"Prepare for the Altitude at the Academy Due to the Academy’s high elevation — 7,258 feet above sea level — your endurance will be diminished. Incoming cadets often discover that they cannot run as fast or as far as they did before they arrived. Adjustment to conditions at the Academy is much easier if you have achieved an extremely high level of physical fitness (especially cardiovascular fitness) before you arrive. The Academy’s primary measure of aerobic fitness is the 1.5 mile run. Current cadets run 1.5 miles in 10:18 on average. No matter where you train, you can use the 1.5 mile run to predict how altitudes at the Academy will impact you, and how your fitness is likely to compare with other cadets.
Predicting Your Performance
First determine your current average 1.5 mile run time. Add 48 seconds to your average to adjust for altitude. Then, compare your altitude-adjusted average to the cadet average. Improvements made to your run time at your current elevation will also improve your altitude-adjusted performance. Just keep the altitude in mind, and train hard."
Do not underestimate the altitude! Get in the best aerobic shape you can.
