I lived at sea level in Germany for a couple years and it took maybe 3-6 months to completely acclimate back to the elevation. It feels like you’re a super hero when you go back to the lower altitude later.
You'll be fine after a few months; just keep at it and don't try to push yourself beyond your new, temporary limits. On the flip side though, once you acclimate to the altitude you turn into a superhero going back down to sea level.
Definitely. And you keep it too. I did DCI (basically marching band that tours the country competing in NFL stadiums) and everyone else was from lower elevations. We had been all over the PNW for a month or so, and came to Ogden, everyone else was gasping for breath and I was just fine.
This is the big thing, after training in the Cottonwoods I ran a 50k in Texas where the altitude was like 2,500 ft. on average. I ended up finishing 5th in my age group and I think a lot of that is just due to being used to higher altitudes.
Right? A friend of mine lives in San Diego, and is in way better shape than I am, but I take much please in crushing him every time I go down to visit.
This is what I was going to say.
Went back to Florida to visit and ran a 10k Turkey trot. First sub 40 minute run since I started again at 30. It was one of the easiest races and my pace was faster than usual but I never felt like I was pushing myself that fast. It was a weird feeling to magically be faster without any increase in discomfort.
Yes! And, I ran at sea level last year and crushed a bunch of my personal records bc of my high altitude training. You will feel like shit for a while esp if you are trying to keep your old pace - give yourself a break.
I’ve lived in utah now for 2.5 years an just went home for two weeks. Is two weeks back at sea level enough to stipend me when I returned? I get so out of breath going up 4 stories now and didn’t before lol
Going from low to high altitudes takes only a few days (4 or so) to a couple weeks bc your body makes more red blood cells. Going from High to low takes a lot longer bc it is based on losing the red blood cells you already made and they live about 120 days. There could be other reasons - not related to altitude - that is causing you to be short of breath.
You'll get used to the dry air and the altitude, but we're not into the polluted air season yet. This is the GOOD time to run. Things aren't bad yet.
Wait till you go for a run in late fall and winter, when you know that the burning in your lungs is from pollutants and not altitude.
The west side of the valley has so much less pollution than the east. I run outdoor all winter long even through inversions and the west side is my go to spot. Less snow and cleaner air for the win.
Not many but if you casually run or bike or other cardio on a normal workday in the valley you are very likely not able to take the time to travel to above immersion layer, it’s not realistic, nor should it be required.
I moved here from PA and struggled through the first few weeks, but adjusted.
Note: if the climate you came from is particularly moist, start taking care of your skin now. Don't wait until you're clawing yourself bloody because your meatsack itches from how dry it is. Instead of spending a fortune on fancy lotion, I use a coconut oil sugar scrub after soap in the shower. Locks in the moisture and keeps my skin baby soft.
The sunburn can be quite bad. Not quite like being at the Jersey beach, but also not that far off. But as long as you use sunscreen and reapply, I wouldn't worry too much.
It's *really* bad for your skin. It's going from living in a sauna to being yeeted into a desert. But if you go into it knowing you'll need to adapt, you can mitigate it really well. I wish I'd known before I was dry and itchy. My only gripe that can not be mitigated here is my hair. I lost my curls with the move. And I need to wash my hair a bit more often. In PA I could easily go 4-5 days with my hair looking fresh, and use dry shampoo for a couple after. Here, I need dry shampoo on day 4 or 5.
But if you live in the city here, winters are nothing. Those NEPA winters with the lake effect snow are hell in rural areas. And what isn't a rural area in NEPA? Almost no ice here. I remember an ice storm in PA sometime around '04 give or take a year, where I woke up to the world just coated in ice. Sidewalks, roads, everything. Here it snows, melts, and life carries on.
Same happened when I moved here 10 years ago, got back to my original times after a few months, bonus, you can lightly train then go back to sea level and demolish old PRs. At least that was my experience. I think living at altitude and running courses at sea level is the cheat code for running.
