Hey -,
I got some good training in this weekend towards a goal I set to climb Pikes Peak in Sept with some friends while out at a leadership conference.
While I’m confident, I can handle the distance (13 miles) it is the elevation for this flatlander Illinois guy I’m concerned about!
14,000 feet is far above my 5-600 ft of elevation where I live.
So I’ve been doing my homework.
And here’s what I keep running into.
Everything I read about altitude performance:
Keeps leading back to the same topic I’ve been emailing you about all week.
Blood vessels. Specifically, how well they dilate.
At sea level, most people can get away with circulatory function that’s less than optimal. At 14,000 feet, that margin disappears. And the compound at the center of healthy vascular dilation is the same one we’ve been covering all month.
I’m very grateful to have this research so readily available to me.
Most people assume blood pressure is the problem. It’s not. It’s a signal. The post below is the clearest way I’ve found to explain what’s actually driving it, and it applies well below 14,000 feet:
→ Blood pressure is not the problem – it’s a symptom
Worth 10 minutes of your Sunday, especially after the emails we sent this week.
