even if some of it is walking.
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