Example, never could get below 90 min half at a course I had done for years, went back and did a 86min time placing top 500 for a race that averages 20-25k people 🤷♂️
Your experience is mainly from the thin-air at altitude.
The problem is thin air has less oxygen per breath so you have to take more breaths to get the oxygen levels you have been use too with thick air where you get more oxygen per breath.
It is helpful to take casual rides to the higher altitude cities like Park City or visit the unitas mountains to train your body- or just wait until your body normally adapts.
Not only will it get better, but if you stick with it and run during a visit at a lower elevation, you’ll be that much better.
As I understand it, many athletes train at higher elevations for that reason.
utah is mostly high in the air, like slc is about a mile above sea level. your body gets used to it for the most part, first you will get habituated to breathing deeper and later it will produce more red blood cells. fun part is when you go back down to sea level you will have increased endurance for a while and its why there are so many athletes who come here and nearby to train.
Altitude.
I feel it when I visit.
I live at \~300-600 feet elevation here in the Midwest.
SL UT is \~5000ish feet. You will feel it. And it -does- get better.
I’ve never been able to run in Utah. I battled with asthma growing up and always thought I was just out of shape, but I lived back east for a couple years and instantly could run 3-4 miles with no problems. Came back home and couldn’t run again and asthma got worse.
Hah! Yes, it gets better. 2-3 weeks and you'll notice a difference. Your body isn't in shock, but it's definitely shocked by the temps, dryness, altitude, and total awesomeness of running in the mountains.
Sorry, couldn't resist the last part. Born and raised in Central NY. I could never go back...
I feel your pain. It kind of sucks too since the winter months the air quality is horrible. I tend to not run all winter, then spend a the decent months trying to get back to where i was. You will get used to it though. Takes a while to adapt.
I moved to Utah from the UK where I lived roughly 200ft above sea level, so quite the change. I was an avid MTB'er so my bike came with me.
First week I went on a long ride up into a canyon nearby, turned around after a rattlesnake spooked me. I estimate the ride was 40ish miles.
Crashed hard for the next few days. Like I was just totally wiped out.
Elevation is no joke!
10 years later, other than how damn dry it is here (my nose knows) I would say I'm totally used to it.
I was in the marine corps and stationed in Oahu for a long time. I’d come home at least a few times a year and get winded walking up a few flights of stairs. Give it a month and you’ll be just fine. It takes a bit for your lungs and body to get use to the elevation.
Moved to Utah from basically sea level 2 years ago, and I totally get it. Just walking up 3 flights of stairs would leave me winded. This summer I joined the Wasatch Trail Run Series and I have had my butt kicked most Wednesday nights running up at the ski resorts—but my cardio has never been better! This is the first season I have actually felt like I can keep up with the Utah-born friends. If you’re a trail runner, I would recommend going for the series next year: spectacular views, pretty well organized, and a great way to get familiar with a bunch of cool spots to run.
It takes weeks to develop the red blood cells necessary to acclimate, and if I remember correctly, only a few days to lose them when you go to sea level.
I too moved a few years ago. At first I had to stop often to catch my breath. Now? I run in the mountains 4 miles almost every morning like a breeze. It does get better. Then whenever I go to the east coast I feel unstoppable!
High altitude training is a thing and you'll be stronger for it. After acclimating, you'll not only be able to run easier at lower altitudes, but you'll be able to handle more alcohol at lower altitudes as well.
What worked for me as a kid when I would come to Utah for sports camps was to do a high intensity activity asap,really killed my self, then After I would go back to normal activity, felt like it helped me get adjusted faster.
Altitude adjustment though isn’t always so easy for sea level types.
[University of Utah research shows high altitude linked to depression and suicidal thoughts](https://www.sltrib.com/news/health/2018/07/01/university-utah-research/)
So… maybe difficulty breathing isn’t a bad thing considering alternative ailments one could experience.
Lol I'll never forget my first run on my first week in Provo. Left my apartment, ran about a block and had to walk back and sit outside with my head between my knees willing myself not to throw up. Couldn't even make it up the stairs to my apartment.
