I hear it is benneficial to get there as close to race time as possible if you have been living at sea level.. unless you can get there significantly before. Can anyone vouch for this or explain. I have the option of arriving 24 hours before the race or 48 hours. Will waiting to get there until the day before help me significanlty?
Thanks
bump... anyone know the ideal time to arrive before race time?
I've also heard that if you don't have a few days to acclimate at the race site, it's best to get there right before the event. Not sure if it's true or not. Here is a good discussion on altitude (from an ultrarunner's perspective) that may be helpful.
One thing to consider is how you're getting there. If traveling across the US, you're probably going to be tired as it is and having to race in less than 24 hours after sitting on a plane for 4-5 hours isn't going to go well for you.
If you're driving and it won't be more than 2 hours or so then I'd think that the 24 hour gap might work.
Either way, don't go out hard, drink an extra glass of water in the 24 hours leading up to the race, and have fun.