Mission Aborted

Last night I decided to finally check out Frontrunners, a glbt running group with chapters throughout the country (and perhaps world). Going to a group run is a bit outside of my comfort zone, I fall on the introverted side of the scale and generally enjoy running alone or with one good pal. Still, I figured that it wouldn't be a bad idea to check out the group, if only for some camaraderie and perhaps an occasional outlet. I enlisted my running / biking buddy extraordinaire into this little adventure, figuring if things were strange having her there would soften the blow a bit.

We arrived at the meeting place around 7 and found it deserted. As the minutes ticked by I wondered if the group was defunct or just poorly attended on some nights. We waited. A few minutes later a lone runner ambled up and stood a few feet away from us. A few minutes later a serious looking fellow came by, he looked like he could easily run a Boston qualifying marathon, perhaps several, perhaps he could run one that very evening. Feeling a bit overwhelmed and intimidated I signaled to my companion that I wanted to bail and we headed back towards my car. As we drove up to the oval for a few laps I noticed a small group had gathered, all men at the statute. I felt tremendous relief that we had averted a potentially awkward situation.

I am sure this group serves a good purpose, and I would even be open to trying again when I knew more folks would be running. I am also not sure running with them would have been the worst thing in the world but sometimes you just have to follow your gut. Several rounds of the oval path felt just right, and I realized that I need to be gentle with myself. I can expand my horizons slowly and organically. I trust that I will be back, and better than ever, in my own time.

Looking forward, I registered for the Riverview 5k on June 6th. Running in Riverview is always a pleasure and I love the feel of a small-ish race. I plan on incorporating some speed work in my routine next week and hopefully kicking off my return to running season with a good time.