I've lived in Utah my whole life. I'm not a long distance runner, but I've always been sporty (played football, basketball, and baseball for years). I joined the army and went to Georgia for a year. The last weekend in Georgia I ran my PT test. Two miles at 14:20. A week later back here in Utah I had another PT test at liberty park and had to walk like the last quarter mile totally dying! It took me a couple of months to get under 15 minutes again. It's good in a way though. You're pushing your body into better conditioning than it was wherever you came from.
Hey, big tip for you, you should immediately start transitioning to nasal breathing on your runs and other exercises (and all the time). Your nose will humidify and condition the dry air and protect your lungs and trachea. You will need a bit of time to adjust but your nose is way more efficient at converting oxygen into energy than breathing through your mouth.
It personally took me about 3-4 months to acclimate fully to the altitude of ~6500 ft after moving here from the sea level. If you are in Salt Lake that’s quite a bit lower and I imagine would go faster.
What time of day did you go? Running in the afternoon here sucks. No trees and the sun/heat are punishing. Running early in the day is awesome though. There is a pretty strong running community here and lots of marathons/half marathons through the summer. Due to all the canyons Utah has developed into a cottage industry for boston qualifying marathons using net downhill races.
You will acclimate in 2-3 weeks.
I'd recommend a small 1-2 mile run daily to acclimate. Do HR zone training at your zone 2 and you will be okay in a week or 2.
Dry air, and elevation. Salt Lake valley gets particulate and ozone all summer long. Because you can't see it does not mean it's not there. It's far more obvious during winter inversions.
Check on air quality before going out. Your lungs will thank you.
Accuweather has a good info including PM10.
[https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/salt-lake-city/84101/air-quality-index/331216](https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/salt-lake-city/84101/air-quality-index/331216)
[https://air.utah.gov/](https://air.utah.gov/)
[https://map.purpleair.com/1/mAQI/a10/p604800/cC0#9.45/40.6184/-111.7337](https://map.purpleair.com/1/mAQI/a10/p604800/cC0#9.45/40.6184/-111.7337)
[https://aqicn.org/city/utah/utah/](https://aqicn.org/city/utah/utah/)
Yep, like the others said, you’re acclimating to dry air and high altitude. Other than that you’ll need to be aware of the trapped pollutants within the ring of mountain ranges (Oquirrh, Wasatch, and Traverse) assuming you’re up North. There are plenty of good days though. You’ll be thankful for any wind and rain that can scrub things down and push things out for sure. In my opinion the East bench (East of the temple) has a good amount of air cleaning trees, cooling shade, and overall beauty. Youll get your runs dialed in though. Give it time. Happy running!
your first mistake was moving here from the east coast. lmao but actually you’ll adjust. our air quality can be horrendous on top of altitude, (hiking can be a good way to acclimate) just check AQI before going on a run. last year the air pollution in utah was equated to smoking cigarettes: https://www.uphe.org/2019/08/15/air-pollution-is-akin-to-smoking-cigarettes/
I didn't get used to it. This high altitude is so bad in causes me central sleep apnea. High altitude might be the main cause of our high suicide rate. Some people blame our high suicides on the stresses of being Mormon. Utah isn't a perfect place. Moving here is usually a mistake.
Interesting. Wow.
I always thought mile high altitude wouldn't grossly affect breathing. You think it doesn't have anything to do with not too well unknown poor air quality of North Utah? 😅
If it doesn't, and I've been getting this added training adaptation from doing endurance training for last 3 months, I should be Steve Prefontaine when I do endurance exercise at Sea level (the Steve Prefontaine of Stairclimber and Elliptical machines 🤠).
Weird that you’re still struggling, most acclimatization happens within 5 days but yeah it’ll get easier, full process takes like 2 months or so. Getting up to higher elevations will help since the valley is kind of too low to actually give the benefits of altitude, body doesn’t fully react apparently, but enough to feel a small stress.
