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    High Altitude Training -- From Sea Level

    I am training for a 120 mile ride in the Pintler Mountains this August. It's  going to be a challenge, I live right at sea level. I am excited but anxious. The CHaFE was a pretty grueling ride, some of those hills we long assed climbs, not to difficult to complete but I actually got off my bike and walked a quarter mile during that ride, I've never done that before.

    So I am diligently trying to train for the Missoula Symphony ride, I need to be prepared for this high altitude riding. I know it won't be easy since I live at sea level and have for 25 years.  I know I have to eat right, seriously, no bad snacking as is my bad, bad habit. I am pretty good at forcing myself to comply, but it isn't easy. No chocolate anything, well not really, I have chocolate goo. indecision. It's not that good. The chocolate thing was a really nice try on their part, but... well... I've tried huckleberry too. It helps keep needed energy up during the ride.  So I am going with the old standby, lean meats, small portions, lots of fresh veggies steamed or raw, fruits, nuts, beans, and grains and not much bread. I can't ever really quit bread, no I just can't. If that has to be a goal, I fail over and over again.  I do try to limit my bread intake, I know I should for now. 

    So I have had to stop myself from baking anything. I love to bake, and bakers at least test their creations, so while I am training, I've banned myself from baking, it's better that way, I don't have to justify cheating.

    I've stepped up the training miles. I wasn't prepared well enough for the Chafe, I needed to step up the practice miles, but I stayed doing around 50 on average, but never stepping it up to some 75's or 100's and then to a big more. I should have done that, since I can whip out a 50 from my doorstep.  So I can do that, but I have the added training for this high altitude thing! Some of the ride is over 6000 feet, and that is the part that is going to be the biggest challenge of all, enduring the entire ride. I can't adequately train for the ride, I suppose I could ride the road to Paradise on Rainier, but there are far too many people driving up to the glacier nowadays and not much room on the road to be safe with cyclists.

    So I've concluded there is no real way for me to train for a high altitude ride without riding some high altitude rides! And I have not been able to do that, we will be in Montana the week before the ride, so we will definitely ride once  or twice before we take the trek to Pburg to ride the Pintlers.  It should be beautiful. My Montana peeps are showing up to cheer us on!

    I will be photographing the ride and will be writing about the ride.

    Here are a couple of pictures I found around the web. Montana is just a beautiful place. The first photo was found at whiskey-flats.com, they sell real estate.

    The picture from the Pintlers wiki-page.

    Crossposted at: Cycling-America

    Comments

    Fun! I'm enjoying my swimming, but I do miss the long weekend rides.


    I think I should be adding swimming into my training Donal. I wanted to do the no carb diet like you wrote about, I just don't think I have the actual will power to do it! I want to be the Federer of old cycling peoples!

    Today though is a big weight lifting day and cardio kickboxing, tomorrow another long ride, Thursday weights and kickboxing and Friday off with a bigger ride on Saturday. I want to be ready for this thing, I know it is going to be a bitch.

    And I have to remember at all times.... no chocolate. sigh.


    No carbs, or no glutens?


    Glutens.. see I am so adversed to it I can't even remember exactly what it was supposed to be! So yes, Glutens!


    Teri, you're talking about miles, right?  Miles?  50 miles?  100 miles?  Because if you're talking about feet, I could do that.  Yards, even.  But miles?  Two a day walking is my limit.  Uphill, though.  It's all uphill.  Until I come back.  Then it's all downhill.

    Seriously,  I'm impressed.


    Thanks Mona! You should have said your walk is up hill both ways! Hah, my dad used to tell us that, he would walk to school in the middle of winter with snow up to his neck up hill both ways. Hahaha, that still makes me laugh.  We are literally cycle insane here, not just nuts, insane. We will be doing that CHaFE 150 again next year too and I plan on being faster errr or feeling faster or something like that!

     


    "I know it won't be easy since I live at sea level and have for 25 years. "

    IMO, saying you  live at sea level when you live in Seattle is a bit of a stretch, tmac (my brother is a climber who lives in Tacoma).

    Just take the ferry over to the peninsula, park the car at Port Angeles, and a couple of hours later you're at 5,000 feet up in the Olympics.  Easy peasy.

    Seriously, good luck with the training.  Ugh.  Although those views look like they might almost make it worth the effort. 


    Hah, that is funny, I actually have ridden from my house to Port Angeles up to Hurricane Ridge. I don't actually live in the city of Seattle, we live out on a peninsula across from the city.  It is quite a ride! It is about 100 miles give or take from my doorstep to the top of Hurricane Ridge. That is actually a great idea brew and is the perfect solution to test our mad bicycle skilz.


    *smile*  It is hurricane season here.  All I need to do is sit on my doorstep and wait for one.  *grin*cool

    I hope you have fun and enjoy the beauty.  


    We had Typhoon season in the PI, and so I remember what that is like. Those winds are crazy and Florida really gets hit doesn't it!

    If you go to Hurricane Ridge here and stand right on the Ridge the wind blows so hard it almost lifts you off your feet. It is quite cool, and easy to get away from too. I'll be taking lots of pictures on our ride and will definitely be posting them for everyone to see.


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