What you are seeing here is something me and my ego had to "get over" a couple years ago. You see, after I ran across the country in 1978, I continued to run. My running at that point was by myself and continued to be that way for almost 3 decades. Finally a few years ago, a close friend named Bill Sullivan, convinced me that I should run with him and his friends in the Holyoke, MA. St. Patty's Day Road Race. I reluctantly agreed. What you need to understand is that I had been out of the world of the "road race embracing loop" since before it ever existed. All you wonderfully crazy, health seeking, runners created the new era of wearing out running shoes every 3 months without me even knowing you existed. So, I pulled my head out of the sand and ventured out to a race. I went to the starting line with my male, Italian, "do you know what I did running years ago" ego and---we were off!!!! I hadn't even in my wildest dreams thought I could win one of these crazy races. However, in the middle of the first mile of the 2 1/2 mile up hill I was told to expect, a woman pushing a stroller with 2 kids in it passed me like I was standing on the curb with the other spectators. WHAT THE H...!!!! DOES SHE KNOW WHO I AM???? That made me wonder if I had made the right decision in agreeing to race. I new if I couldn't accept this happening then I probably shouldn't continue to do these races. But then we came up to the 3 mile mark (of a 10k) and I realized the elite runners were already beginning to finish. It truly was at that moment that I decided to enjoy myself, give these race things a try, and if when I finished one and I felt good about how I did, it was a great race. I decided being the AVERAGE AL was a great thing. Just getting out, enjoying life, running with friends and meeting such great new people made the whole average thing-- at least in running--worth while.