by Jess Evans
March 9, 2018
Disclaimer: There is no scientific or medical evidence to support anything I say. I am strictly working off of experience and anecdotal information.
I grew up in Colorado and started my athletic career above 6,000 feet, but I moved to the mid-west when I was 18 to attend college. I became a low-lander quickly. Short visits to Colorado were disturbing because my lungs would be gasping for oxygen while doing short, easy runs. I could run about 2 miles and then needed to stop for a breath, and running up hill was nearly impossible. However, do not be discouraged by my tale, because I have learned that exercising at higher elevations is possible for all you low landers out there.
In 2015, I decided to join two friends on the Great Divide bike ride through the Rocky Mountains. All of us lived in Ohio (a measly 1,000 feet above sea level). The Great Divide starts in Banff, Alberta at about 4,800 feet above sea level and goes up from there. They arrived in Alberta on a Sunday, and we were scheduled to start riding on that Friday. Due to work, I could not join them in Alberta until Wednesday. I arrived, put together my bike, packed my gear, and rode around the town a bit. On Thursday we decided to get started a day early because the weather was supposed to be wet and cold Friday. We left by 2pm on Thursday, when the day was still sunny and warm. We had traveled about 60 miles that day and then stopped to pitch our tents. I was so sleepy, but I learned quickly that this is how my body behaves to higher elevations. I get so sleepy, I can barely keep my eyes open. The next day we continued our journey riding about 80 miles. My sleepiness did not disappear. A few days later we rode up Cabin Pass, which is about 5,500 feet, and on our way down the other side, I got really sleepy again. I had to stop and sleep on the side of the road for a few moments. The crazy thing is, I was getting 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night on this ride and being sleepy during the day did not seem reasonable.
Most of us who like outdoor sports and participate in them a lot, are in good physical condition. In my experience, if you are in good physical shape, altitude sickness affects you in minimal ways. You may get a headache, feel nauseous, feel dizzy or sleepy. If you are biking, running, and paddling, these symptoms are not too bad to endure. You will get over them as you begin to adjust to the altitude. For any low landers who are thinking of doing Pike’s Predicament Adventure Race, the race route stays between 7500 and 9500 feet above sea level. My advice is to 1) arrive a few days early to acclimate, 2) stay hydrated to stave off major symptoms, and 3) take it easy during the race – give your body time to adjust. Listen to your body too. It is going to be a beautiful race, so stay healthy to enjoy it.
