Running at altitude

Daz

Anyone know from what kind of altitude you can run at to develop oxgen uptake in blood?

Reason I ask is because I have opportunity of running along malvern or clee hill at weekend for around 1:30 hours....both up to around 500m (1500ft)

cougie

Err, I was chatting to a Mountain Runner who was telling me you need to be at altitude for about 3 weeks to gain any benefit. And I doubt Malvern is quite high enough.

But have a good time anyway. I love running uphills and then fall on my bum on the way down.

[Deleted User]

Daz ... I think FireMoneky will be able to answer this one better than me, but a height like 500m will make b***er all difference - sorry!

But hey! hills are fun and good for you! And you might bump into that violinist with the funny accent - he runs on the Malvern Hills (allegedly).

[Deleted User]

AS I know you are a fledgling climber, it is my duty to inform you that there is some rock climbing to be had on the Malvern Hills too. It's not very good though.

Where's Clee Hill?

Daz

im even smaller than a fledgling lizzyb, but thanks for the info....maybe one day! just belaying in squash courts at the moment and learning the ropes (pun intended).

clee hill is a few miles from ludlow (in the direction of bewdley/kidderminster.

[Deleted User]

You'll get no benefit at all from being at 500m, besides I thought Malvern was much nearer 400m.

I live at 320m and often run upto around 600m in the Peak District. I get a fantastic workout climbing those hills but the effect of training at altitude can be disregarded.

To seriously train at altitude, you'll need to be around 3000m or 10,000ft i.e. much higher than anywhere in this country. Try the Alps or East Africa.

[Deleted User]

You will only "benefit" from running at altitude above approx 2000m, you have to acclimatise then spend about 2-3 weeks training, the "benefit" will be most apparent 5-10 days after you return to sea level then it degrades at about 25%/week.
Anyway enjoys the Malverns while I pine for the hill here in slighty undulating Suffolk.

cougie

Is it Albequerque (?) where Paula goes ?

How high is that - anyone know ?

Daz

no i think thats where bugs bunny goes coug
:O)

cougie

OOps. I'm in a sunbeam, and it must have addled me. Sorry !

[Deleted User]

10 000ft is a bit high. To get max benefit around about 5000-7000ft is best as it isn't too high so that quality work is still possible. Places like Albereqerque (sp?) and Boulder are popular. I believe Paula has a base in the Pyrenees she uses for training. At 10000ft you will be above the snowline in many places! Sorry Daz Malverns no good! You could jog on the top of Ben Nevis and it still wouldn't have any effect! You need to go abroad for altitude training.

[Deleted User]

Picos de Europa is good for 'cheap and uncrowded' altitude training - around 3,000 metres+ and only a couple of hours from Bilbao.

Too many vultures though .... if you run slowly they start of circle ....

Daz

Nevermind. It's just I used to run along the tops of these 500m hills when I was younger and found it more difficult to breathe (no I wasn't running up them at the time). I guess I've always thought deep down there was something in this.

[Deleted User]

my brother lives in salt lake city and i have spent several months at a time out there. it is about 3000ft there, and everyone would say you need to be even higher than that to have any impact. I did find it made a difference though even after only being there a month or so. When i then got to san francisco and ran at sea level i felt great!!

Chaos

i got the impression that the ideal thing was to sleep at altitude but train at sea level (or maybe it was the other round).

Anyone else read about this?

[Deleted User]

I read somewhere that both Paula Radcliffe and David Beckham sleep in a tent (not the same tent) that has a reduced oxygen content in order to simulate being at altitude.

[Deleted User]

Apparently, you start benefiting from altitude at around (3000 ft/1000m); most elite runners train at 6000/7000 ft, 2000/2500 m (Font Romeu, St Moritz, Albuquerque; Boulder; Flagstaff) though I thin Adis Abeba may even be higher ('would have to check an atlas). Ideal would be to sleep at altitude, and train at sea level, apparently, hence the popularity of the tents...

[Deleted User]

Earlier this year I was in South America. I managed two runs of 20minutes each at altitudes of 3500m (11,483ft)and 3800m (12,468ft). Running at this height is impossible! I was putting in 200% effort, totally out of breath and managing about 8 or 9 minute miling.

[Deleted User]

That sounds like me at sea level.

[Deleted User]

The high altitude resort at Davos [Switzerland] is 1500m, Potchefstroom [South Africa] is about the same. I've also trained in Andorra which is ok but very hilly.
Agree with Nick J "sleep at altitude, and train at sea level"

I have been told by a top marathon runner friend that even 800m above sea level is harder to race at than sea level. My marathon pb is at 800m on a hilly course but I don't think you get enough effect to go & train at that height.

I can see the sea from my bedroom window so I'm not getting any here!

[Deleted User]

Agree with what has been said,
The Malverns will be nowhere near high enough.
Some athletes such as PAula train in Pyrennees for several weeks at a time. The physiological effects of altitude training take 2-3 weeks really to kick in. This involves change in heart rate/oxygen consumption/lung capacity/etc etc,,,
Some athletes do what is called "high/low" approach- i,e, they train at high altitude to get these benefits and then race at the lower level to improve performance.
Enjoy the MAlverns for hill training but alas not for altitude.