Mexico City Day 2

Greetings!  Day two of running in Mexico City went much better. I ran along Paseo de la Reforma, the longest street in town. The sidewalks still presented a number of problems, however the large divided roadway was well lit which allowed for enjoyment of the surroundings. The road took me past museums and the very big and very nice Chapultepec Park.  Other people seemed to know this road made for a better route. I encountered a number of folks out for a morning jog at 5:00AM.

The morning was a little cooler than the previous one. I might have worn gloves had I ventured outside prior to running. Many of the other runners had on long sleeves, pants and a few had hats. I think most of my friends from the American South would have found the temperature quite pleasing.

Like any mega city, construction and traffic remained constant through most hours of the day and night. Many businesses touted signs noting round the clock service. Given the high number of people out at any given time, Shannan and I felt comfortable walking to dinner and others destinations, and I had no concerns exercising before the light of day. Today, caused me to rethink my previous, and a bit more critical post on running in Mexico City.

Run around the world!

Tom

Running in Mega-Cities

Greetings! Over the years I've had the opportunity to run in cities with serious air pollution, at high altitude, as well as some with very heavy traffic. Today's outing provided some of all three. Given the large number of commuters in Mexico City I planned to get in my run first thing in the morning. I had been advised drivers begin the daily road war as early as 4:00 am. Also, it had been suggested to me to wait until sunrise to run for safety's sake.

I had been reading near a window in the lobby starting around 5:00. Indeed, the number of vehicles on the road grew steadily. In fact, they appeared so fast I became nervous. So, I decided I'd rather risk the dark than a horde of cars. It was a difficult run. The sidewalks in the Zona Rosa area are uniformly uneven. To add to my distress I didn't have a clear sense of the direction of cross streets. Also, I had to focus as pedestrians, dog walkers and shop keepers kept appearing out of nowhere. Along with all that there was my first concern, the many drivers hurrying about the thoroughfares. 

Of course with all that said, I thought it would be a “good idea” to cross a very large roundabout to get a closer look the Angel monument in the middle of a very busy interception. It was here I learned cars split sides and some even go against traffic in the roundabout. Scary! Getting back to the sidewalk was a perilous endeavor.

Even with a myriad of obstacles I chalked up four miles. The air quality presented no problem, and running at nearly eight thousand feet didn't create any noticeable breathing issues whatsoever. Yet, the sidewalks and traffic put Mexico City in league with Damascus and Cairo as the most difficult runs in my experience.

Be careful. Run.

Tom

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

Shannan and I recently completed What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by, Haruki Murakami. I think it’s a good read for runners. Folks who don’t have a long standing commitment to the sport may disagree. Many times I found myself in complete accord with Murakami, however, his abiding love for the marathon is greater than my own. Many times in the book he reminded me of experiences I had while running. Many proved so important that I chose to talk or write about them. It is sort of odd that a solitary sport like running leads to many conversations and communal activities.

Here in GA, our wacky winter weather appears to be behind us now. Spring has me excited about increasing my time on the road. Luckily, pollen doesn’t present a problem for me. I don’t have races or events in mind for this year. Perhaps something will present itself to me. At present, I am just excited about being outside, running, thinking and later chatting about the experience.

Find something to talk about. Run.


Tom