There's approximately 25% less oxygen in each breath you take in Mammoth Lakes. This is due to the lower partial pressure of oxygen at higher elevations, and it changes how your body responds to every run.
Train by Effort, Not Pace
Your heart, lungs and blood chemistry don't know what pace your watch says you're running. They only know how hard you're working. At altitude, the same effort that produces your normal easy pace at sea level will produce a slower pace here, and your heart rate will run higher at any given speed.
If you chase your sea-level paces in Mammoth Lakes, an easy day can quickly turn into a hard workout. Instead, run by feel or heart rate, and let your pace be whatever it is. You'll get the training benefit you're after, and you'll recover in time for your next session.
Ease Into Your First Week
For athletes who live at sea level and plan to train or compete in Mammoth Lakes, it's important to take the first few days at altitude very easy. I suggest that runners cut back their normal sea-level weekly mileage by 30 to 40% during their first week in Mammoth Lakes and also scale back the intensity of their training. Keep in mind that you need to let the altitude do its thing, meaning let the body adapt by producing more red blood cells.
Arrive Early for Races
If you're coming for a competition, show up a number of days in advance so your body can perform at its best here.
Stay Hydrated
Another tip for athletes training and competing in Mammoth Lakes: stay hydrated! An athlete's sweat rate is the same at altitude as it is at sea level, even though we don't see the streaks of sweat while training, because sweat evaporates faster in the low humidity. In addition, we lose more water just by breathing at altitude, because our respiratory rate is quicker due to the "lack" of oxygen in the air.
