Hypoxico
Since the last time I posted, life has been a whirlwind. I mean that in the best way possible. My time in Aspen came to a close the way it started – with a raucous party and a glaring absence of moderation. With a heavy heart and an intense enthusiasm, I travelled to New York City to begin the next chapter of my professional career with Hypoxico Altitude Training Systems. The three day training that ensued was a pleasure on all fronts. The employees were eager to teach and accommodated my ignorance with patience and competence. For them, it was probably an exercise in endurance but, for me, it was stimulating and inspiring. I left with a renewed fervor to work and am very excited to be associated with such a pioneering and innovative company.
Hypoxico is headed up by a young and talented over-achiever named Brian Oestrike. At just 33, the man’s accomplishments are nothing short of spectacular. A former competitive mountain bike racer, Brian’s focus shifted to Mountaineering after college and has seen him atop some of the world’s most iconic peaks, including Everest, which he conquered in 2007. Recently, Brian has taken to Ultrarunning and managed to secure an “off the couch” finish at last year’s Leadville 100 – his first attempt at the distance. This year Brian has posted a strong run at Rocky Racoon and has his sights set on the uber epic Leadman Series in the high mountains of Colorado – all while living and training New York City. Obviously Brian uses the Hypoxico products in his own training and is, thus, personally invested in their quality and effectiveness. This is a major reason why the company stands head and shoulders above the competition.
Maybe, the most memorable event of the trip East was listening in on a conversation Brian had with a client who had just returned from Africa’s mighty Mount Kilimanjaro. A virtual non-athlete before the trip, the woman did not expect great things from herself. She slept at altitude in the weeks leading up to her trip, but did not anticipate keeping pace with her companions when the rigors of altitude and effort began to take their toll. To her surprise, she hung tough and was able to accomplish her goal with relative ease. She reported almost feeling bad for her partners who suffered mightily despite being superior athletes on paper. The joy in the client’s voice convinced me of the quality of the Hypoxico systems and gave everyone in the office a genuine satisfaction. This stuff is the truth.
So now I’m here on the West Coast, getting settled in the Bay Area. This place is amazing. My Hypoxico System arrived last week and, since then, I’ve been sleeping like a baby at 9,000 feet. They say you shouldn’t feel the positive gains for as many as three weeks but I feel stronger already. Maybe it’s just a placebo effect or my previous experience living at altitude but, either way, I’m 100% confident that using the product will give me a performance boost and make me a better athlete. The more I research the Live High, Train Low philosophy, the more it seems like a good strategy and the more comfortable I become in my new home.
I’ll be supplementing my sleep training with altitude exercising and intemittent hypoxic training in the coming weeks as I prepare for an exciting season of racing. I’ll use my blog a platform to communicate my experiences and am happy to answer any questions people might have about hypoxic training for endurance sport. Should you have questions or want more information on Hypoxico services and products, please don’t hesitate to email me directly at dbowman@hypoxico.com.
Miwok 100k this weekend! Fire it up!
