Getting High: Incorporating Altitude Into Your Training, by Gordo Byrn
5 November 2009
A bit of background to kick off. I’m a 40 year old recreational triathlete who lives in Boulder, Colorado (5430 feet) most of the year. I have a background in high altitude mountaineering (10,000 to 20,000 foot peaks); as well as long distance triathlon (past champion Ultraman Hawaii). I host training camps around the world at altitudes ranging from sea-level to 12,000 feet.
This article is based on presentations given at the US Olympic Committee’s recent Altitude Symposium as well as my own experiences coaching endurance athletes over the last decade.
Is altitude right for you, or your athletes?
Far more important than your elevation is the quality of training that you achieve at your training camp. My #1 piece of advice would be to go to the location where the training is best.
Endurance athletes that struggle to pace themselves in a group situation, or who rely heavily on their anaerobic fitness, will have a difficult time at altitude. For this reason, I think that mature athletes will tend to do better than young athletes.
You may have heard of “non-responders” to altitude. In my experience, it is far more likely that you are dealing with a slow responder; a poor pacer; or a lack of basic endurance for the workload of the training camp.
If you place yourself in a hole at altitude then you are likely to be staying in that hole until you get home. So if you get sick then best to pack it in, head home and learn for next time.
However… don’t give up on altitude! It is often reported that athletes gain strength with each altitude exposure. Learning how to adjust to the stress altitude will make you a better athlete at all elevations.
Read more in the full article on why to go to altitude, how to use altitude, and what an altitude training camp might look like. Track your own altitude training in a TrainingPeaks account to see what effect it has on your performance!
Gordo can be found over at www.EnduranceCorner.com where he coaches endurance athletes and leads cycling-focused training camps. His triathlon training plans are also available on TrainingPeaks.
One Response to “Getting High: Incorporating Altitude Into Your Training, by Gordo Byrn”
November 8th, 2009 at 8:03 am
Thanks Gordo for the awesome article. I look forward to experimenting when I visit my friend in Aspen, Colorado.
Cheers, Donna Nettleship