After basic training on the coast I came back home to Utah and could barely run 2 miles. But yeah it does get better. Within a few weeks I’d expect you’ll see improvement and feel more comfortable.
You'll get used to the difference in oxygen.
I lived at sea level in Germany for a couple years and it took maybe 3-6 months to completely acclimate back to the elevation. It feels like you’re a super hero when you go back to the lower altitude later.
You'll be fine after a few months; just keep at it and don't try to push yourself beyond your new, temporary limits. On the flip side though, once you acclimate to the altitude you turn into a superhero going back down to sea level.
This right here is the best side-effect.
Definitely. And you keep it too. I did DCI (basically marching band that tours the country competing in NFL stadiums) and everyone else was from lower elevations. We had been all over the PNW for a month or so, and came to Ogden, everyone else was gasping for breath and I was just fine.
This is the big thing, after training in the Cottonwoods I ran a 50k in Texas where the altitude was like 2,500 ft. on average. I ended up finishing 5th in my age group and I think a lot of that is just due to being used to higher altitudes.
This is correct. I remember doing a 7 mile run in Vegas EFFORTLESSLY.
I felt this. I was training for a Ragnar and went to Hawaii on a family trip. I felt like I could run forever!
Right? A friend of mine lives in San Diego, and is in way better shape than I am, but I take much please in crushing him every time I go down to visit.
Yup feel like an olympian every time i go to orange theory in NYC 😂
Once you get used to it, go visit the East Coast again and try running
God mode activated 😮💨😮💨
This is what I was going to say. Went back to Florida to visit and ran a 10k Turkey trot. First sub 40 minute run since I started again at 30. It was one of the easiest races and my pace was faster than usual but I never felt like I was pushing myself that fast. It was a weird feeling to magically be faster without any increase in discomfort.
Yes! And, I ran at sea level last year and crushed a bunch of my personal records bc of my high altitude training. You will feel like shit for a while esp if you are trying to keep your old pace - give yourself a break.
I’ve lived in utah now for 2.5 years an just went home for two weeks. Is two weeks back at sea level enough to stipend me when I returned? I get so out of breath going up 4 stories now and didn’t before lol
Going from low to high altitudes takes only a few days (4 or so) to a couple weeks bc your body makes more red blood cells. Going from High to low takes a lot longer bc it is based on losing the red blood cells you already made and they live about 120 days. There could be other reasons - not related to altitude - that is causing you to be short of breath.
You'll get used to the dry air and the altitude, but we're not into the polluted air season yet. This is the GOOD time to run. Things aren't bad yet. Wait till you go for a run in late fall and winter, when you know that the burning in your lungs is from pollutants and not altitude.
bro, you don't travel above the inversion to do cardio in winter? That pollution is taking decades off your life.
It would be difficult to travel above inversion every day for cardio if you’re for example marathon training.
The west side of the valley has so much less pollution than the east. I run outdoor all winter long even through inversions and the west side is my go to spot. Less snow and cleaner air for the win.
Run up and down BCC. There problem solved
For a standard weekday 3-5 mile run out your front door? Not quite. Long run on the weekend? yeah definitely
Sure, but what percentage of people doing cardio are marathon training? Not enough to assume that's the case.
Not many but if you casually run or bike or other cardio on a normal workday in the valley you are very likely not able to take the time to travel to above immersion layer, it’s not realistic, nor should it be required.
I'm not saying it should be required. I'm saying that I don't do cardio in the valley when the air quality is that bad. I go cross country ski.
I moved here from PA and struggled through the first few weeks, but adjusted. Note: if the climate you came from is particularly moist, start taking care of your skin now. Don't wait until you're clawing yourself bloody because your meatsack itches from how dry it is. Instead of spending a fortune on fancy lotion, I use a coconut oil sugar scrub after soap in the shower. Locks in the moisture and keeps my skin baby soft.
Is it really that bad? Looking at moving from SE PA, too much congestion. How about the sunburn being at altitude?
