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While the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks eased into the start of fall practice, with just two days in full pads with contact last week, an unseen adjustment has been in the works.

Sitting at about 7,000 feet in elevation, Flagstaff provides a challenge for many of the roughly 35 newcomers. Most of the group have never played or lived at such a high altitude and are working to acclimate to the new environment.

“In terms of research, six to eight weeks,” said Cody Hodgeson, Northern Arizona’s head strength and conditioning coach. “Headaches go away in a couple of days. They get real light-headed really fast and it is actually the recovery time that catches them, it takes them extra long to recover.”

Earlier last week, the Lumberjacks ran through their conditioning test consisting of two 300-yard shuttles, six sprints 25 yards and back, within a specific time limit. For those who arrived to Flagstaff recently, it ended up as a torturous test.