Getting laid off this week going all in on running

I wish I could.

aren't some of the mountain west places, Flagstaff, Boulder known for sub elite training, good weather and altitude?

I know they have good sub elite marathon training out there. I should have clarified that I want to keep focusing on the track (800/1500).

Get a nice van to live out of and move to Albuquerque! ? ? Albuquerque is the best place to train and live out of a vehicle.

Fine Mexican cuisine, clean air, less people, beautiful desert sunsets & gorgeous senoritas! ??

NotWashedUpYet wrote:

I am debating getting a van and living on the road for a while but I'm not sure how great that would be for training. If you had the opportunity what city would you move to to train?

Actually a van is great for that.

A lot of the places you train will have access to showers, so that will be covered. And since you usually can't use lights at night and won't have access to tv/internet, you tend to get good rest/recovery as you go to sleep as soon as the sun goes down.

As for where, make use of the advantage of the van and don't pin yourself down - be flexible. Go first to the group you'd most like to train with and try to get in. If you can't break in with them you can just drive to the next one on your list and try there.

I found that living in a new place is great for this -- especially if you can live somewhere cheap. For me, traveling around isn't the best thing to do if you want to focus on running: it takes time, it can be stressful, you'll have bad WiFi, etc. I found that the stability of renting an apartment for a few months really helped in getting stuff done =).

Maybe you should go all in on FINDING A NEW JOB.

You should at least work part time at a shoe store or something. That will make your job interview less awkward in 6 months when you have to hit the job hunt again. You know, because you won’t have to tell them you totally stopped working to take a long shot at your running career.

Where’s all this money you have saved, is that your retirement stash? Be smart here.

mountain west wrote:

aren't some of the mountain west places, Flagstaff, Boulder known for sub elite training, good weather and altitude?

Boulder is an illusion. People get lost with dream imagery of the majestic purple mountains. Then when they get here it they are reminded that it is a dry high desert. Yesterday, for instance was cold in the morning (18 degrees) then by afternoon sunny and 55 with an off the chart dryness factor that even makes your tongue dry. Not to mention traffic is absolutely insane and not what people at all expect. Parks are over crowded on weekends. Once here you will acquire a desire to get away so why come here in the first place?

Greater ABQ, NM is cheaper than Arizona and cheaper than Colorado. If you really have some money, you can work out a decent weekly rate at a 2 or 3 star hotel in ABQ, NM. November through April, run in the middle of the day. May through October, run in the morning. Better Call Saul is 100% film in ABQ, NM.

Juice Springsteen wrote:

Maybe you should go all in on FINDING A NEW JOB.

You should at least work part time at a shoe store or something. That will make your job interview less awkward in 6 months when you have to hit the job hunt again. You know, because you won’t have to tell them you totally stopped working to take a long shot at your running career.

Where’s all this money you have saved, is that your retirement stash? Be smart here.

This. You will be in a much better mental state knowing you have some cash flow, even if it's part-time. This will lead to better performances.

abq, new mexico wrote:

Greater ABQ, NM is cheaper than Arizona and cheaper than Colorado. If you really have some money, you can work out a decent weekly rate at a 2 or 3 star hotel in ABQ, NM. November through April, run in the middle of the day. May through October, run in the morning. Better Call Saul is 100% film in ABQ, NM.

just join a local gym and make sure they have nice hours, then you'll always have a place to shower every night. a sprinter van would be awesome there in abq.

NotWashedUpYet wrote:

I'm getting laid off this week and I figure this is my last shot to go all in with my running. I have enough saved up that I can make it some time before I need to get a job again. I have nothing tying me down. I am debating getting a van and living on the road for a while but I'm not sure how great that would be for training. If you had the opportunity what city would you move to to train?

Go to San Diego!! Greatest city in America!!!

Would do that in a heartbeat if we were to switch places

You can camp for free all over the west on BLM land. Also get wikicamps and AllTrails. Do it!

I love the 395 corridor in eastern CA. Tons of natural beauty and great places to run, hot spring at the end of the day.

Travertine Hot Spring, Buckeye Hot Spring, Volcanic Tablelands, Mammoth Lakes, Alabama Hills, Mono Lake, Yosemite.

Juice Springsteen wrote:

Maybe you should go all in on FINDING A NEW JOB.

You should at least work part time at a shoe store or something. That will make your job interview less awkward in 6 months when you have to hit the job hunt again. You know, because you won’t have to tell them you totally stopped working to take a long shot at your running career.

Where’s all this money you have saved, is that your retirement stash? Be smart here.

You can live off very little money for a VERY LONG TIME, if you don't care about having a nice condo, a nice car, nice shoes etc.

The reason people are so freaked about money is because they think they need all this useless stuff. New iphones, new car, new carpet, upsizing their house, more shoes, more clothes, 5$ starbucks coffee, ...

I've lived with $10,000 for 3 years in Europe. Slept in my car, used the same clothes for months, didnt buy brand names, washed myself and clothes in the river.

so housing/an apartment, and a washing machine qualify as useless stuff to you? Gotcha.