Running at 8,500 feet

Welcome to Try-athlete the blog where I try the latest fitness and diet trends so you don't have to. Today I went for a run but I did it the way an ultimate fighter would I ran at 8,500 feet at the top of a mountain. I remember watching something about Tito Ortiz where he was training for a fight and he went to high elevation to train.
In Palm Springs, Ca where I live one of the main tourist attractions is the Aerial tram. It takes you up the mountain 8,500 feet to a climate very different than the desert. Instead of 108 degree weather it's 60 and instead of sand and palm trees it's dirt and pine trees. A cool breeze runs through the forest and the views are majestic.
There are many hiking trails at the top of the mountain so since I'm try-athlete and I decided to try running some of these trails. I started with the Desert View (1.5 miles) trail, it had 5 notches where it gave breathtaking views of the whole desert hence the trail name "Desert View." I ran to each notch and took pictures of each vista point. At some points I couldn't run because of the rocky terrain. I finished that trail and was thirsty for more so I ran the Nature trail (.75 miles), I felt like one with nature on my run I had to stop at one point to take a picture because the view was so beautiful.
After I finished that trail I decided to try one more trail the Adventure trail I ran it for probably half a mile and then saw that it went straight up into the mountain and was more like rock climbing so I turned back but will save that one for another trip. I thought because of the elevation change it would be tougher to run and I would be out of breath but surprisingly I felt pretty much the same as when I run at my house. My knees started to bother me and that's when I knew it was time to stop, but I still wanted to do more so I found a secluded picnic bench and started doing crunches I did sets of 20 of every crunch I could think of, I did this for 8 minutes and then after about a 3 mile run and a core workout I was ready to leave and head back down the mountain.
Overall I would definitely go back up the tram and go for a run, one reason being its so hot here right now I can't run. I also really enjoyed the nature I was surrounded by I saw lizards and squirrels and all different kinds of trees and plant life. Overall I would recommend going for a run at an elevated level but I would also recommend preparing for it eating before and staying hydrated are very important. Until next time stay fit!