Mexico high altitude training or not?

In other cities I mentioned earlier in Mexico, I can find accommodation about 150£ per months for room to rent. I can afford to pay this price even all year around without working anywhere.

In Desierto de los Leones area in Mexico I found quickly only one accommodation and it is 402£ per month for one room to rent. This is too expensive and I can't choose this place because of price.

In Flagstaff area in US I found quickly cheapest place 28£ per night for one room and other places more than 35£ per night. These prices are too high for me.

Near Iten I found one cottage with 2 bedroom with 321£ per month for full cottage. This price would be maybe OK, if I don't have to pay for this alone.

Place in Lornah Kiplagat high altitude training center is about 40£ per night, but price can be different a little. This is too expensive for me.

Full board place in France Font Romeu is 50EUR per person. This is too expensive for me.

Full board place in Sierra Nevada in Spain is 86.98EUR per one person. This is too expensive for me.

High altitude training camps in Europe are very expensive and that is why people go to Kenya or US from Europe, because in Europe they can stay with using same money shorter period.

Flagstaff or Albuquerque or other places in US high altitude training camps prices I don't know. It is hard to go and run and rent something alone.

Right now it seems to me, to go to run in Mexico is not the best idea at all.

It is fun to dream and plan. However, before you place so much emphasis on altitude training, you should realistically look where you currently are at fitness-wise. You could put yourself quickly into an overtraining hole at altitude if you don't already have the base prepared for it.

beginner_woman wrote:

I am almost 40 yo. Thinking, shall I go now to start training again and start training in Mexico in high altitude? I have time and I can stay there 180 days without visa.

What will you do after the 180 days?

Possible stay another 180 days there, after travelling out from country for short time or stay also in US for short time. Brazil Olympic is coming closer. Need to run fast to go there too :)

I know, I am not in running shape right now and I know, what is possible and what is not. I also know about overtraining possibilities.

I can still dream and try. If I don't try right now, then I will regret forever. If I try so hard, but don't make to Brazil Olympic, then so what, at least I tried hard. If I don't try at all, it means I fail and give up.

Flagstaff is 2106 meters and probably more runner friendly than this place in Mexico you are thinking of.

Santa Fe is 2213 meters and again more runner friendly.

Anywhere is more runner friendly than Mexico. Outside of very well to do areas, I wouldn't want to be running in Mexico.

if you do your homework, you can find a furnished place in albuquerque for about $500 per month. if you are willing to share a room, probably around $250-$300, USD per month. I'm pretty sure that will at least be close to anything you will find in mexico, plus you will not have the language barrier (do you speak spanish?) to deal with.

In albuquerque you will find mild weather (flagstaff is often buried under 1 meter of snow), with temps in the 50's and 60's (fahrenheit, so 12-15C?), and about 80-100km of trails available, plus about 11 decent tracks in town, with one of them having a 5.25km dirt loop around it for warming up on. something to think about.

This is so stupid. Why don't you go to Mexico and some of the possible places you're looking at before moving there. Mexico has tons of places at elevation to live and train if you want to. Any state in the Meseta Central is high in elevation (over 5,000 ft). San Luis Potosi, Guanajuato, Puebla or Queretaro are good bets for you to visit and scout. Go there for 2 weeks and travel around these places a bit. Then you can see how people live, what the running scene looks like and then make your decision.

One thing I know for sure is you will love the weather and how cheap living in Mexico is. For your budget you will get amazing opportunities. The safety issues exist along the border states with the US and the states of Guerrero and Michoacan. So just stay away from those states and you will be more than ok. I travel to Mexico every summer for months and love the weather, culture, lifestyle, affordability and the diverse options for entertainment and travel. I would love to live there if I had the means to do so. I wish I could find a job there where I could make a good living. I would move there in a heartbeat. There are over 1 million Americans living there for good reason. Check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNfwELvJdDg

beginner_woman wrote:

What kind of people live in Mexico? In my imagination there are white people ( maybe from soap opera).

Why does that fvckin matter?

beginner_woman wrote:

I can still dream and try. If I don't try right now, then I will regret forever. If I try so hard, but don't make to Brazil Olympic, then so what, at least I tried hard. If I don't try at all, it means I fail and give up.

Olympics? At 40 years old, give or take? Sorry, I was casually following this thread, and up until now, did not pick up on the possibility you may be very good? But you said you never raced internationally? Do you mind saying what country you would try to compete for, and in what event?

I am a Mexican distance coach living in Mexico City.

There are a lot of safe places to run in Mexico City, just to give you an idea check this site:

http://www.endondecorrer.com/#

!distrito-federal/czsp

Here Mexico City is known as DISTRITO FEDERAL or D.F.

For long distance runs on dirt paths and hilly course we have Bosque de Tlalpan (south):

http://www.endondecorrer.com/#

!bosque-de-tlalpan/c1nsb

For some fast tempo runs or long repetitions on flat surface we have a beautiful place called Viveros de Coyoacan, besides just outside the park you can buy a very nice coffe!

http://www.endondecorrer.com/#

!viveros-de-coyoacan/c1dj9

These two places are full of recreational runners from 5:00 AM until late afternoon. Of course that there are some women athletes!

Worried about traffic and pollution? Nobody has died so far from pullution yet! which is very similar like Los Angeles, Athens or Madrid, I have been in these cities and all of them have similar problems regarding crime, pollution and crazy taxi drivers.

