Fast Running Blog

Anybody been to races in Mexico (any type)?
Which would be the best in your in experience (in Mexico)?
Which would be the worst?

I remember in high school when our Spanish teacher was showing us a film about Mexican bull fighters.  The quarterback of the football team was in that class and asked if Mexico had any national superstar athletes like the United States has Michael Jordan.  Another guy without thinking piped up and said, "Nope.  Because anyone who can run, jump, or swim is already over here."  Oh boy, that didn't make our Mexican teacher very happy.
But to answer your question, I've never even been to Mexico, although I hope to go this December.

Well Burt, the comment is not far from the truth. Our athletes are a joke (most of the time) compared to other international athletes. Our country is sunk in heavy corrupted politics. That is why we are still a third world country. The national sport is soccer, which we have some fairly good players.
Apart from that, there are some of us who try to jog-run and improve ourselves.
Which part of Mexico will you visit?

I will go to Juarez, where my brother-in-law lives.

Cd. Juarez, border with El Paso Texas?
To be honest, I think all Mexican-side border cities are ugly. But something must be nice there, no?

Well my wife went there about a month ago.  As she was coming back I happened upon a movie on one of those cable sci-fi channels; Borderland.  Not sure why it was on the sci-fi channel, but that's neither here nor there.  Suffice it to say it was quite the slasher horror flick.  So when my wife called to say that she had been stuck at the border for three hours, I was totally freaked out.  Now I hope I don't run into any of the thousands of human sacrificing cults that are undoubtedly there because it was in the movies.  Also, I've recently watched Man on Fire, so there must be thousands of kidnapping rings as well.

"Man on Fire", excellent movie. The sad part is that it is so real. You have to live here to understand some parts but yes, it is that real and ugly.
Just keep to yourself...I'm sure you'll do fine.

Eric:

Mexico has some good athletes. Arturo Barrios had the world record in 10,000 meters for a while - 27:08. In fact, to this day this is one of the fastest times in the distance ever run by a non-African. The US record is only 27:13, and was set with the help of East African immigration (Meb is originally from Eritrea).

I bet if you guys could do something to reduce the consumption of alcohol and tobacco on the national level that alone could help you raise a runner that could medal in the 10,000 in the Olympics. I spot Mexican kids all the time and say - wow, he would make a great runner if he tried. There is a lot of talent, but lots of it is getting destroyed by substance abuse and thus is never realized. Very similar situation to Russia.

Yes I agree. We have talent, but don't know what to do with it. They usually leave the country for another where they have better opportunities.
Mexico is a third world country; thinks' as a second world country; acts as a fourth world country; And although many don't believe it, the cost of living here is more than many, many first world countries.