You've finished another great but hard session. You're pumped up yet getting tired. You want to get back to the car park, stretch off, get in the car then go home for that tasty, tasty dinner that's waiting for you. But the lead home runners are ssssoooooooooooooo ssssllllooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. You're not coming close to the fantastic speed you were nailing through the session, or even you're normal long run pace, but its OK, you're up at the front with them. Excellent, they're going faster. Then a little bit faster still. Brilliant!
No its not. Look at them. They're puffing out as hard as during a session, and that's not what its about, this is the warm down folks. Stay off their shoulder and allow the lead home people to keep their own pace. They need it. I've been at the front on a run home, getting pulled on faster than was comfortable for me, and I didn't want to feel like I was holding people up, so I kept pace, even as the speed kept creeping up, so that when I got to the car park I was hanging oot ay mur a***. That's not how its supposed to be.
Remember as well - if everyone goes off at their own pace, the pack stretches & splinters, and the slower & tireder runners feel they need to push harder to stay in touch. You are also not getting as good a warm down as you could.
This is why Tommy sets it up the way he does - everyone should be able to get a gentle warm down and part of it can be unwinding a bit with some banter, talk to people (particularly the newer folk I say) and find out how they're getting on. And if they are breathing hard, encourage them to slow down a little until they can carry on the conversation, then you know they're at a better pace for them.
I'll get off me soapbox now.
This public service announcement was brought to you by Bad Religion's Nobody Listens
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