Pace Groups and other Epiphanies

It's the first thing we go over before every run ("Ok, so who's in the X min/mile group?  The turnaround is...”)  It’s something every runner measures themselves against.  And it is one of the things that sometimes frustrates me to the point of potentially maniacal giggles.  I laugh because I am an inbetweener.  I run at a "weird" pace – somewhere between 9:30 and 9"45mins/mile is my sweet spot. 

But I want to be faster!!!  I would prefer to sprint the entire run, if only I had the legs, lungs, and somewhat super human capability to do so.  But instead I just chug along.  Some group runs there are other 'tweeners to hang out with as we log our miles.  Other long runs it’s just me and Kelly Drive.  The hardest things about being a 'tweener is that the two sides of my personality (the overacheiver and the outgoing spazz) are at constant odds.  Do I slowdown to be in a pace group so that the long runs aren’t quite so solitary?  Do I speed up to try and hang with the faster pace group so that I may someday actually be faster??  I feel like these riddles will be answered around the same time we figure out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop.

So each week I keep trying something new.  One week, I joined the faster group for the short run.  I contempleted ways of tripping them to slow the pace juuuuust a little bit.  There are quite a few branches on the Schuykill river trail....wouldn't want you to trip....  Another week I slowed my pace down and talked so much I may have chatted my younger sister onto her high school swim team.  I'm pretty sure she is contemplating tripping ME for that one.  

But in the grander scheme of things, running is a solitary sport.  Sometimes you just need to break from the pack and log the miles all on your own.  I have had some of the greatest epiphanies, random thoughts, breakthroughs, and quiet moments while on long runs with just myself for company.  Because I am pretty sure THAT is what this all come down to: I may bust my ass to reach a certain pace, finish a race, or give myself a new challenge.  But I run because I am rarely ever as focused, calm, and energized than when I am running.  That's all that matters.  I can leave my pace and other such running conundrums to Ross and Sarah.  I just wanna run. :-)

See you out there,

Ruth