Since I live around sea level I’ll have to get use to higher elevation. Otherwise it’ll take my body longer to get use to the elevation and could slow me down. I’ve gone hiking in the mountains before only to start having a throbbing head and feeling light headed.
To prepare for this I have started incorporating the Wim Hof breathing technique. If you’ve never heard of him, your in for a treat. So, I’m doing three rounds of saturating my lungs with oxygen (30-40 deep breaths) and on the exhale of the last breath I hold it. Here are the results of the first time doing this. 
Hiking the Appalachian Trail and other adventures 