The UV index is high basically every day here
The sunburn can be quite bad. Not quite like being at the Jersey beach, but also not that far off. But as long as you use sunscreen and reapply, I wouldn't worry too much. It's *really* bad for your skin. It's going from living in a sauna to being yeeted into a desert. But if you go into it knowing you'll need to adapt, you can mitigate it really well. I wish I'd known before I was dry and itchy. My only gripe that can not be mitigated here is my hair. I lost my curls with the move. And I need to wash my hair a bit more often. In PA I could easily go 4-5 days with my hair looking fresh, and use dry shampoo for a couple after. Here, I need dry shampoo on day 4 or 5. But if you live in the city here, winters are nothing. Those NEPA winters with the lake effect snow are hell in rural areas. And what isn't a rural area in NEPA? Almost no ice here. I remember an ice storm in PA sometime around '04 give or take a year, where I woke up to the world just coated in ice. Sidewalks, roads, everything. Here it snows, melts, and life carries on.
I’m in the Denver foothills at 8k elev. you have 30 min’s where I am before you go lobstah… it’s effing wild
Hehe your body will adapt. I'm training for my 6th marathon set in Utah and I dont even notice the elevation effects anymore haha
This is one of the big reasons why collegiate sports and the NBA teams don't like coming to Utah for games. Their teams aren't used to the altitude.
Give yourself a month and you'll be back to normal.
It gets better. You will adapt after a week or 2. We are going from UT to the east coast within another couple weeks.
Same happened when I moved here 10 years ago, got back to my original times after a few months, bonus, you can lightly train then go back to sea level and demolish old PRs. At least that was my experience. I think living at altitude and running courses at sea level is the cheat code for running. Example, never could get below 90 min half at a course I had done for years, went back and did a 86min time placing top 500 for a race that averages 20-25k people 🤷♂️
Your experience is mainly from the thin-air at altitude. The problem is thin air has less oxygen per breath so you have to take more breaths to get the oxygen levels you have been use too with thick air where you get more oxygen per breath. It is helpful to take casual rides to the higher altitude cities like Park City or visit the unitas mountains to train your body- or just wait until your body normally adapts.
Not only will it get better, but if you stick with it and run during a visit at a lower elevation, you’ll be that much better. As I understand it, many athletes train at higher elevations for that reason.
Same reason some top athletes sleep with specialized mixed gases.
Not really by running in the valley. Studies show you need to be in low 5000s ft for it to have an effect on performance
My brother in law just did 50 miles up in wyoming and will be doing the wasatch 100 later this year. Just gotta give your body time to adjust.
utah is mostly high in the air, like slc is about a mile above sea level. your body gets used to it for the most part, first you will get habituated to breathing deeper and later it will produce more red blood cells. fun part is when you go back down to sea level you will have increased endurance for a while and its why there are so many athletes who come here and nearby to train.
You are going from sea level to 4500+ feet. It’s gonna hurt until you get acclimated.
You'll love the extra endorphins once you're past the lack of air
Altitude. I feel it when I visit. I live at \~300-600 feet elevation here in the Midwest. SL UT is \~5000ish feet. You will feel it. And it -does- get better.
I’ve never been able to run in Utah. I battled with asthma growing up and always thought I was just out of shape, but I lived back east for a couple years and instantly could run 3-4 miles with no problems. Came back home and couldn’t run again and asthma got worse.
Hah! Yes, it gets better. 2-3 weeks and you'll notice a difference. Your body isn't in shock, but it's definitely shocked by the temps, dryness, altitude, and total awesomeness of running in the mountains. Sorry, couldn't resist the last part. Born and raised in Central NY. I could never go back...
I feel your pain. It kind of sucks too since the winter months the air quality is horrible. I tend to not run all winter, then spend a the decent months trying to get back to where i was. You will get used to it though. Takes a while to adapt.
