Top 5 cities for triathlon training

I am quoted in today's Japan Times saying

 "I think Tokyo is the best city for running in Asia. The climate is tolerable, the streets are clean and safe to cross, the air is breathable and you have a huge local running community and great foreign running community."

 I am not surprised then that within 12 hours I receive an email from a friend who is an ex-Japanese resident currently living in California who is shocked and appalled that I would gush about Tokyo in this context.  "Tokyo almost killed me" he writes,  "The constant long hours and after-work drinking, cigarette smoke, cold winters, rain, crowds, concrete, etc., etc."

Well, my friend's points are somewhat valid, but I stand by my assertion that Tokyo is the best running city in Asia.  The large triathlon/running contingency from Singapore is no doubt outraged, but lets face it, running in 90 degree heat is not exactly optimal, and the overall population in Singapore hasn't quite embraced endurance sports like in Japan.

Also, the key operative words are "In Asia".   I have had extended stays in various places, and for arguments sake, here is a quick list of my global 5 favourite and least favourite places for working out --

5 favourite triathlon training cities
 
1. Berkeley, California - The hills behind the University of California campus may be my single favourite place to run in the world.  There is great cycling nearby too.  But San Francisco Bay has to be among the coldest, scariest places to swim in the world (I have no plans to do Escape from Alcatraz any time soon).
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2. Kamakura-  The bicycle ride down the Miura Pennisula is scenic, the 50-meter pool by the waterfront is convenient, and the network of trails are wonderful

3. San Diego - Hard to beat the weather.

4. Sydney - I didn't even spend that much time there but the local support is still memorable.

5. Seattle - So many great urban trails in every direction.  Too bad that the "rainy season" lasts from October to June

I have not spent sufficient time in Eugene, Boulder, or Melbourne to comment, but I understand they are  also training meccas.


My Bottom 5:

1. Honolulu - The roads are scary narrow, yet the traffic screams along at 70 miles per hour (at least in Japan the narrow roads causes the traffic to move slower).

2. Beijing - I have fond memories of being swept along Beijing's wide streets with a river of millions of other cyclists.  Fond memories at least until I collided with another cyclist and almost precipitated an international incident.  Unfortunately now Beijing's streets are clogged with cars and the air is unbreathable.

3. Sao Paulo, Brazil - After my business colleague is held up at gunpoint, my security situation became an obsession with the business partners, and I found myself trapped for days in my fortress-like hotel, office, shopping mall complex.  To make matters worse, the exercise bikes at the hotel was broken and it was impossible to do laps in the swimming pool which was filled with bikini-clad Brazilian beauties (ok, the latter is not an entirely bad thing)

4. Manila - The people are fantastically kind and friendly, but I would not characterize this as a triathlon culture.   Moreover the air was unbreathable, AND the security was questionable. 

5. Las Vegas, Nevada - The worst of American suburban sprawl on steroids.