De Train, De Train!

Trains train and training. Today was another cool (did I really see gloves out there today?) running morning. I arrived too late to leave with the 14 miler group so I headed out with the 10 miler group planning to complete the 12 mile version of St. Eds on my own. Kamran, Jason and I cruised easy up to St. Eds campus and cut over to 5th street where we parted. Jason was waffling on the distance but ended up opting for 10. I figured I could run 7 on my own and continued out on the course. In the 40 times I've run the S. Austin Ramble or St. Eds loops I've never been stopped by a train on Banister Dr but as I turned the corner a LONG freight train was heading inbound. About a block from the tracks, I noticed the 14 mile group had been caught and picked up the pace to try to catch them. I was about 100m back when the gates lifted so it took me another mile or so to catch up. Where I caught them was about 1/2 mile from the 12/14 mile route split. I was feeling really good, appeared to have plenty of time and thought I would prefer the company so I decided to run in with the 14ers. The sun was just coming up, the sky was clear, the air was crisp and the conversation was mostly clean. It was pretty much a perfect group run. The Garminators where tracking the mileage and informed the rest of us that we were going to come up short (do ya think? Even the Garminless can tell we weren't doing 6:30s) so we added a half mile further on the trail before heading back toward Rogue. As we turned north onto Waller, I could hear the light rail train horn and projected that we might get stopped by yet another train. There was a CapMetro crew waiting at the crossing as we approached, I could hear the train coming but the gates didn't lower. However, as we turned the corner, the gates went down at I-35 while the train was still 1/2 mile out. I never actually saw the gates go down on Waller. This light rail is turning into a huge disaster. Not only that, but have you heard the horn on these things? Its loud. The urban dwellers are going to quickly tire of the noise. Assuming it actually goes into service before the urban dwellers move back to California where real estate is cheap.