We were about 7 miles into a ten mile run over the weekend in Barrington, in rainy, foggy, miserable conditions when we approached the biggest hill on the course. I was feeling like I wanted to challenge myself a little, so I ran hard up the hill. I reached the top with the four other guys I was running with well behind. Unfortunately, that left me in 'no-man's land". That's because, according to our unwritten rules, I had to keep going at the pace I had set to get up the hill. Racing up the hill, and then stopping at the top is not cool in our book. So even though it was a somewhat impulsive move to run hard for a short time, once I made the move, I was then bound to continue. Regardless of how I was feeling. And I wasn't really feeling too good.
But that's just the way it goes in this group. If you want sympathy, go to church. It got me thinking about the many unwritten rules we have in the group of guys I have been running with for years. It's sort of like our running etiquette, except that there is really nothing rude about not following our rules, unless you are in our group. And then you simply don't violate the rules.
On this day we were in a somewhat celebratory mood. First, it was the weekend after Christmas, and just being out there put us ahead of the curve. It was also the first time in a while a couple of my former high school teammates, and our former coach were able to get together for a run. 
And, finally, it was the first time our friend Tom was able to run with us since tearing his Achilles tendon in the spring. This was a real milestone for him.
All of us, when in good shape, run a somewhat comparable pace. On this day, however, we were all in various stages of fitness. So we agreed to go out the first few miles at an easy, 'social' pace.
As I described this to my wife later, I realized there is a difference between our group runs on weekends, and the ones she has done with some of her girlfriends as part of the Chicago Endurance Sports training group. Her group run eventually became almost purely social. They would talk throughout the runs, catching up on each other's lives.
There is an element of that to the runs I do with my group of friends as well, but generally it's only for the first five or so miles. After that, it's every man for himself. It's an interesting dynamic, because we are all great friends, but are also highly competitive, and running to reach our own training goals. We want to challenge ourselves in the context of running with our friends.
That's what has led to the set of unwritten rules we have developed over the years. I have run with enough other groups to realize that every group seems to have it's own variations of those rules. With other groups I notice different dynamics and customs. I probably violate their rules, and have no idea. As for this group of friends, it's not something we have ever talked about, until I called Tom before writing this entry to ask for his input.
We determined there are several rules we seem to have followed for years. In Barrington, for instance, we tend to run together until we reach 'the church' which is at the 8 mile mark and where we usually stop for water. Then, we regroup, and usually we spread out a bit as we tend to push ourselves the last four miles to finish. Each of the four or five regular routes we run have their own particular markers, but the general guidelines are the same. And they have become entrenched enough that we all understand them without discussion.
We always start out together for at least the first half of the run. Depending on which of the courses we are running, there are different markers signifying where we might begin to separate. In Barrington, generally that means five miles in. On the Prairie Path, it usually isn't until at least 7 miles in. At Waterfall Glen, it's usually not until the 8 mile point.
Until those spots, we tend to run in a group and settle into a pace that we all live with regardless of our own desires to speed up or slow down. During this time we are able to get caught up on significant events in each others lives. Stuff like weddings, babies, work, as well as sports and politics. Especially sports and politics. Ya know, the important stuff.
But later in the run, someone inevitably, starts feeling good and pushes the pace. Often he will ask how the others are feeling, to see whether anyone wants to go with him. That's when the response comes, "go ahead, I know my way back to the car." Of course, that response is an invitation to the person who feeling good that he should go ahead and take off. But it's no guarantee that the one who lags behind initially won't decide to put on a major kick and try to pass him later. It's a game of cat and mouse we play every weekend, and, it often pushes us to run harder than we would otherwise.
On this day, because of that surge up the hill, I ended up having to run the last three miles mostly by myself. That was until my friend Mark decided to kick to the front and pass me in the last mile! But, at least, (according the 'rules') once he passed me, he kept going hard to the end. He even invited me to finish hard with him. But I said, "go ahead, I know my way back to the car." Or something like that.
Anyway, I'm interested to know some of the 'rules' you follow in your group runs. That's what the comment section is for. And, by the way, I won't even pretend to know the rules for the Lakefront during the summer when we runners have to share the path with large training groups, cyclists and roller-bladers. That's really crazy!
See you on the roads.....
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