T. McArdle's training goes to new heights

If weightlifting is ethical than hypoxia tents/rooms are ethical.

Not everyone can afford weights, weights are not found in nature.

Heavy things--which aren't weights but are similar to weights--are found in nature.

A hypobaric environment--which is not a hypoxic environment but is similar to a hypoxic environment as a physiological stress--is found in nature.

Both challenge the adaptive capacities of the body by acting from the outside in.

Not all schools are at altitude thus schools at altitude like CU, BYU, NAU etc. have a distinct red cell mass advantage over sea-level schools.

Every school should have altitude tents to equalize the playing field.

Great move Tom. I like a person who can think through a gutsy decision and make it.

Isn't it a tad late in the season for this shit?

This is exactly what we need. It seems that everyone is so secretive about what they do for training. If we want to make the sport better we need to open the lines of communication and increase the body of knowledge for all to see. So I am applauding Tom for giving us all a window into what he does... and what he thinks about it.

Its way too late in the season to start sleeping at altitude...All it will do now is limit is recovery and get him tired.

Yeah, but maybe he wants to get started trying it for.......track? He definitely has enough time to adapt in that case.

are you sure? nationals is probably 5 weeks from when he started using it, that seems like a good amount of time for the body to produce red blood cells. i think he'll still get the benifits in time for ncaas. i have no experience with this stuff, but it seems like long enough.

What has Tom done in major competition? People keep saying that this guy will be unbeatable and stuff...I don't get it.....

4th at PreNats in 23:55. 3rd in NCAA outdoor track 10000 last spring. Not bad if you ask me.

it takes at least 12 weeks to get the full effects of altitude training. that's the lifespan of an average blood cell.

If he jacks his count up while maintaining the same training stimulus he will race faster.

If the lack of oxygen impairs the healing of his hamstring

he will train and race slower.

Roll the dice.

Right or wrong he has the guts to put it in print.

even if a blood cell's life is 12 weeks, that would have no effect on a person producing more to cope with the altitude/pressure change. it seems like the effects should start immediately, because the body will need to adapt immediately. he might not see the full effects for quite some time, but i just don't see the connection between how long a cell lives and the production of new cells.

You will get some benefit within 10-14 days, with significant changes by 3-5 weeks for sure depending on nightly exposure (if he's getting enough iron).

I commend Tom for posting his logbook online. More people should do it.

Mobley of Notre Dame does. It's at

http://www.nd.edu/~tmobley/XCLog02.htm

Too bad he's injured, hopefully he'll be ready to go by Big East or at least Districts. His team needs him.