Baby, we were born to run?

Runners in this new running group I just joined while we were waiting for the others to arrive:

Runner #1: ... I did the London marathon in 4 hours. But that was years ago, not very in shape now.
Runner #2: I could never do a marathon in 4 hours. My body just isn't made that way.
Me (relieved): Me, neither!
Runner #2: I did my last marathon in 5 hours.

I should have taken the metro back home then. Or turned around and run away. At my slowpoke pace. Although, of course, if they wanted to, they could have outrun me.

Not only were the other runners (with the exceptions of #1 and 2) none too friendly, but there was 1 pace group and it seemed like it was 8 minute miles. I was the very last, at least 1 city bock behind them. One other slower runner (although still faster than me) ran with me a little which was really nice of her. I only lasted half of the 9.5K planned. Everyone else already knew each other, had trained together all year and had just run the Paris marathon. Probably in impossibly fast times like 5 minutes, making the previously impressive 4 hour time seem as slow as I was.

A 5K-ish run is still good, right? Especially at around 10am on a Saturday.

Honestly, it's been a hard week, hard month, hard life, etc and running is the one time that I relax and DON'T feel stressed and inadequate (or worry about money-- that's another story). I don't need running to exacerbate these very things that it usually helps me escape. I wasn't enjoying that run. So I stopped.

Honestly, at the start when they ran farther and farther ahead of me, I was near tears and had no idea what I was doing there, in that group, on that run, in Paris, in the world. I haven't been feeling very good about life at the moment. I'm still waiting to hear back about a teaching/course development job that would change my life if I got it and I could have a normal life in Paris instead of living in marginal immigrant poverty like I currently do. And waiting for this decision is making me feel very very desperate.

Anyway, the only bright spots of this generally terrible experience were that runners #1 and 2 agreed that it wasn't normal to have a running group where all the leaders were fast and assured me that it would be worth coming back next Sat. Runner #1 even said that we could do slower Sunday runs together when I start working Sat am again.

Another successful Paris experience, n'est-ce pas?