I live in a place where the elevation is only 150ft Above sea level. I have trained in the low mountains of Iraq, with minimal effect on me as far as oxygen intake to my body. I have trained in Afghanistan at an altitude of 6,000ft. Where I noticed a real difference in my lungs when I would get on the elliptical and do some cardio my lungs and nose were on fire from the thin air. Then I make it to Colorado Springs I heard of this place called the incline and was told you must train to even attempt to climb it for training. People called me crazy when I told them I was just going to go climb it and maybe even run it. I told them "I am already trained". Well I went and climbed it one afternoon a couple weeks ago and I will say it was intimidating. When I started climbing only about a quarter of the way up i was gassed in a bad way! I was only climbing 1 1/2 miles up but the altitude change is something crazy like 2,800 ft! I finally got to the top of this peak and the view was amazing! Persistence and a mental focus got me there. If you ever have the chance to train in higher elevations I highly recommend it. It will not only make you feel less of a human but it will make you train harder then what you thought you was previously training. If you can't get to higher elevations then hit the stairs at a local stadium or go find a big hill to run up. It will build the strength and endurance in your legs and build your mental strength for pain. So go find you a big hill or mountain to climb and don't stop until you get to the top!
