Altitude vs Temperture and quick 10k race report

[Roger 2k]

Thanks to replies to my post about "Wanted race info for the Denver/Boulder area" I ran a 10k race
out there last Sunday and even saw Colleen De Reuck take first place female.

First, I remember the replies to my last 10k report so I decided I'd try for
7:30 miles instead of 7:15 miles this time.

Second, I wasn't really that worried about the altitude. I'd heard there were two ways to run a race
at a higher altitude, one was to just go out there and run it and the other was to take a couple of
weeks to acclimatize for it and I didn't have that long.

Once again, it seemed to be a water stop that did me in, but not quite the same way. When I stopped
for water, I walked to drink it and three people that I passed in the 4th or 5th miles passed me
back. When I started running, I passed one person back and then walked when the water tried to make
a second appearance.

I managed to start running again and ran with one of the people that I was right behind from the 1
mile marker to the 3 mile marker. We passed one more person and toward the end I tried to push a
bit, but I didn't want to wear myself out too far, so I didn't sprint to the finish.

The weirdest part about this 10k was my max HR only reached 194 compared to the 201 on a 10k one
week earlier. My average HR was also down from 189 to
8. As a matter of fact, that was part of the reason I tried to keep pushing, because my HR
stayed so low.

Splits for this race were: 7:30, 7:27, 7:49, 8:27, 7:38, 8:24 for a total time of 47:16

I find it hard to believe mile 4, or the turnaround mile was the correct length, for two reasons.
Being an out and back, it seemed like the 5 and the 1, 4 and the 2 were a lot closer together than
.2 miles. Plus, other people were surprised to see one mile take so much longer than the other ones
when it didn't seem any different. A few of the miles had a head wind and most all of them were on a
gravel road. I would have liked to take my bicycle to measure them, but I didn't want it taking too
much room in my van for the trip out there.

My conclusion is, it takes more out of me to run in warm weather than it does to run just 1 mile
higher. I'd say the biggest problem was, I could not push off with my ankle on the gravel road
because every time I tried, it would just slip because of the gravel.

The race shirt was the first shirt ever that didn't have a tag in the back of the neck. I really
like it. Apparently, Brooks do that with all their shirts now.

Thanks for reading and happy running, Roger

[Layne Wallace]

On Thu, 18 Sep 2003 18:25:41 GMT, Roger 2k wrote:

[snip]

>Once again, it seemed to be a water stop that did me in, but not quite the same way. When I stopped
>for water, I walked to drink it and three people that I passed in the 4th or 5th miles passed me
>back. When I started running, I passed one person back and then walked when the water tried to make
>a second appearance.
>
Weird. Do you think it was the warm weather or the altitude (or both) that caused the problem?
You've done so many where water wasn't an issue that this one seems a little out of place. Hmm, you
had also traveled quite a ways to get there, too.

>The weirdest part about this 10k was my max HR only reached 194 compared to the 201 on a 10k one
>week earlier. My average HR was also down from 189 to
>185. As a matter of fact, that was part of the reason I tried to keep pushing, because my HR
> stayed so low.
>
Being a beginner, I could be way off base here but it sounds like you were pooped. Travel, altitude,
warm weather, etc. may have ganged up on you.

>Splits for this race were: 7:30, 7:27, 7:49, 8:27, 7:38, 8:24 for a total time of 47:16
>
:-) Still a very nice time - problems or no.

>My conclusion is, it takes more out of me to run in warm weather than it does to run just 1 mile
>higher. I'd say the biggest problem was, I could not push off with my ankle on the gravel road
>because every time I tried, it would just slip because of the gravel.
>
Yep heat, humidity, and direct sun (not to mention the slippery surface) are all energy sponges.

Pretty nice, Roger.

Layne

-------------------------------------------------------
The rec.running report archives may be found at http://kinder.cis.unf.edu/rec.running

[H. R. Bob Hofma]

"Roger 2k" <nospamplease@att.net> wrote in message
news:<FMmab.143937$0v4.10635299@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>...
> Thanks to replies to my post about "Wanted race info for the Denver/Boulder area" I ran a 10k race
> out there last Sunday and even saw Colleen De Reuck take first place female.
>
> First, I remember the replies to my last 10k report so I decided I'd try for
> 7:30 miles instead of 7:15 miles this time.
>
> Second, I wasn't really that worried about the altitude. I'd heard there were two ways to run a
> race at a higher altitude, one was to just go out there and run it and the other was to take a
> couple of weeks to acclimatize for it and I didn't have that long.
>
> Once again, it seemed to be a water stop that did me in, but not quite the same way. When I
> stopped for water, I walked to drink it and three people that I passed in the 4th or 5th miles
> passed me back. When I started running, I passed one person back and then walked when the water
> tried to make a second appearance.
>
> I managed to start running again and ran with one of the people that I was right behind from the 1
> mile marker to the 3 mile marker. We passed one more person and toward the end I tried to push a
> bit, but I didn't want to wear myself out too far, so I didn't sprint to the finish.
>
> The weirdest part about this 10k was my max HR only reached 194 compared to the 201 on a 10k one
> week earlier. My average HR was also down from 189 to
> 185. As a matter of fact, that was part of the reason I tried to keep pushing, because my HR
> stayed so low.
>
> Splits for this race were: 7:30, 7:27, 7:49, 8:27, 7:38, 8:24 for a total time of 47:16
>
> I find it hard to believe mile 4, or the turnaround mile was the correct length, for two reasons.
> Being an out and back, it seemed like the 5 and the 1, 4 and the 2 were a lot closer together than
> .2 miles. Plus, other people were surprised to see one mile take so much longer than the other
> ones when it didn't seem any different. A few of the miles had a head wind and most all of them
> were on a gravel road. I would have liked to take my bicycle to measure them, but I didn't want it
> taking too much room in my van for the trip out there.
>
> My conclusion is, it takes more out of me to run in warm weather than it does to run just 1 mile
> higher. I'd say the biggest problem was, I could not push off with my ankle on the gravel road
> because every time I tried, it would just slip because of the gravel.
>
> The race shirt was the first shirt ever that didn't have a tag in the back of the neck. I really
> like it. Apparently, Brooks do that with all their shirts now.
>
> Thanks for reading and happy running, Roger

