--- Donnan1250@... wrote:

>
> Hello!
>
> I am hoping to combine a marathon in early June with a planned family
> vacation to Colorado. Here are the choices -- Estes Park Marathon, Estes
> Park, CO
> at the start of the vacation (June 4) or Steamboat Springs, Steamboat
> Springs, CO (June 18) at the end of the vacation.
>
> Has anyone run either of these marathons? Any thoughts? Thanks for any
> light you can shed!
>
> Donna Neill

I haven't run either of these marathons but I have been to Colorado many times
and ran the Leadville and Pikes Peak marathons. From my experience you will
be better off running Steamboat Springs because you will have 2 weeks of
altitude acclimation by then.

Tips for acclimation.

For the first few days you may have headaches. This is due to increased blood
flow to the brain to compensate for reduced oxygen. To speed acclimation,
drink lots of water. This also helps your blood pH adjust to the lower CO2
levels by flushing bicarbonate in the urine. The pH change is what sometimes
causes nausea during altitude sickness. You can also descend and symptoms
will disappear in a few hours. People differ in sensitivity to altitude in a
way unrelated to fitness. You may first notice symptoms anywhere between 8000
and 12,000 ft.

The best elevation for training long term is at the altitude you will race at,
but if you have limited time and can get higher, you will acclimate faster.
For the marathon you want to grow more red blood cells for carrying oxygen.
Full acclimation takes 6 weeks, but in 3 weeks you will be at 85%. Even after
2 weeks you will see a marked improvement in your rate of climb, but even with
100% acclimation your pace will be slower than at sea level.

In June you will probably not get much higher than 10,000-11,000 ft. due to
snow. Most land above 11,000 ft. is uninhabited and there are few paved
roads. Many roads at these altitudes require 4 wheel drive and aren't plowed.
Snow is well consolidated by June so avalanche should not be a problem. The
best hiking will probably be on ridges and south facing slopes which will be
clear. By early July there is only patchy snow, which remains year round in a
few shaded spots.

The highest paved road is Mt. Evans at 14,130 ft but it may not be open above
Echo Lake at 10,600 ft. in June. There is a $10 toll past this point. It
might be open to Summit Lake at 12,600 ft late in the month. Pikes Peak also
has a toll road to the summit. The other 52 summits above 14,000 ft are
accessible only on foot. Estes Park is on the edge of Rocky Mt. Natl Park
which has a road going to 12,000 ft. which will probably open by June.

Any marathon in the Colorado mountains is likely to be hilly. You will also
be slower due to the thin air, even if you are acclimated. The Leadville
marathon in early July has 6600 ft. of climb at 10,200 to 13,150 ft. My best
time is 5:22, compared to 3:20 at sea level. Pikes Peak in Aug. is at 6600 to
14,100 ft with 7700 ft of climb. My best time there is 6:30.


-- Matt Mahoney, matmahoney@...