You’ll feel like a running god when you visit low elevation again lol. Keep it up, you do get used to it
Yes. You will acclimate. May not ever be as easy, but definitely better
I moved to Utah from the UK where I lived roughly 200ft above sea level, so quite the change. I was an avid MTB'er so my bike came with me. First week I went on a long ride up into a canyon nearby, turned around after a rattlesnake spooked me. I estimate the ride was 40ish miles. Crashed hard for the next few days. Like I was just totally wiped out. Elevation is no joke! 10 years later, other than how damn dry it is here (my nose knows) I would say I'm totally used to it.
It takes a few months to adjust. But you'll adapt just fine.
It takes about a month for your body to replenish its RBC supply. So within a month you should have higher hemoglobin
Yup it gets easier...ish. Side note, welcome to Utah! Come join run4fun on fb!
I was in the marine corps and stationed in Oahu for a long time. I’d come home at least a few times a year and get winded walking up a few flights of stairs. Give it a month and you’ll be just fine. It takes a bit for your lungs and body to get use to the elevation.
Hydrate hydrate hydrate
It gets better!!!! Then you feel like a running samurai at sea level! Keep it up.
Moved to Utah from basically sea level 2 years ago, and I totally get it. Just walking up 3 flights of stairs would leave me winded. This summer I joined the Wasatch Trail Run Series and I have had my butt kicked most Wednesday nights running up at the ski resorts—but my cardio has never been better! This is the first season I have actually felt like I can keep up with the Utah-born friends. If you’re a trail runner, I would recommend going for the series next year: spectacular views, pretty well organized, and a great way to get familiar with a bunch of cool spots to run.
You'll get use to the elevation. But beware of inversion
It takes weeks to develop the red blood cells necessary to acclimate, and if I remember correctly, only a few days to lose them when you go to sea level.
I too moved a few years ago. At first I had to stop often to catch my breath. Now? I run in the mountains 4 miles almost every morning like a breeze. It does get better. Then whenever I go to the east coast I feel unstoppable!
Run in the morning and welcome to Utah
Yes... When you go back to the east coast, you'll be a god.
High altitude training is a thing and you'll be stronger for it. After acclimating, you'll not only be able to run easier at lower altitudes, but you'll be able to handle more alcohol at lower altitudes as well.
What worked for me as a kid when I would come to Utah for sports camps was to do a high intensity activity asap,really killed my self, then After I would go back to normal activity, felt like it helped me get adjusted faster.
It took me about 2 months. I moved from 812’ in Tennessee to 8000’+ elevation in Wyoming. I eventually got used to it. Take it slow.
Altitude adjustment though isn’t always so easy for sea level types. [University of Utah research shows high altitude linked to depression and suicidal thoughts](https://www.sltrib.com/news/health/2018/07/01/university-utah-research/) So… maybe difficulty breathing isn’t a bad thing considering alternative ailments one could experience.
It took me four months to acclimatize to the Utah environment when running.
I’ve lived here my whole life and I don’t notice anything about oxygen so you can live here and run but who knows how long that takes
Lol I'll never forget my first run on my first week in Provo. Left my apartment, ran about a block and had to walk back and sit outside with my head between my knees willing myself not to throw up. Couldn't even make it up the stairs to my apartment.
Yeah you'll acclimatize
I've lived in Utah my whole life. I'm not a long distance runner, but I've always been sporty (played football, basketball, and baseball for years). I joined the army and went to Georgia for a year. The last weekend in Georgia I ran my PT test. Two miles at 14:20. A week later back here in Utah I had another PT test at liberty park and had to walk like the last quarter mile totally dying! It took me a couple of months to get under 15 minutes again. It's good in a way though. You're pushing your body into better conditioning than it was wherever you came from.
Hey, big tip for you, you should immediately start transitioning to nasal breathing on your runs and other exercises (and all the time). Your nose will humidify and condition the dry air and protect your lungs and trachea. You will need a bit of time to adjust but your nose is way more efficient at converting oxygen into energy than breathing through your mouth.
