Back at sea level. My, what a lot of lovely oxygen we have down here. I’ve spent the past week in the beautiful surroundings of Morzine, in the Haute-Savoie region of France. Stunning views, beautiful trails to run on, fabulous hotel and staff – but my God, the heat, the inclines and the altitude were tough.
I’m not sure at what altitude the effects start to bite – I think at 3,200ft/1,000m Morzine is not as high as most of the spots that proper athletes go for altitude training – but either I had forgotten to pack my lungs, or it was high enough to have a significant effect. My legs felt oddly heavy and my lungs flat out refused to contemplate anything by way of speed reps, so I just got the miles in and enjoyed a whole week off-road. Well, apart from the bits where I ran up to nearby Lake Montriond – the only road route available – and I can’t say that the tarmac made up for the elevation gain.
Though I knew it was extremely hot, pretty high and very hilly (or indeed mountainous), part of me did worry slightly that I was having a terrible collapse of form. But after getting home yesterday, I did a track session that left me reassured – and also understanding why it must feel that bit easier for the pros when they come down from those altitude camps. The lovely flat! That oxygen! If only that bounce would last a bit longer than about two days …
So, how has your weekend – and indeed last week – of running been? Have you ever run at altitude and felt the effects, both while on top of the world and when back home again? Come and share your exploits below the line as always.
Source: Read Full Article