Location: Memorial –> Blossom –> Jackson Hill
Distance: 4.5 mi
Time: dunno
Temp: 93

• Met fellow Striders & SMARTies for my first Wednesday night club run.  I considered skipping the group run to wait till it cooled down, but I decided to head over anyways.  I was at the pool/fitness area at 6:50pm, and Steeve, Barbara and Vic were already waiting.  By 7ish, there was a pretty healthy sized group - maybe 14?.  Vic, Barbara and others headed out to run the trails - I was tempted, especially since Barbara and Vic are around my pace group…..but with my luck I'd probably trip over a pebble and dislocate a hip or something. 
• So, I decided to run with the road runners.  I was a little nervous heading out, since everyone in the group was faster than me.   I asked Steeve for a breakdown of the route, since I figured I'd lose all the fast runners and wanted to make sure I followed the same route back.  As we headed down Blossom, Steeeve and David (?) gave great advice about adjusting the SMARTlite training schedule for New York, since it's currently geared for the Houston Marathon in January.   The good thing is I'll still be able to do the group SMART workouts, as long as I add extra mileage where I can.  
• Although I've only done SMART for a few weeks, I already like it much more than HoustonFit.  I especially appreciate the variety in workouts and venues, and the fact that I'm not lost in a sea of hundreds of runners (with Coaches who hardly keep track of their runners).  Huge crowds of runners are great for race day - but not for weekly training runs.  And thank GOD I don't have to run that $(*&ing "final" stretch from Shepherd to the volleyball courts that every single HoustonFit Saturday run ended with.  Oh, and I'm not paying $75 to do all of it.  Ok, HFit rant over. 
• For the first half of the run, I was feeling OK.  The "recreational" pace (as Steeeve called it) was definitely faster than what I would consider recreational, but I was able to keep a consistent pace even though I was in the back of the pack.   The second half was harder, and I was still in the back of the pack, but I felt better than I thought I would.   At the water stop at Starbucks, Steeve said he knew it was a tempo run for me (an easy run for everyone else), and I really appreciated that.   I get intimidated running with fast people, but it's a great motivator and challenge.  I'm glad I ran with the group, instead of waiting till after 8pm.  
• Back at the meeting place, Steeeve and Barbara bring out a cooler filled with….beer!  Awesome.