The average rent and food in Mexico City is cheap compared with other cities in Mexico, besides the food is more natural than the US or some European countries, we have less fat people!

After your training run in the morning you can buy a natural orange juice just made in front of you, something that an athlete from Europe can only watch on TV or video!

Why the Mexican distance runners are not as good as in the 90's? It is a very long answer because there are many factors.

There is poverty in Mexico but you can not compare it like the one that exists in Kenya or Jamaica. Here the average young athlete in Mexico City, Puebla, Guadalajara or Monterrey (the major cities) goes to school/University and always has several options besides training or being professional athlete.

Altitude is just one factor in any training system, living and training at altitude may help you, but it would be more helpful and important if you can join a distance training group guided by a professional Coach.

beginner_woman wrote:

Hi

I used to be runner, who was racing, but not any more last 5 years.

I don't have running form, my speed is slow. I never have been in international racing level athlete. I am from Europe.

Maybe the above statements added to the confusion of your realistic capabilities?

Or maybe you were being modest?

Hi coach.

Where should I live then in Mexico? I don't drive a car and I plan to stay in one place possible all the time. I would like to live in the area, where I can go out to run from home door. I don't want to drive by public transportation somewhere to start running. And also, I would prefer, if the recommended living area is having flat running options too, as I need to be able to do easy runs in easy and not hilly roads. Shall I need to find living place in some area in Mexico City or better find place to live in other cities? Where? Please, help to understand, in what area I nshould live and then I can start searching for accommodation again.

Right now I am just an average person, who goes sometimes to run and sometimes don't do anything for weeks. So, right now I am not an Olympic athlete material at all, but I dream. Why else to run? I think there is only one dream, Olympic Dream. If no Olympic dream, then I don't even want to race and just run for fun. Possible I will change my opinion in one day, but his is not the topic right now.

I do speak a little Spanish, only in very basic level.

I was looking weather report and seems like there are no snow and ice even in wintertime. Coldest weather is about +10 C or so?

I am thinking now seriously of going to Mexico to start living and running there. I like this idea. My friends afraid, I might never come back, because being killed and/or raped. I am not a blond and I plan to wear cap.

Same time I am so afraid. Afraid, because I am planning to change my life so much. I need to go out from my comfort zone and start living so differently. Right now I am living for somebody else life, but if I go to Mexico, I start living my life. So I think.

To Mexican distance coach again.

I had time to look from map these two areas in Mexico you recommended for running training. I do like Bosque de Tlalpan area, because it is a little bigger green area and close to that place seems to be track too. I don't know, is it possible to use track for training and is there are some fee?

In some countries some tracks are only for competitions or only for top elite athletes to train. I hope to find one track too, where I can train (hopefully for free).

Shall I forget the idea to find accommodation near Desierto de los Leones area and Tluca and/or Poebla area?

What about Toluca and/or Poebla area for living and training? The only reason I am interested in these two places too, because I found accommodation there and I read from Internet, these places are in good high altitude. Other way I have no idea about these places.

You just made laugh!!!

Do NOT be afraid of coming to Mexico.

Like someone told you before, it would be better if you make the trip over here, stay at least one week training in each of the cities located at altitude and then decide where to live.

Toluca City is at 2700 m (one hour from Mexico City)

Puebla is at 2100 m (one hour and half from Mexico City)

Querétaro ans San Luis Potosi are small cities at 1800 -2000 m altitude with all the necessary services for training and starting a new life in nice weather.

In these cities there is not snow in winter but it is cold.

Sent me an e-mail and I could give you the phone of some of my contacts (all of them are coaches) that could help you.

By the way..

What are your PB's at different events?

What is your level?

Do you know the qualifyng marks (A and B) to be able to be in an Olympic/World Championship Team or the qualifyng process for these top meets in your country?

No one knows not yet qualifying marks for Brazil Olympic. There will not be A and B mark, there will be only one mark this time. I know very well, how in my country this qualifying system works.

If to look return plane tickets right now, then I can say, I can buy two trips to Kenya or with same money only one trip to Mexico. Plane tickets to Mexico are so expensive.

beginner_woman wrote:

Where should I live then in Mexico? I don't drive a car and I plan to stay in one place possible all the time. I would like to live in the area, where I can go out to run from home door. I don't want to drive by public transportation somewhere to start running. And also, I would prefer, if the recommended living area is having flat running options too, as I need to be able to do easy runs in easy and not hilly roads. Shall I need to find living place in some area in Mexico City or better find place to live in other cities? Where? Please, help to understand, in what area I nshould live and then I can start searching for accommodation again.

What would be a good place to live permanently in Mexico?

It depends of your lifestyle. Check this site:

http://www.visitmexico.com/es

Good luck!

Dude, if I were looking to start a new chapter over the winter and had a choice between Spain and Mexico, I'd choose to live in Spain and train along the Galician province part of the Camino de Santiago trail as much as my heart contents. Hundreds of kilometers of wide dirt and gravel trails, rolling terrain, and good food. What's not to like about that!? Also, there are people on this trail. It's not too busy over winter at all, but you'd probably not be entirely alone. Hope you can speak good Spanish otherwise this would be difficult either in Spain or Mexico.