“You don’t stop running because you get old, you get old because you stop running.” ― Christopher McDougall, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
I mentioned in a previous post that I had started reading Born to Run, Christopher McDougall’s bestseller about ultrarunning and the Tarahumara of Northern Mexico. Well, I finished reading the book in just a few sittings and loved it. Although if there’s one thing I’m now entirely sure of, it’s that ultrarunning is way too hardcore for me. I enjoy distance running and it’s one of my focuses for 2012, but I’ll be more than satisfied if I complete my goal of two half-marathons and train consistently this year.
For the past couple of weeks I’ve been waking early and spending my mornings at Viveros de Coyoacán, one of my favorite outdoor running paths in Mexico City. I’ve also been adding chia seeds to my green breakfast smoothies and dissolving the seeds in water and lime juice to make the Tarahumara power drink called iskiate, or chia fresca, that McDougall describes in the book — it’s not going to turn me into an ultrarunner like the Tarahumara, but it does provide a nice energy boost at 5:30 AM.
And over the weekend I went ahead and registered for my very first organized running event in Mexico City, a 10K race that’s coming up in March, and I have plans to train for and run in the Father’s Day half-marathon in Tlalpan Park in June. Read more
Before moving to Mexico City, we spent just over a year traveling. A friend recently asked me how we didn’t go broke paying for accommodations. “Doesn’t it get expensive staying in hotels every night for months on end?” she asked. The answer is of course it does. Even staying in hotels here in Mexico, where the rates are typically much less than say, hotels in Liverpool, accommodation costs can quickly add up and it would have been easy to spend a significant portion of our travel budget on hotels. Instead, we managed to save money by staying in alternative accommodations and hotels were often a last resort except for in the most inexpensive of destinations. Read more
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and as much as I’d love to book a quick flight out to the coast, something tells me we’ll be spending the holiday a bit closer to home this year. Here are four weekend getaways near Mexico City.
Valle de Bravo
Often called the “Switzerland of Mexico,” the magic town of Valle de Bravo with its forests, mountains and lakefront views is a favorite weekend retreat from the capital. The lakefront resorts offer a variety of spa treatments, yoga, meditation, golf, hiking and watersports. Valle de Bravo is located just minutes from the nearby monarch butterfly sanctuary at Piedra Herrada and serves as a great jumping off point for visiting the reserve; the best time to visit is between November and February. Limited domestic and international flights arrive at the nearby airport in Toluca. Read more
Los Cabos is gearing up for another busy year with the recent launch of its new tourism marketing campaign, Time2Cabo, and plans to host world leaders at the 2012 G20 Summit in June. The Los Cabos municipality, which includes Cabo San Lucas, San José del Cabo, the Los Cabos Corridor and the surrounding areas, is internationally known as one of Mexico’s top resort destinations. From private villas and spas to world class restaurants and 5 star golf resorts, here are five reasons to visit Los Cabos.
Luxury
Los Cabos which has always been one of Mexico’s most exclusive resort destinations. Los Cabos first gained its reputation as a high-end holiday destination in the 1950′s when it began attracting Hollywood celebrities. In the mid-1970′s the Mexican government began to take notice and invest in the region. Today, timeshares, private villas and lavish all-inclusive resorts and spas, many with private beaches and very upscale amenities, line the roughly 20 mile tourist corridor that extends along the southern coast of the Baja Peninsula from Cabo San Lucas to San José del Cabo. Read more
Saturdays are a great time to browse Mexico City’s many tianguises, or weekly open-air markets and one of the more interesting and unusual is the Tianguis Cultural del Chopo, or el Chopo. Originally established in 1980 at the Museo Universitario del Chopo, today el Chopo is a popular gathering place among the city’s various youth subcultures. Vendor stalls selling old records, CDs and music memorabilia stretch for several blocks along Calle Aldama and live bands perform on a small stage at the far end of the market.
The Tianguis Cultural del Chopo is open every Saturday from 10:30 AM until around 4 PM. The closest metro station is Buenavista and the Metrobus also passes nearby.
Photo credit: Allie Lefebvre
