Next to finding the right coach, finding the right place to train is one of the most important considerations for an athlete. Without the right facilities and/or the right atmosphere, an athlete's career can come to a standstill or at least not progress as fast as it should.
Part of the problem is mental: if athletes don't feel comfortable where they live and train, they're not going to perform at their best.
There are a number of factors to consider when picking a training location.
1. Availability.
Some sports require specialized facilities/locations; when those training sites are not widely available, choices are limited. Example:
2. Quality.
Even when there are lots of place to train, they may not be equally good. Examples:
3. Weather.
Weather plays a role in location choice. How much of a role depends on the requirements of the sport and the needs of the athlete.
For outdoor sports, weather is a big factor. While covered practice areas offer flexibility for some outdoor sports, they are of little use for others (e.g., marathon running, golf, skiing). As a rule, outdoor athletes tend to gravitate to areas where the weather and climate facilitate long training seasons (e.g., Florida for tennis and golf, Colorado and Utah for skiing).
For indoor or short-season sports, weather can be more easily accommodated. But it can still play a significant role in the mental health of an athlete. Someone who hates rain won't be happy training in the Northwest Pacific; someone who hates cold and snow won't be happy training in New England.
In addition, weather may be a consideration for athletes with health issues such as allergies or asthma.
Not all athletes, however, avoid poor weather conditions. Examples:
"Pushing myself through the physical barriers of weather has given me mental strength." (1)
"You can't beat the training environment. And you sure can't beat the heat.'' (2)
4. Altitude.
While many athletes are not particularly concerned with high altitude training, some, such as runners and cyclists, are very interested in it.
At present there is still no agreement among trainers and researchers about altitude training. Some say full-time high altitude training is beneficial. Some say the benefits are temporary and evaporate quickly at lower elevations. Still others believe some combination of high and low altitude training is the most productive.
"We think we know a few things about the process. One is that it benefits athletes in endurance events more than it does sprinters. Another is that within that group it benefits some athletes more than others. A third is that its main benefits occur during a fairly brief period," according to J. Richard Coast, director of the Northern Arizona University's High Altitude Sports Training Complex exercise laboratory, situated at 7000 feet in the Arizona mountains. (3)
Not every athlete believes in high altitude training. Examples:
(Note: Jay T. Kearney, Senior Sports Physiologist at the United States Olympic Committee, said this in reference to the above information. "In the summer that Jim Ryan broke the world record he was alternating training in Alamosa, Colorado, clearly altitude, and doing sea-level training. He was a subject in a well controled reasearch study at the time.")
The latest theory is that athletes should live at high altitudes and train at lower ones ("living high and training low"). This way the body will make more red blood cells to compensate for the lack of oxygen when it is resting at high altitudes and it will reach a higher degree of aerobic fitness due to the extra oxygen it takes in during exercise at lower altitudes.
According to Dr. Igor Gamow, professor of chemical engineering at the University of Colorado, studies have shown that 1) even short stays at higher elevations (four-hour stays at 8,000 feet or higher) will result in increased production of red blood cells and 2) runners living at high altitude and training at a lower one improved their performance more than those not changing altitude.
Gamow developed a sleep chamber for athletes to use at night to simulate high altitude conditions. This allows them to live and train at sea level, but sleep in high altitude conditions.
(Note: Kearney of the USOC said this in reference to the above information. "Igor Gamow has no data to base his claims of effacacy of the chamber on increasing EPO output. There is one obscure rat study that 'suggests' what he claims.")
In 1993 another researcher, Heikki Rusko, developed a similar device (called "altitude housing") that has been used by Finnish athletes. (6)
The U.S. cycling team used a less experimental way to live high, train low in preparation for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Each day they trained outdoors in Colorado Springs. Then they moved indoors at the Olympic Training Center to work out on stationary bikes while breathing from oxygen tanks which simulated sea level conditions. Then they moved to even higher elevations at night to sleep. (7)
5. Sportsmass.
Some locations are extremely popular for training because of the sheer number of athletes and support services there. Example:
"What's really great is being around people who understand running." (9)
"It's really a perfect location. [The Sunday group] started with a couple of phone calls. I think everybody was itching to get together. We realize that it's not us against each other. We have to become a better team of runners in world competition." (13)
The process whereby an area becomes a major training center often starts when a well-known athlete likes the place, moves there, has continuing competitive success, and spreads the word to his or her friends. They come to visit and some of them decide to stay permanently. Said runner Arturo Barrios (who move to Boulder in 1986 and who set a world record for the 10,000 meters in 1989), "It only takes one person to succeed, then others follow. If somebody you know wins, it must be OK." (14)
When enough athletes move there to train, an industry develops around them. Retailers open up specialty shops. Service providers (e.g., physical therapists, sports physicians, trainers, sports psychologists) set up practices. Entrepreneurs establish equipment companies. Eventually the area becomes a headquarters for the sport.
There are good reasons for an athlete to consider moving to one of these sports centers. Not only will they find a wealth of services geared to their needs, but they will also be able to stay abreast of their sport and their competitors. And if they need part-time jobs to fund their training, they're going to find a sympathetic community. Example:
Shorter's company provided jobs to many runners who moved to Boulder. In 1984, 24 members of the Frank Shorter Racing Team qualified for the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.
Boulder has gotten such a reputation as a sports center that a number of sports-related companies have relocated there including bicycle manufacturer Schwinn; the editorial offices for Ski, Skiing, and Freeze magazines; and ski film company Warren Miller Entertainment.
On the downside, some athletes can become too involved in their sport in such a setting. Their training, their work, and their social life overlap or even become one in the same. Burnout can result.
The solution: Don't limit yourself to a small group of people. It's important to have contacts outside your sport. Example:
6. Educational and career opportunities.
If you have a choice of training locations, you might as well choose the one which offers you the best preparation for life after sports. Even if doing anything else seems secondary to you at this time, you should give yourself the option to pursue other career paths when the time comes. Example:
Some locations even offer programs specifically designed to accommodate athletes (e.g., special school schedules for athletes in high school, out-of-state tuition breaks for those in college). And local companies may offer sports-related internships. Example:
7. Cost of living.
A training location's cost-of-living should matter to any athlete who isn't making lots of money or who isn't being subsidized. Unfortunately, some highly desirable locations come with hefty price tags. Example:
Remember--the more money that goes out for rent and other expenses, the less there may be for training expenses.
8. Community size.
Almost everyone has a preference when it comes to community size. Some of us like to live in big cities; some of us like to live in little towns. There are advantages and disadvantages to both as far as athletes are concerned.
A small town can offer a good training environment because there are fewer distractions than in an urban area. Since there's less to do, there is more opportunity to focus on training. But, on the other hand, some people find small towns boring.
Privacy can be another issue. Big cities can be more impersonal, but also offer some anonymity. Small towns can be friendlier, but more of one's lifestyle is on display. Example:
"It's wonderful to be part of this town. To have a home and be connected. People recognize me at the post office.'' (18)