Boston Running Mecca Redux

I came of age as a runner in the mid 70s in the greater Boston area, the heyday of Bill Rodgers.

Running for Lincoln Sudbury High School, some 19 miles west of Boston, I regularly lined up against a super skinny pit-bull runner from the next town over (Wayland), a kid a year younger than I (but I could never beat him,) Alberto Salazar.

I topped out at 5th in the state in the indoor 1000 yards, an event consigned to the dustbin of obscure running history.

Today I'm visiting the old country (a.k.a. Massachusetts), and I see that the the Boston Globe has an article about Boston once again emerging as a mecca for elite runners. The article sites the BAA (Boston Athletic Association, who run the Boston Marathon) and New Balance as spearheading Boston's running renaissance.

As an old Massachusetts running hand, I applaud this, but as a modern devotee of distance running, I say Show me the altitude! I mean, c'mon, Boston is a sea-level city!

Wait! I have a solution. All you elite Boston runners are hereby invited to the splendor of Oaxaca to train at terrain ranging from 5-7000 feet. C'mon down to my beautiful adopted city and feel the pain! Perfect weather from September to February beckons. You can enjoy the world renowned cuisine of Oaxaca while you run your guts out in the rugged hills. There's still plenty of time to put in significant altitude training blocks in preparation for the challenges of 2015!

Just a thought.

Steve Lafler
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