As part of my preparations for this years London Marathon I have headed out to Flagsaff, Arizona in the USA, for a 4-week training camp. Flagstaff is a mountain town just over two hours drive from Phoenix in Northern Arizona and is located at a lung busting 7,000ft above sea level.
Altitude training camps are a popular choice for pro runners all around the world seeking stimulus from training at high elevations. Training between 5,000 and 10,000ft is in theory a legal way of doping, thanks to its ability to boost oxygen-carrying red blood cells. Studies have shown that levels of haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen, can increase by about 1% per week at altitude, which can translate into a boost in race performance when returning to sea level.
For me personally it’s not just about coming for the altitude benefits, but for the camp environment, focusing on recovery and training hard in an inspiring venue with like-minded runners. The beauty of Flagstaff is the surrounding miles of dirt roads, perfect for running 100+ mile weeks!
I’m here with training partner Ross Millington and also Scottish marathoner Callum Hawkins so we’ve been having a good time getting the work done but also finding time to recover between tough sessions. We’ve been really lucky with the weather (so far) and seem to have dodged the worst of the weather back home.
We each have different goals with Ross preparing for the remainder of the cross country season and myself and Callum getting ready for London in April but it’s been good to run together when we can and do some of our easier running together.
A typical week for me;
Monday – Two runs of approx. 6-miles each (recovery day)
Tuesday – am easy running approx. 5-miles, pm track session
Wednesday – 15-miles split into two runs plus gym session
Thursday – 12-14-miles medium long run
Friday – am tempo work, pm easy running approx. 5-miles
Saturday – 15-miles split into two runs plus gym session
Sunday – Long runs up to 20-miles
The great thing about altitude is you don’t necessarily have to come for a full 4-weeks, which is often hard for most people to get off work but even if you’ve only got a week to spare, training in the mountains can trigger physical and mental benefits that will last for several weeks after you return to sea level. For me the camp is not just about London itself, but setting me up for my next block of training for the marathon.
There are also other alternatives to consider if you’re looking into training at altitude such as altitude tents, hypoxic chambers, and even the altitude training masks, which can all replicate training at altitude. For me personally I hated sleeping in a tent and felt the lack of sleep from being in one outweighed the benefits and I haven’t tried any other methods currently to comment on their value.
However one thing I am a big believer in is training in the heat in preparation for a goal race so if you’re looking to get away for a trip I’d start by training somewhere warm before working your way up the mountain!
Thanks for reading!
Jonny
