I Feel a Rant Coming

Running with a group can be a motivating, invigorating and challenging experience. Or it can be the most frustrating couple of hours outside of talking to your teenage kids. This morning was a little of both. We are in a recovery week so our normal 16 mile MLR (medium long run) was shortened to 14. Our normal 20+ miler on Saturday will be cut to 14 also. Normally recovery week means backing off the paces just a bit too, but this morning the group was pushing the pace from the outset. I finished up the run with an average pace of 7:29 when I would have been happy to run 7:45 or slower for a recovery week run. What frustrated me most this morning was the front of the pack having NO regard for traffic lights or stop signs even as rush hour traffic was building. At least 3 times the front of the pack called clear and went when cars were close enough to be a problem for the rear of the pack. I wonder if these guys ever stop to think what the driver sees. Its dark, your late for work, your trying to finish your coffee and muffin, maybe finishing up a shave or putting eye liner on, pushing to make the green light up ahead when suddenly 17 runners come out of nowhere crossing against the light right in front of you. You have no idea if there are more runners so you slow down or stop even though the light is green. Anyway, I ended up stopping 3 times, apparently confusing drivers even more. I've seen pissed off drivers swerve into runners after getting pissed at a previous group. I'll be running my own thing if the group continues to run as confrontational as this morning.....