In mid-August, I had the privilege and opportunity to run the final leg of the famous Leadville 100 Ultra Race with my brother-in-law, Matt. He ran 100 miles, and I met up with him around mile 62, when he was allowed to have a “pacer”. Being a pacer, let alone “Matt’s Pacer”, was an honor. Matt and his wife, Ashley, are a big part of why I started running ultra races. They were the ones who asked me to run my first ultra, The Mt. Zion 50k, and since then we have continued to run races together while my amazing husband, our race crew captain, provides much-needed support. As Matt’s pacer, by grace and with lots of training, I ran (mostly walk-with-a-hop) with him and encouraged him to keep going to the storied finish line. Upon completion, he received one of the coveted belt buckles and completed his first 100-mile race with a starting altitude of over 10,200 ft and an elevation gain of over 18,000 feet. With an altitude and elevation gain like that, we had both ventured out west to Colorado early to acclimate before the race.
Matt ventured out to Colorado a few weeks early and I joined him in Copper Mountain, Colorado, a few days before the race. Copper Mountain, affectionately known as the Athlete’s Mountain, proudly sits at 9,700 feet above sea level with beautiful mountain trails and paths, including the rocky Colorado Trail and the paved Summit Trail, threaded throughout. With only a few days to acclimate to the thinner air at the high elevation, I was excited to get outside and get moving as quickly as possible. On my first full day, I got up early, thankful for the time difference, which made my early rise easier, and started jogging Summit Trail. The evening prior, upon arrival, Matt and I caught up a little on life. He talked about his runs on the local trails and mentioned he had not seen much wildlife. As we were getting ready to call it a night, he asked if I wanted to check my pulse oximetry (pulse ox).
“For sure”, I said, and with that, he handed me a pulse ox gadget. I quickly put the pulse ox reader on my finger and after a few moments, the number 96 appeared. This was good, but I knew it would drop over the next couple of days before it would rise again. From my college days of studying exercise science; I also knew a pulse ox reading was a good way to understand how well our lungs are working by measuring the oxygen saturation level in our bloodstream. As we go up to higher altitudes there is less oxygen in the air, making it more difficult for our lungs to absorb sufficient oxygen into the bloodstream, especially while engaging in higher-intensity activity such as running. 1A normal pulse ox reading at sea level should be between 95 to 100, with 100 being the best. As we ascend to higher altitudes, our pulse ox will normally drop to the low 90s until we acclimate.
Although I started with a good pulse ox the evening before, when I awoke the next day to run, my pulse ox had dropped to 90 before running one step. As the sun started to rise over the mountain, I knew to take it easy as I started to run slowly up Summit Trail. This was a good way to begin acclimating to the higher altitude as the trail wasn’t a long distance, and the elevation gain was gradual. Good idea, but the entire run felt like I was being chased by a bear while breathing through a straw. Despite not being chased by a bear, I did see a bear on one of my runs. More about this later. In theory, reducing my training load and ascending slowly were good ways to help me acclimate but I knew more adjustments would be required, especially for the higher climb the race would bring. After running the first day, the effects of the higher altitude began to lessen as I discovered more ways to feel better acclimated and improve my pulse ox. If we want to go up the mountain or help someone else run up theirs, there are additional steps we can take to help prepare for the thin air.
Besides ascending slowly, we can encourage our bodies to adjust better for the high places by letting the nourishment flow, lightening our load, and recovering low. The most vital nourishment we need to let flow is H2O. A simple step to improve acclimation is to drink lots of water. 2Our bodies are comprised of over half water therefore, staying hydrated is important whenever we physically exert ourselves, but even more so before we climb higher altitudes. When we climb higher, the air is dryer which will cause us to start breathing faster and shallower. Our increased respiration rate will cause us to become dehydrated quickly if we are not replenished with water frequently. Our hydration level will not only impact our ability to acclimate but also our likelihood of finishing the race. Rehydrating is important as is refueling with “good” food.
