October 20, 2005 – The summer has come to an end and it is time to get geared up for the final stretch into the racing season. We recently completed a two week camp in Mammoth Lakes, California. Mammoth Lakes is a popular ski resort and vacation destination. For us, it was neither of the two. We took advantage of the thin air produced by the towns high elevation of twenty-five hundred meters and the inspiring dry land training Mammoth Lakes offers.

The town is small, the mountains are big, and the lakes are plenty. When we rolled into town I was mentally preparing to climb the mountains, roller ski the roads, and throw a fly line into the surrounding lakes and streams. The relatively high altitude deprived our bodies of oxygen and forced our blood to create more red blood cells. The more red blood cells in your blood, the more oxygen delivered to your muscles. So while we trained, ate, and slept we were also increasing our potential to perform. The added red blood cells will increase our ability to train hard and therefore taking away a larger ‘training effect’.

Within the two weeks we rolled over hundreds of kilometers of pavement, ran dozens of kilometers of mountain trails, and cranked up the intensity sessions to an all time high. We were fortunate enough to be very close to the Yosemite National Park, which provide endless terrain, perfect for our hunger for hills. We could just grab a map, sport drink, and run along mountain ridges for hours on end. The longest run would be just a shade over six hours and cover some forty-seven kilometers. Yes, that is a marathon plus some all on mountain trails. Other days included six hours of continuous roller skiing or morning intervals with afternoon weight training. We could gain eighteen hundred vertical meters in one roller skiing session with only a hint of flat from bottom to top. It was a time to push the limits but be careful not to over do it this close to the racing season.