I just got back from Silver Lake, CA for a short but fun vacation. The Elevation was 7900 feet above sea level.

****, my heart was pounding like i just ran a mile. Walking up a short hill was something else. its not like i was sweating it , but it sure did feel weird, like i had fat breath or something.

Ive heard of pro's training up in the mountains but i always thought that it wouldnt help that much, but **** i can understand why they would do it after coming back home.

How does training in the mountains work? I heard there is less oxygen up there , so im guessing it makes ur heart pump harder.

If i trained up there for a month would my resting heart rate decrease back at sea level.

Anyone familiar with this topic? :cool:

I live in colorado the mile high state, I spent the last 8 weeks in maryland and I ran every day when I came back home I could run farther then before I left. so I'm not sure what to tell you.

I thought it would be alot harder coming back to colorado and running where the air is thinner but is wasnt

How does training in the mountains work? I heard there is less oxygen up there , so im guessing it makes ur heart pump harder.

If i trained up there for a month would my resting heart rate decrease back at sea level.
I've spent alot of time at altitude for work and play. After geting really sick one time, I decided to get smart and read a bit before climbing agin above 19,000 ft. Here's what I remeber from a book titled something like "Going Higher" .....

At high elevation there's less oxygen, so your body responds by producing more red blood cells, which are responsible for delivering oxygen (fuel) to your muscles. Once you spend sufficient time at altitude, your body will develop a higher red blood cell count. Then when you return to a significantly lower elevation, your red blood cell count remains high for a while, meaning your body can more easily deliver oxygen because there's alot more delivery boys doing the work.

So, your heart works less and you breath less because your blood system is much more efficient due to your time at altitude. Unfortunately, there's a time at elevation when you suffer, before your blood cell count increases, but once it does, it's amazing.

DANGER ... the increased red blood cell quantity can cause your blood to thicken slightly, which slows the movement through the veins/arteries. So, it becomes more important than ever to remain hydrated at elevation or the whole process can backfire. So, if you plan to dehydrate to make weight, and also train at altitude, it'll be crucial that a physician is involved.

^^^ Hey thanks for the info man. Thats exactly what i was looking for.

I guess i'll be trainnig up a Sliver Lake more often. ;)