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
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