Business Trip to Denver

Stevie G has just taken me under his wing on a different thread to help me achieve my goal for a sub 1:35 HM on 7th October.

However just found out today that w/c 17/09 (what I presumed would be my last big week of training before taper) I am going to have to travel to Denver for a week with work. I have been before and I never sleep very well and roads don't really have pavements like we do for running on.

Also because it is at altitude (a mile above sea level) you need to drink loads of water and be careful so don't get altitude sickness.

I don't really need any training advice as Stevie G can pick this up but does anyone have any experience of going to this kind of altitude for just one week and trying to run so I can report back to him? Or even better have been to Denver and know a good running route?

Don't think there's much anyone can do about my sleep problems but I'm also worried that when I get back to UK it will also mess with my training because I won't have slept properly for a week.

Perhaps if I get some running done I might sleep better?

Thanks for any experiences/advice anyone can share with me.

Never been to Denver.  But I've been a mile up for a week many times.  Admittedly usually in winter for skiing and snowboarding, but recently I did a summer trip for walking and running.  I probably had more issue with the elevation within most of my runs than the elevation of them.  Perhaps it is possible to get altitude sickness if you are highly sensitive, but I've never had a hint of it.  Neither have I ever been advised to 'drink loads of water', just enough for the exercise undertaken.  Water takes longer to boil, and "boils" slightly cooler, so it takes longer to stew your tea.  Cooking temperatures need to be adjusted to compensate.  So there definitely is a consequence of the reduced air pressure, but boiling your morning eggs is about the only time I've noticed it.

Don't train on paces, train on effort, and you'll get similar results.  When you get back, run a quick session to get your legs back up to pace.  But you'll barely notice a difference after one week.

Whenever I've been snowboarding, I've slept like a log.

I used to live near Denver, up in the mountains in a ski resort. I never had any problems with altitiude sickness, though I was short of breath for the first few weeks during exercise (this was nearly 2 miles up though). I did used to hear the advice to "drink lots of water" but like much "advice" I didn't take any notice and didn't have any problems.

Can't recommend any routes round Denver I'm afraid, but Boulder is not far away and it's fabulous for running.

Have you thought about contacting some of the running clubs in Denver?

I've also been to Denver by way of getting up higher for a ski trip to Steamboat.  I really don't think there's anything to fear about altitude sickness in Denver, it's just not high enough, even if the air is a little thinner.  I'd agree with Ratzer - run according to effort.  If you use HR this would be a good objective way of measuring effort; the one time I did bother training when I went skiing, I found that the altitude did have an effect on the pace I could train at, but it wasn't drastic by any means.  Probably same advice with hydration, I imagine the effect would be marginal, so just make sure you drink little and often as normal.

I think the one thing that would disturb my training more than anything is the effect of jet lag on the way home, but there's not much you can do about that.  A few days of gentle training and getting back into your normal sleeping routine should sort you out.

By the way, I can thoroughly recommend Steamboat as a resort.  Huge mountain, excellent skiing.  Bloody long drive from Denver though. 

You might want to post on the Runner's World USA forum for running routes in Denver. I'm sure someone will be able to help as it seems like an active and friendly message board.

I agree that a mile up probably isn't high enough for altitude sickness. Could well be wrong, but I think that altitude sickness usually starts at about 2,500metres, just over a mile and a half.

I remember arriving in La Paz, Bolivia, (altitude 3,600 metres) about nine years ago, being all excited and going for a walk around the city. Felt knackered about 20 minutes later and had a few days of waking up in the early hours with a feeling that my lungs were being constricted, but I digress. Most people acclimatise quite quickly anyway.

Thanks everyone - feel more positive about running on the trip now although I don't ski so I won't be heading for Steamboat!