In my e-mail this morning....

Quoted post said:

"Congratulations! You have successfully been selected for the 2005 Tour
of the California Alps - Death Ride."

Last year I had an in to the ride through a sponsor but I trashed my
back in late May and was off the bike until August so I couldn't go.
This year, no in with a sponsor but managed to get picked for it.

I had a question: I will be going out three or four days early - what
regimen would you recommend to maximize my acclimation to the altitude?

I have found in the past when out skiing in the west that it takes
about three days to really get used to it.

Any physiologists or experienced riders have a favorite strategy?
Oxygen deprivation tents, etc... probably aren't gonna happen.

I will have ridden about 2000+ miles at that point - and have done
back-to-back centuries and ridden rides like the Wright Stuff Century
(for those who know it) easily in ~six hours.

Take a look at this site. Look at '6th Annual Near Death Experience'
or '2nd Annual Into Thin Air' toward the bottom of the page.

http://www.arniebakercycling.com/camps_talks.htm

I was trying to talk a few friends into doing this event. They won't
return my calls now.

Neil Brooks said:

Take a look at this site. Look at '6th Annual Near Death Experience'
or '2nd Annual Into Thin Air' toward the bottom of the page.

http://www.arniebakercycling.com/camps_talks.htm

I was trying to talk a few friends into doing this event. They won't
return my calls now.

Kinda scary when they don't give any PRICES.

(And, I don't own a trainer so first one is out...at least for now.)

Kirkwood *IS* gorgeous, though... B

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Congratulations! You have successfully been selected for the

2005 Tour

Quoted message said:

of the California Alps - Death Ride."

Last year I had an in to the ride through a sponsor but I

trashed my

Quoted message said:

back in late May and was off the bike until August so I

couldn't go.

Quoted message said:

This year, no in with a sponsor but managed to get picked for

it.

Quoted message said:

I had a question: I will be going out three or four days

early - what

Quoted message said:

regimen would you recommend to maximize my acclimation to the

altitude?

Quoted message said:

I have found in the past when out skiing in the west that it

takes

Quoted message said:

about three days to really get used to it.

Any physiologists or experienced riders have a favorite

strategy?

Quoted message said:

Oxygen deprivation tents, etc... probably aren't gonna happen.

I will have ridden about 2000+ miles at that point - and have

done

Quoted message said:

back-to-back centuries and ridden rides like the Wright Stuff

Century

Quoted message said:

(for those who know it) easily in ~six hours.

I've done the Death Ride a couple times -- the last time was the
six pass Death Ride the Thirteenth about a million years ago (it
seems). The first time, I got there a couple of days in advance
and did some easy riding, which seemed to be enough to get me
acclimated. Coming from Portland, Oregon, the real problem was
coping with the heat and fluid loss. The ride is very well
supported, so you do not have to worry about having an empty
water bottle -- you just have to remind yourself to drink. The
second time I rode it was at the end of a week long series of
rides through the Sierra, mainly around Yosemite (Tioga Pass,
etc.). That was the year of the six pass extravaganza with about
20K of climbing which would have been hard no matter how long I
had lived in the hills. Again, I had more problems with the heat
than the altitude. The hard part was forcing myself to ride the
first two passes (Monitor/Monitor) conservatively rather than
racing everyone to the top and blowing up. You really have to be
strategic if you want to avoid creeping home the last thirty
miles. -- Jay Beattie.

Quoted message said:

...
I will have ridden about 2000+ miles at that point - and have done
back-to-back centuries and ridden rides like the Wright Stuff Century
(for those who know it) easily in ~six hours.

Someone with a GPS told me there was about 10,000 feet of climbing on
the Wright Stuff (century route). The hill just past APT (shortly after
leaving Tower Hill SP) is real fun on a hot day. However, the last five
miles or so are all downhill.

--
Tom Sherman - Earth

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I had a question: I will be going out three or four days early - what
regimen would you recommend to maximize my acclimation to the
altitude?

Acclimatization is hard to predict. I have gone to 9000 feet and thought I
would die. I have gone from 300 feet (where I live and train) to 12,000 and
felt pretty good. It varies from person to person and for an individual it
varies from time to time.

I like to climb mountains and have also done the DR 3 times ... here are
some of my very general conclusions based on a near sea level start.

1) Many people can go to 9000 feet for a day most of the time without
suffering from significant altitude sickness which means headache and
lethargy at a minimum.

2) Sleeping above 6000 feet may be a tiny bit troubled the first night or
two by elevated pulse rate and uneasiness - take a Tylenol PM or similar.

3) Everybody feels a shortness of breath at 9000 feet and pretty much always
does, even when acclimatized.

4) Symptoms like headache usually take 4 to 6 hours to manifest - flying
into La Paz, Bolivia at 13,000 feet I felt fine getting off the plane in the
AM but felt like I had a pretty good hangover by bedtime. You won't be at
elevation long enough to actually get sick.

5) Acclimatization takes about a day per 1000 feet.

An absolute minimum prep for the DR for a healthy, fit flat-lander would be
to have two full days before the ride. The first day I would ride fairly
hard and try the elevation out - do Ebbetts Pass because it is the best
ride. Sleep at Markleeville or higher. Rest the second day with maybe a
casual ride to the hot springs for a soak. Very little of the DR is above
8000 feet and almost no time is spent above 8000'. Altitude sickness is not
a very likely problem.

Quoted message said:

I will have ridden about 2000+ miles at that point - and have done
back-to-back centuries and ridden rides like the Wright Stuff Century
(for those who know it) easily in ~six hours.

2000 miles of prep in what time period? After completing 5 passes with my
friend Mark in 2003, I asked him what his training regimen had been and he
said "Oh I did about three hundred miles." "A week?" I asked. "No, total
this year." I think he spent the rest of his time working at a desk and
changing diapers.

The Death Ride mostly has to do with endurance and pacing. Go slow, eat
before you get hungry and drink before you get thirsty. If you are climbing
and can't chat with the rider next to you, you are going too fast. You have
plenty of time so don't get in a hurry, especially early in the day. I don't
think I have seen a rider actually succumb to altitude sickness and fail. We
all gasp a bit but who wouldn't after climbing non-stop for 2 hours up
Carson Pass?

High and low temperatures are a big challenge. You can have frost at the
start and I have seen 110 degrees f displayed on my bike computer. Hail
storms, lightning and heavy rain will usually stop the ride. Watch out for
Hyponatremia - read this:

http://www.ultracycling.com/nutrition/nutrition.html