Running on thin air: Gasping for breath with the Taeguk Warriors

SALT LAKE CITY —  After running 400 to 500 meters (1,312 to 1,640 feet), my heart was pounding, as if it would burst out of my chest at any second. My breathing was ragged, almost like I had finished an all-out sprint instead of a casual run, and a metallic taste coated my mouth.

Back in Korea, I can usually complete 4 to 5 kilometers (2.5 to 3.1 miles) with ease, but after running those few hundred meters in Salt Lake City, I was fighting the urge to stop.

But I gritted my teeth and ran another kilometer, even as a burning pain spread through my lungs and triggered a dry coughing fit. My temples began to throb, my body seemingly crying out for oxygen, and my vision blurred. My legs felt as if they were weighed down with lead.

Eventually, I alternated between jogging and walking, staggering from side to side.

Any confidence that I had about finishing the run disappeared long before the final stretch.

I may not be a seasoned professional athlete preparing for the biggest event in the sporting calendar, but my experience in Salt Lake City illustrates the challenges that the Taeguk Warriors face — and will continue to face for the next month — as they train and play at high altitudes.

The biggest challenge that Korea's players have been working to overcome is the high altitude, an unfamiliar discomfort that I myself only became used to on the third day of my stay.

To acclimate themselves to these harsh conditions, the side is training at the Zions Bank Training Center, which sits at an elevation of 1,460 meters, near the Rocky Mountains. The facility serves as Korea's high-altitude laboratory ahead of the big matches.

Manager Hong Myung-bo's squad has been based there since May 19 but will soon head to Guadalajara, Mexico, where Korea will play their first two group stage matches.

The choice of Salt Lake City was deliberate, as Guadalajara sits at a comparable 1,571 meters above sea level.

At higher elevations, the air is thinner, meaning that less oxygen reaches the muscles. This leads to rising heart rates, decreased endurance and slower recovery times. As a result, people often experience headaches, dizziness and lapses in concentration — a dangerous combination in a sport in which a single decision can determine the outcome of a match.

Korea's players were no exception.

“I can barely drink water or even talk,” joked midfielder Bae Jun-ho.

“You can definitely physically feel that recovery takes longer,” forward Oh Hyeon-gyu said. 

Even under such conditions, players are typically expected to cover more than 11 kilometers over the course of a 90-minute match.

Completely adapting to a higher altitude can take anywhere from two to four weeks, according to team physician Song Joon-seop, so the Taeguk Warriors were still feeling the effects on the 12th day of training, following Korea's 5-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago at BYU South Field in Provo, Utah, on Saturday.

“My body still feels heavy, and my mouth gets dry pretty quickly,” said forward Cho Gue-sung of Midtjylland. “But [the high elevation] is something that we have to overcome and adapt to.”

Residents, meanwhile, appear largely unaffected.

“I jog three to four times a week, but I've never really felt short of breath while running,” said a Salt Lake City local who gave the name William. “I guess being used to the altitude is one of the perks of living here.”

Korea will play all three of its group stage matches at elevations ranging from about 500 to 1,500 meters above sea level. 

Other teams in Group A, excluding host nation Mexico, will have to move repeatedly between high- and low-altitude venues during the group stage, potentially exacerbating player fatigue.

If Korea advances as the Group A winner, it could continue playing in several high-altitude Mexican cities during the knockout stage, allowing the team to capitalize on the weeks spent adapting to such elevation.

Korea will play its final warm-up match against El Salvador on Wednesday before traveling to Guadalajara. The national team will begin its Group A play at the World Cup against the Czech Republic there on June 11. 

BY PIH JU-YOUNG [[email protected]]