Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Acclimatization for Mammoth Half Marathon

Hello everyone!

I will be doing the upcoming Mammoth half marathon. How many days of acclimatization do I need?

I am thinking of heading up on Thursday (race is on Sunday), and either hang out at the Portal or just relax in Mammoth for a few days. Is 3 nights enough? The route goes from 9000' to 7800'. Maybe staying higher (Horseshoe Meadows) helps?

Thanks!

Kristine

Relax at Mammoth. Three days should be sufficient.

Enjoy the inaugural event.

Run to have fun....

Hi Kristine,

The High Sierra Striders is a solid running club based in Mammoth Lakes. They do not seem to have any direct involvement in the race that you a training for, but they are involved in several local races each year in Mammoth. They sould be very familiar with the concerns of runners coming up from lower elevations to race. Their president and coach, Andrew Kastor, is quite approachable and might provide you with some insights. His contact info is on the club's website www.highsierrastriders.org.

Andrew's wife is Deena Kastor, Olympic bronze medalist in the marathon. She trains and assists with the club activities in Mammoth. She could also have some insights for you.

I live at sea level and ran the Wild Wild West 10 mile trail race in the shadow of Mt Whitney this May 5. This race ranges from 4600' to 6300' elevation. I camped at Whitney Portal the two nights before the race and that seemed to work for me. I like to run up the Meysan drainage directly from the family campground.

By the way, another (and established) half marathon is coming up in Mammoth August 18, the Quake and Shake Half Marathon. I believe its entry fee is about a quarter of the amount charged by the San Diego people.

Good luck in your race preparation.

Jim F

PS: The Whitney Portal Store pancake is a great carbo load! Thanks Doug.

Hi Hint train for the downhill flat and up is easy! You can adjust your pace to the elevation, so focus on how you feel as you run . Just have a great day!!! Doug

Awesome!!! Thank you guys!!!

I will contact Andrew, and look into their races, too! I can't imagine running up the Meysan Lake drainage, that's steep!

Oh yeah, I want Doug's pancakes,

Another racing at altitude for low landers concept I have found to be true for me and that contradicts others here is if you can't hang at altitude for over ten days or so before a race get there the day before. Running altitude adjustment isn't like adjusting prior to climbing Whitney to avoid altitude complications. I live at 400' and have raced at altitudes up to 14,000 in races from 10 to 100 miles and still adhere to this plan. Another idea for you to consider but if something else works for you then great. Have a great time.