Track workout in Seattle

I join a group of 50 serious Seattle runners at a track near Green Lake last night.   Having done workouts with groups in the past year in Singapore, NYC, HK, San Francisco, and Tokyo I was interested to see what the group from my hometown would be like.  And I found this club was definitely different - 

1. Faster runners -  We did 6 x1000 and I slotted in with the B group.  The four college aged guys in the A group averaged 3:05 per 1k.  The five guys in my B group averaged 3:14 and I struggled to keep up.  I needed to hit the restroom and missed the 5th interval and I could sense the rest of group B thinking that this guy just doesn't have what it takes.

2. Worst facilities - Considering Seattle is one of the wealthiest cities on the planet, it is shocking to experience the Green Lake track - more like one would expect in the developing world - a rutty, four-lane dirt track with dust blowing in from the interior soccer field.

3. Less friendly to newcomers - This group has to rank among the most unwelcoming, cliquish collection of people I have ever encountered.   Not only did no one make any effort to say hello, my efforts at conversation were met with cursory monosyllable replies.  There was no introduction of new people and rather than a post-workout group dinner  people went off together in small clusters.  I had observed how clannish and aloof Seattle people can be during numerous visits to my hometown since leaving for college two decades ago.   I guess like the city of Seattle itself, the Green Lake track is perceived as already full, and newcomers are simply not welcome.  I was just another outsider fresh off the boat further clogging up their city.  I thought about calling attention to my deep roots in Seattle but it didn't seem worth the effort.