Peak Fitness
![Angela Bizzari, left, and Jen Rhines run along a quiet road near Mammoth Lakes. Training at an altitude of 7,800 feet helps athletes produce more oxygen-carrying blood cells, boosting endurance at lower elevations. Like London: under 100 feet.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/68613e6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x372+0+0/resize/600x372!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F69%2F2d%2F7f7db1ee22353342230a2e41d47e%2Fla-01altitude-m15rgypd.jpg)
Angela Bizzari, left, and Jen Rhines run along a quiet road near Mammoth Lakes. Training at an altitude of 7,800 feet helps athletes produce more oxygen-carrying blood cells, boosting endurance at lower elevations. Like London: under 100 feet. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
![Meb Keflezighi](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3351301/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x385+0+0/resize/600x385!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb8%2Fb2%2F0bd1217d5ac6e003a4dbd686afb9%2Fla-02altitude-m15riapd.jpg)
Olympic medal winner Meb Keflezighi runs along a dirt path during a workout near Mammoth Lakes recently. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
![Meb Keflezighi](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3f03430/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x364+0+0/resize/600x364!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc3%2Fef%2Fb3f90d88f82d651bb5f9cc068c5e%2Fla-03altitude-m15rdqpd.jpg)
Meb Keflezighi, who won a silver medal in the Athens
![Meb Keflezighi](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/abe729c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x377+0+0/resize/600x377!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc0%2Fbd%2Fdce1bdb623430596f63724d31dfe%2Fla-04altitude-m15rdbpd.jpg)
Olympic medal winner Meb Keflezighi runs along a quiet road near Mammoth Lakes recently while training for the 2012 Olympic Marathon. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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![Morgan Uceny](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a2bde1d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x396+0+0/resize/600x396!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd4%2F2b%2F4794f259e946e825c1aa557dc601%2Fla-05altitude-m15rhypd.jpg)
Morgan Uceny, the world’s top-ranked woman at 1,500 meters, sprints up a hill in Mammoth Lakes during a workout. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
![Morgan Uceny](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2e43b48/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x370+0+0/resize/600x370!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff3%2Fed%2F1cb182b78f456f0e5980d6be15c9%2Fla-06altitude-m15rirpd.jpg)
Morgan Uceny started training in Mammoth Lakes on a partner’s advice and is a favorite heading into the Olympic trials. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
![On the snow](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3cd103e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x399+0+0/resize/600x399!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fbe%2F1a%2F082596fe2dddbf9a8f70a64296ee%2Fla-07altitude-m15rd6pd.jpg)
A member of the Mammoth Track Club prepares for a run in the snow-covered Mammoth Lakes area. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
![Angela Bizzarri, Jen Rhines](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/62f6735/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x392+0+0/resize/600x392!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2f%2Fff%2Fa86cdada7b258fd8de18ca730d77%2Fla-08altitude-m15rdvpd.jpg)
Angela Bizzarri, left, and Jen Rhines sprint along a quiet road in the high elevation near Mammoth Lakes recently. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)