Team Plätzer back in Flagstaff for altitude training

We had a horrible trip from Norway to Flagstaff this time. We left home at 8.30 Saturday (24.02.) morning and arrived in Flagstaff Monday at 15.30. The 63 hour travel included three cancelled flights, a 5 hour trip with the coastal bus from Bergen to Stavanger (to get out of Norway) and 2 nights at hotels (in Stavanger and in Los Angeles). We were happy when we finally managed to get up to Flagstaff. The long travel took a lot of energy and I used two more days to adapt to the altitude (2070m) than normal. We came up two days later than planned and that meant that I had two days less in altitude before the Challenge race in Naucalpan, Mexico (2250m). Stephan changed the training a little bit and I tried to do the best out of it. The first week we had nice weather in Flagstaff, but it was very cold and windy. I got a cold and I was coughing a lot, still I was able to train well and I wanted to go to Mexico for the first Challenge Race of the year. I got some help from Dr. Mark James who gave me two Acupuncture treatments during the last days before I had to go to Mexico. It helped a lot and I am very thankful that he wanted to help me on so short notice!!

I traveled together with Erik (Tysse - my brother), Stephan (Plätzer - coach) and my two kids Kiara and Sebastian. Sabine Zimmer is also together with us in this training camp and it's her first visit to Flagstaff. Stephan's assistant Heiko joined us on this trip, too ! Susana Feitor has been together with us in Flagstaff twice before and this time she brought Ines Henriques, her training partner from home and her coach Jorge Miguel and his wife. I think we will have a very good time together in Flagstaff. And it's good that some of Europe's best women come together to train a the same place. We all can learn a lot from each other! Kevin Eastler will also join the group for some days before he has to go home to prepare for the US Pan Am Cup trails (in Miami in the 17.th of March). It's good for Erik and Kevin that they get to train together for some days. The German European 10.000m champion, Jan Fitchen, is also in Flagstaff with a group of German runners.

The last week it has become much warmer in Flagstaff and we have very good training conditions. Between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius and a lot of SUN :-) Just in time to warm up a little before the race in Mexico.

Susana, Ines and I will go to Mexico for the Challenge race in Naucalpan, Mexico. Erik and Sabine has decided to stay in Flagstaff to train!!