Training at high altitude
7 January 2010
This has got to be the first holiday season in which I ever did any training. OK, well, at least for the first week of the holiday! Visiting family in Kenya, we took the opportunity of doing some running at high altitude. I managed 4 runs in total, though they were all really short in duration. But I also got in two quality swim sessions, beating out a few laps which left me feeling breathless and exhausted. I blamed the high altitude. The first run was just over 3km (hilly), and the rest of the runs were a 5k loop around the Ogada family farm, also a little hilly. I felt more breathless than usual, like I couldn't get enough oxygen in, and needed to take at least two walk breaks even though at sea level I can usually run 8k without resting.
After that, when we returned to Nairobi, I had a whole 9 days off training, mostly because it was so rainy there. I then did 6.5km yesterday and another 5km today. My pace at sea level has definitely improved. Average pace yesterday was 6'09 per km and today I simulated time trial conditions and managed 6'02 per kilometre. That is the closest I've ever gotten to running a 30 minute 5k. I feel optimistic that I can beat that over the next few weeks.
Haven't started the triathlon training yet - still waiting for the details to be finalised, a personal trainer to be appointed, and feeling a little tense about that. I keep telling myself that this period is the base training period in which I'm preparing my body for the rigorous training that lies ahead; though I am starting to feeling anxious about getting started with the biking and swimming parts of the training.
In the meantime, the running goes ahead. Doing the first race of the year, Bay to Bay relay 15km on Sunday; and the Cape Trail Series starts on Jan 20th. Exciting!
This has got to be the first holiday season in which I ever did any training. OK, well, at least for the first week of the holiday! Visiting family in Kenya, we took the opportunity of doing some running at high altitude. I managed 4 runs in total, though they were all really short in duration. But I also got in two quality swim sessions, beating out a few laps which left me feeling breathless and exhausted. I blamed the high altitude. The first run was just over 3km (hilly), and the rest of the runs were a 5k loop around the Ogada family farm, also a little hilly. I felt more breathless than usual, like I couldn't get enough oxygen in, and needed to take at least two walk breaks even though at sea level I can usually run 8k without resting.
After that, when we returned to Nairobi, I had a whole 9 days off training, mostly because it was so rainy there. I then did 6.5km yesterday and another 5km today. My pace at sea level has definitely improved. Average pace yesterday was 6'09 per km and today I simulated time trial conditions and managed 6'02 per kilometre. That is the closest I've ever gotten to running a 30 minute 5k. I feel optimistic that I can beat that over the next few weeks.
Haven't started the triathlon training yet - still waiting for the details to be finalised, a personal trainer to be appointed, and feeling a little tense about that. I keep telling myself that this period is the base training period in which I'm preparing my body for the rigorous training that lies ahead; though I am starting to feeling anxious about getting started with the biking and swimming parts of the training.
In the meantime, the running goes ahead. Doing the first race of the year, Bay to Bay relay 15km on Sunday; and the Cape Trail Series starts on Jan 20th. Exciting!
