BostonSub3 wrote:
I still don't understand why anyone would want to live their life in Thailand as a runner. Congestion, traffic, not many other runners, too hot, too rainy.
Jason, please elaborate!
I have a nice apartment in the middle of town: $300/month.
Utilities (electricity, internet, etc) are about $75 per month where I live.
Medical care: I live 5 minutes walking from the best hospital in Asia, Bumrungrad Hospital. I had achilles surgery 2 times there by the best orthopedic surgeon in Asia, Dr. Panya Wongpatimachai. $2000 all in, and I was able to run the Paris marathon only 2 months after my last achilles surgery.
My out-of-pocket expenses (food, transport, etc) are about one-third of the costs in the USA. I can walk to the supermarket, the gym and Starbucks.
Of course there is a social aspect. In most places in Asia, it's generally a breeze to meet beautiful women, and I mean real women (college students, office workers, divorcees, etc), NOT whores. Asia is the only place where I've actually rejected women who would be considered "9's and 10's" in Reno.....sometimes I just don't have the time or energy to take a girl out and I just want to be alone to rest and recuperate for the next workout. I also have normal friends, other American guys, and "my gang" of retirees from America, Australia, England, Europe, etc. and we sit around the pool and tell raunchy stories and bad jokes, argue about politics, complain about Thai habits, etc etc etc
Yes, you have to be a bit creative when it comes to training in Bangkok, but it can be done. I do about half my volume at the gym and about half in the park and track. These days I go to the fine gym at a 5 star hotel where they don't care how hard I pound the treadmill. When I got 86'ed at Fitness First and joined their gym, the management at this hotel and had a long talk with me about what happened at Fitness First, and they understood what really happened, that the azzholes at Fitness First were harassing me when I trained real hard.
When it rains, it's great...you have the whole park or track to yourself. That's the best time to train since you can stay cool.