Warning: This post will be used as a tool to vent.
Me-Former college runner with modest PR's (8:40's 3k, 15min. 5k, etc.) Been out of it for a few years but recently have come back into decent shape.
I decided to go downtown to my local afternoon "hump day run" after already completing a track workout that early morning. I had never been and was told it was an easy short run, more of a social thing for local runners to gather around. I figured what the heck and see what all the fuss was about, this particular wednesday over 100 people had showed up and from the get go it was clear some of the runners were gonna run this a little faster than a "social run". Most of the run was great, easy, talked the whole way, 6:50-7:00 pace. Skip to the last 5 feet and BAM out of no where these two 30 somethings come charging past me and another runner to beat each other and us to the "finish line".
I know it shouldn't bother me but it clearly does. Like seriously. My reaction to all of this. After we started walking back to the parking lot, they were a few steps ahead, I said, " Really?!? I didnt know we were racing!" No reply. It just irks me that some of these people who just happened to stumble upon running in their late 20's-early 30's, put all kinds of stickers on their cars, and buy gu packs for 5 mile runs think every single thing is a competition and an "alpha male" thing it feels like. I won't be back needless to say.