In general, as we climb higher our body is working harder which will require us to fuel up often and well. 3The true number of calories each of us burns when climbing uphill will vary due to many factors but a loose assumption is if we are climbing at a 10% grade, we will burn double the calories we would compare to flat ground. Not only is it important to consume a little more energy it is even more essential to consume nutrient-rich foods. Foods rich in potassium are recommended. As a vegan, I love that some of the recommended potassium-rich foods include one of my favorites, broccoli, as well as bananas, avocados, cantaloupe, celery, greens, granola, dates, and dried fruit. If none of these meet your liking, there are other foods to choose from, but be sure to choose low-sodium and nutrient-rich foods to help fuel and not dehydrate your body. On top of drinking more water and consuming good food, we need to lighten our load as much as possible.
Lightening our load can be difficult because we may need to carry more water and food for the journey ahead but carrying more than we need will add stress. 4For every pound we run with, we will exert approximately four pounds of force on our knees upon strike down. If someone weighs 200 lbs. with gear, their knees are enduring about 800 lbs. of force with each stride. At the end of our race, extra weight will impact how well we finish. Not only does it make your body work harder, but it may become unnecessary baggage as well. Maybe this is part of the reason why when Jesus was teaching his disciples how to pray, he encouraged them to only ask for “daily bread”? Maybe, He was reminding them and us to only carry what we need.
Sometimes what we need to make the climb is more than what we can carry and that’s when we need help, or we may give up before we get to the finish. Some ultra-races allow the “pacer” to “mule” for the runner. This means the pacer can carry the runner’s water and food for them, normally towards the end of the race. For the final 20-plus miles of the Leadville Race, I was the “mule” one of Matt’s water flasks. Trekking together is always best. A fellow trail trekker can share the load while doubling down on encouragement to the finish. Finding a friend who will “mule” may mean the difference between finishing or not. With that said, much of our essential rehydration and refueling happens before we start the race. In general, it is good to go heavy on water consumption the entire week before going to the higher altitude. When we know we are about to make a tough climb we can help ourselves prepare by increasing our consumption of life-giving resources.
Another way I discovered we adjust better to the higher altitude is to train at the higher altitude and rest at the lower altitude. Simply said, it is best to train high and rest low. Allowing our bodies to rest and repair in a lower-stress, oxygen-rich environment makes good sense, but many of us find resting difficult no matter where it is. Once we start training, we want to keep pushing and dredging up the mountain despite our depleting strength. When we don’t rest enough, we rob our mind, body, and spirit of realizing the full effect and potential of our training. Sometimes waiting in low places can feel like we are stuck in place, but as we recover we restore and rebuild with more strength for the next climb.
Before we climb up the mountain to reach our peak, we will face many challenges along the way but if we start slow, let good nourishment flow, lighten our load, and rest low, up in the thin air and high places we'll go!
Soon after recording this video, I had a bear scare! The biggest bear most of us will face going up to the higher places will be the ferocious scare bear which isn’t a real bear but our imagined fear of the unknowns along the trail ahead. Don't stop! Continue up and be strong and courageous! Although most of us won't run across a real bear, on the third day in Colorado, I was on a training run up Summit Trail, I was feeling good to go. My mind wandered as I was thinking about how my pulse ox had registered my best yet at 97 before my run. Then I started to think about what I would do if I ran across a bear. Would you believe it? When I arrived at the top of Summit, I turned around to head back down the trail and I saw a big-round-hairy-back side about 50 yards away. I froze! Adrenaline started to saturate my body as my mind tried to comprehend being on a trail with a real uncaged bear. Even though my pulse ox had started well, I am sure it plummeted as my breathing and heart rate rose higher than Mt. Everest. Wow! What a scary experience, but the bear went on his way while I went on mine (really fast). Most of us won’t encounter real bears on our climb to the higher places but below are a few trail B.E.A.R.S to be aware of.
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