reluctant rowdy runs rapidly -OR- SDRI trail running club's first meeting

If you've been following me for a while you know I started trail running this year, competed a little bit and I am training to run faster. Just 5k trail runs and races, nothing special.

The San Diego Running Institute (SDRI) is near my house and my jiu jitsu school so when I saw they were starting a trail running club I immediately signed up to check it out.

This morning was the first meeting and run. Blah blah blah, information and propoganda. When are we running?!?!?! I mean, I didn't come to this parking lot at 0700 to hear someone talk, I was ready to hit the dirt.

It's time to run and V. asks "Who runs faster than a 8 minute mile?" To which me and two other people raise there hands. Great. A group of 30 people and I'm already singled out, laughingly enough now as 'fast'. HA! V. follows this up with, "Alright then, whats your name? Rowdy you lead the group on the run. Go."

Who? What? Where? Me???? So yeah, my first meeting with this group and I am leading the whole club on it's first run. I had mountain biked this trail before, so I knew where I was going. Jumping out at about a 7:45 pace I lead the group for the first 1.4 miles and then directed traffic so people didn't go down a side trail.

I could go on and on about the club and stuff, but why bother. You probably are not interested. But me, I'm not a group person and I am a reluctant leader. I don't feel particularly fast, experienced or anything where I should of had a train of 29 people running behind me. You should have seen it....

It felt funny. But guess what, now I am probably leading one or two runs a week now for this club! Hahahaha. Guess I'm in it......