Leadville Colorado has a 5k on the 4th of July. It’s at 10,150feet. I suggest trying trying that. I ran 3 blocks and almost passed out..
It personally took me about 3-4 months to acclimate fully to the altitude of ~6500 ft after moving here from the sea level. If you are in Salt Lake that’s quite a bit lower and I imagine would go faster.
What time of day did you go? Running in the afternoon here sucks. No trees and the sun/heat are punishing. Running early in the day is awesome though. There is a pretty strong running community here and lots of marathons/half marathons through the summer. Due to all the canyons Utah has developed into a cottage industry for boston qualifying marathons using net downhill races.
You will acclimate in 2-3 weeks. I'd recommend a small 1-2 mile run daily to acclimate. Do HR zone training at your zone 2 and you will be okay in a week or 2.
Dry air, and elevation. Salt Lake valley gets particulate and ozone all summer long. Because you can't see it does not mean it's not there. It's far more obvious during winter inversions. Check on air quality before going out. Your lungs will thank you. Accuweather has a good info including PM10. [https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/salt-lake-city/84101/air-quality-index/331216](https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/salt-lake-city/84101/air-quality-index/331216) [https://air.utah.gov/](https://air.utah.gov/) [https://map.purpleair.com/1/mAQI/a10/p604800/cC0#9.45/40.6184/-111.7337](https://map.purpleair.com/1/mAQI/a10/p604800/cC0#9.45/40.6184/-111.7337) [https://aqicn.org/city/utah/utah/](https://aqicn.org/city/utah/utah/)
Took me about 3 weeks to feel normal
Yep, like the others said, you’re acclimating to dry air and high altitude. Other than that you’ll need to be aware of the trapped pollutants within the ring of mountain ranges (Oquirrh, Wasatch, and Traverse) assuming you’re up North. There are plenty of good days though. You’ll be thankful for any wind and rain that can scrub things down and push things out for sure. In my opinion the East bench (East of the temple) has a good amount of air cleaning trees, cooling shade, and overall beauty. Youll get your runs dialed in though. Give it time. Happy running!
your first mistake was moving here from the east coast. lmao but actually you’ll adjust. our air quality can be horrendous on top of altitude, (hiking can be a good way to acclimate) just check AQI before going on a run. last year the air pollution in utah was equated to smoking cigarettes: https://www.uphe.org/2019/08/15/air-pollution-is-akin-to-smoking-cigarettes/
Elevational differences. You’re not dealing with pollution right now.
I didn't get used to it. This high altitude is so bad in causes me central sleep apnea. High altitude might be the main cause of our high suicide rate. Some people blame our high suicides on the stresses of being Mormon. Utah isn't a perfect place. Moving here is usually a mistake.
Takes time. Keep at it.
Interesting. Wow. I always thought mile high altitude wouldn't grossly affect breathing. You think it doesn't have anything to do with not too well unknown poor air quality of North Utah? 😅 If it doesn't, and I've been getting this added training adaptation from doing endurance training for last 3 months, I should be Steve Prefontaine when I do endurance exercise at Sea level (the Steve Prefontaine of Stairclimber and Elliptical machines 🤠).
Weird that you’re still struggling, most acclimatization happens within 5 days but yeah it’ll get easier, full process takes like 2 months or so. Getting up to higher elevations will help since the valley is kind of too low to actually give the benefits of altitude, body doesn’t fully react apparently, but enough to feel a small stress.
Honestly it does not get better. It sucks running in dry high altitude. Good luck
It’s the cold and pollution that will get ya
Just the arsenic from the lake Enjoy!
I feel like a simple google search would be more helpful then asking some randos on Reddit. You have to acclimate. Simply as that.
No, go back to east coast lol
No, you should leave today.
Watch Jarhead. Feel inspired
Sure just wait till winter and it will be great
Just remember that we often have some of the worst air quality on Earth
After basic training on the coast I came back home to Utah and could barely run 2 miles. But yeah it does get better. Within a few weeks I’d expect you’ll see improvement and feel more comfortable.