I think that if the water affected you in the negative way that you wrote about, I would skip the
water. For a 10K race, you should be finished in well under an hour, as you noted, and your body
will not be ill-affected if you don't drink for one hour. My problem is that I seem to bounce the
water in my stomach and generate huge belches that are scary, and so I always avoid water unless it
is at least a 90 minute run. I have been running for 20+ years without any ill effects, and take
medals in my age division, so I guess it doesn't, for me at least, do any harm.

H. R. (Bob) Hofmann

[Mo]

On 18 Sep 2003 20:30:52 -0700, hrhofmann@att.net (H. R. Bob Hofmann) wrote:

>I think that if the water affected you in the negative way that you wrote about, I would skip
>the water.

It took a newsgroup and five runners to figure this out???? Well all I can say is
"Duhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

[Roger 2k]

Layne Wallace wrote in message ...
>Weird. Do you think it was the warm weather or the altitude (or both) that caused the problem?
>You've done so many where water wasn't an issue that
this
>one seems a little out of place. Hmm, you had also traveled quite a ways to get there, too.

It was strange that the weekend I was out of town it rained and rained here. It was super weather
where I was and I could see Mars real well from there.

As for the water almost coming back up, I think it might have had something to do with what I ate
and drank the night before.

As for my traveling. Just counting my trip back then to a place in Wisconsin, it was close to 17
hours driving in 25 hours. The trouble with doing things like that, is it catches up to me a few
days later.

After next week, I don't know where I'll be, so I haven't planned any races or anything after that.

Thanks, Roger

[Sam]

A common effect of altitude is a reduction in maximal heart rate. That was predictable.

"Roger 2k" <nospamplease@att.net> wrote in message
news:FMmab.143937$0v4.10635299@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> Thanks to replies to my post about "Wanted race info for the
Denver/Boulder
> area" I ran a 10k race out there last Sunday and even saw Colleen De Reuck take first
> place female.
>
> First, I remember the replies to my last 10k report so I decided I'd try
for
> 7:30 miles instead of 7:15 miles this time.
>
> Second, I wasn't really that worried about the altitude. I'd heard there were two ways to run a
> race at a higher altitude, one was to just go out there and run it and the other was to take a
> couple of weeks to
acclimatize
> for it and I didn't have that long.
>
> Once again, it seemed to be a water stop that did me in, but not quite the same way. When I
> stopped for water, I walked to drink it and three people that I passed in the 4th or 5th miles
> passed me back. When I started running, I passed one person back and then walked when the water
> tried to make a second appearance.
>
> I managed to start running again and ran with one of the people that I was right behind from the 1
> mile marker to the 3 mile marker. We passed one more person and toward the end I tried to push a
> bit, but I didn't want to wear myself out too far, so I didn't sprint to the finish.
>
> The weirdest part about this 10k was my max HR only reached 194 compared
to
> the 201 on a 10k one week earlier. My average HR was also down from 189
to
> 185. As a matter of fact, that was part of the reason I tried to keep pushing, because my HR
> stayed so low.
>
> Splits for this race were: 7:30, 7:27, 7:49, 8:27, 7:38, 8:24 for a total time of 47:16
>
> I find it hard to believe mile 4, or the turnaround mile was the correct length, for two reasons.
> Being an out and back, it seemed like the 5 and the 1, 4 and the 2 were a lot closer together than
> .2 miles. Plus, other people were surprised to see one mile take so much longer than the other
> ones when it didn't seem any different. A few of the miles had a head
wind
> and most all of them were on a gravel road. I would have liked to take my bicycle to measure them,
> but I didn't want it taking too much room in my
van
> for the trip out there.
>
> My conclusion is, it takes more out of me to run in warm weather than it does to run just 1 mile
> higher. I'd say the biggest problem was, I could not push off with my ankle on the gravel road
> because every time I tried,
it
> would just slip because of the gravel.
>
> The race shirt was the first shirt ever that didn't have a tag in the back of the neck. I really
> like it. Apparently, Brooks do that with all their shirts now.
>
> Thanks for reading and happy running, Roger