A Real Altitude Problem

Working out in 2020 with the weighted vest. Check out the rebuilt swing support I had finished the day before.

I talk a lot about ultimate, about how strenuous it is, how fun it is and how many games we play in a tournament weekend. Obviously we didn’t play last year, there were no Club Series or Beach Nationals or Masters Nationals. I did my best to keep in shape, and so far feel pretty good about my fitness level as I’ve been playing pickup and league for about two months now.

Well, in 3 weeks I get to head to Masters Nationals again with GrandMaster Flash out of Florida. Normally there are Regionals to see who qualifies for Nationals, and some other tournaments we’d play in. Not this year. Nationals will be the first tournament most of us will play in since early 2020.

Tournaments are a different animal than league or pickup. Nationals does a good job of spreading out games, but we still usually play three per day over three days. That’s a lot.

Oh, and they are being held in Aurora, Colorado. 5,403 feet above sea level. That means it is harder to breathe and the disc actually flies further through the thinner air. Which means that sometimes you have to sprint a little bit longer to catch a throw.

I remember my first Nationals in Colorado, in 2012 or 2013. Games were over Sunday, but I had a Monday flight out. I went into town with a couple teammates and we ended up at an Irish pub with an Irish duo singing out on the patio. Somehow I ended up joining them for a couple songs and was startled to find myself struggling to get through the songs. It didn’t dawn on me until I was done that the altitude was making it difficult to get enough air. And this was after playing three days of ultimate and getting used to it.

So, how can you prepare for altitude when you live in Greensboro, NC (elevation 892 feet)? The key is VO2 max, which is “maximum rate of oxygen your body is able to use during exercise”. There is less oxygen available in Aurora, so it makes it harder for your body to work. You get acclimated to it over a few days, but we aren’t there long enough to really get to that point. 

I suppose you could get there a week early to acclimate, but that isn’t realistic. That leaves training methods to increase VO2 max. This involves finding ways to make it harder to breathe, like wearing a mask or weighted vest. Last year I discovered a nearby hill on one of my runs that immediately brought back memories of past Nationals when I ran it with a 20-pound vest. My plan over the next three weeks is to run at least twice a week with the vest and even do ultimate-related drills in it. 

I’m hopeful it will help. Fortunately we’re all in the same boat, except for the local Colorado teams. The first time you sprint in a game is a shock to the system, but eventually you just get used to it. Not acclimated, just used to it not being easy.