Tuesday Evenings with the 5 Rivers Running Team

Recently I've started branching out and exploring the different running communities around Dayton, Ohio. There's a great club here called the Ohio River Road Runners Club (ORRRC), and I recommend everyone in Dayton check out their races. They're affordable, the competition will push you, and the people are great. While browsing the ORRRC website I found a page of resources for local runners, including recommendations for local training groups. I've been looking to add more workouts and track work to my week, and one of the groups listed, 5 Rivers Running Team, meets at the track near me on Tuesday evenings. So I gave them a try.

Despite it being 90 degrees, about 10 people showed up. They told me later that the Tuesday track workouts usually draw closer to 25. I'm a bit shy around a group of complete strangers, but I was welcomed the second I walked in, and Jeff, the coach, put me at ease right away. Jeff and a runner named Kelsey explained the workout for the day. They had two options so runners at every level had something they could do. I chose what most people were doing: 3x300m at 5k pace and 6-10x800m at marathon pace. Since I haven't raced in a while, I floated between a couple of different people through the workout. Everyone was welcoming and clearly there to push themselves, and that's a kind of energy I've missed being around.

A few things for those who are still uncertain on if they want to give them a try. You are not going to get dropped. There are people at every pace and you run with the group that matches yours, though everyone there is trying to push themselves. Being the only new face is not a problem either. Most of the group shows up every single week so they all know each other well, and they go out of their way to introduce themselves and pull you in. There is also a voluntary five dollar a month membership that goes toward things like the website, but nobody is tracking it. Show up, run a couple of workouts, and figure out later whether you want to contribute.

5 Rivers also meets on Thursdays and for long runs on Saturdays. I haven't made it to either yet, but I plan to, and I'll update this post when I do. If you're in the Dayton area and looking for a motivated group that wants to get better, I'd recommend showing up for a run and seeing how it feels. Personally, I think the Tuesday track workouts are going to stay on my schedule for a long time.