Hello everyone,
I have recently been looking into moving to Ethiopia (or any other comparable country) to pursue high-level marathon training over there, potentially for a year or longer. Currently work a nine-to-five job with shit training, a plethora of injuries, and a waning passion for the sport. I'm 25 years old, and at this juncture of my life I feel like I should take the plunge now and really go for it to achieve my running goals.
The reason I'm posting this is to ask for your guys' advice. Has anyone ever made a long-term move for altitude training, specifically to an African country? Anything crucial I should know beforehand? Are training camps typically open to varying levels of fitness? How much money should I save up to live comfortably? I've been looking into Yaya School for Girls as a possible training grounds, and would love volunteering with them to help young girls learn English--has anyone stayed there before? Maybe there's some other great, low-key places that I haven't heard of? I'm not particularly interested in the high-profile camps, like where Mo Farah trains, primarily for the financial factor.
Any advice and/or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Of course, my questions are not limited to the ones listed above, just some thoughts that immediately come to mind. I've never posted on here before, but I know things can get rowdy and people start mudslinging. I hope this post doesn't end up a circus, because I would really love to hear genuine feedback from runners that have been in a similar situation.
I hope to hear from you guys :)
Thanks!