(Half Ass) Training at Altitude

I'm currently living in Sucre, Bolivia where the elevation is 9,000 feet.  That's nearly twice as high as Boulder, CO where the good runners go for "high altitude training".   I've gotten in  2 runs so far and I can't honestly say I can tell the difference.  Maybe I'll throw in some surges and see if I'm extra winded.   Although Sucre is a great place for studying Spanish, it's awful for running.  There's one small park in town so my runs have involved running 6-7 laps around the crowded, paved path.  Fall racing season is just around the corner so hopefully this altitude training is just as effective for 18:30 5k runners as it is for the elite.