By GLENN REED

Seattle is a city thronging with runners. Just check out places like Green Lake on a sunny afternoon ... or a dark, drizzly night, for that matter.

Whether you're a hard-core runner seeking a weekly challenge in your training, a middle-of-the-pack runner wanting to increase your speed for racing, or just a recreational runner looking for a good workout and the company of others, you should check out running with an organized group on a regular basis.

One such group in the area sets out from the Super Jock 'n Jill running store at Green Lake every Monday evening at 6 p.m.

A little over five years ago, when I moved to Seattle, I was actively racing in triathlons and road races and seeking to set up a training schedule in my new home. Picking up a copy of Northwest Runner magazine, I learned about local running groups, including the one at Super Jock 'n Jill. This was ideal for my training purposes, especially because I lived nearby at the time, and I started to run with the group every week for the whole summer.

Cut to 1999 and, after not racing for over two years, I'm aiming to get back into racing. What better way to do so then to hook up with the Green Lake group again? So, on a recent hot September evening, I laced up my (OK, rather foul-smelling) running shoes and prepared to get my racing legs back in shape.

When I arrived, there were about 20 or so people milling around on the sidewalk in front of store:. stretching legs, jogging in circles, socializing. Most looked like pretty serious runners to me. No casual joggers here, I thought.

"I don't do any speedwork except here," 46-year-old Ed Verschoor of Kent told me. "There are really a lot of good runners here and I get pushed." He explained that he has been running with the group for over five years and he frequently races in events ranging from 5-K runs to half-marathons.

Jeff McCann of Maple Valley comments: "No matter how fast you run, there's always someone faster." McCann raced in an ironman-distance triathlon (swimming, bicycling, running) in Lake Placid, N.Y., last month. He says he's looking to ease himself back into a running regimen. About halfway through the night's workout, I was pacing myself with him and wondering how fast he'd be going when he WAS in shape.

Still, neophytes shouldn't be scared away by the greyhounds of the group. The pack sets out from Super Jock 'n Jill and immediately breaks up into small packs based on abilities and individual needs for each night. Even if you find you've drifted back by yourself, someone from the group will often wait for you or come up, unexpectedly, from behind and ask to run with you.

"You tend to hook up with people who go your own pace," says 46-year-old Mark Billet of Seattle, "and you start to look for them every week. You start counting on them being there."

Running with the group can also relieve a lot of the sense of drudgery that may sometimes creep into your running routine.

"I also like it because it gives me a different place to run," says Claudia Cooper of Seattle. She has running in several marathons and has been with the group for over five years as well. "It's also great in the winter when it's dark because I can run with people."

Typically, group participants run an 8-mile route or a 5-mile route, although some add or subtract mileage depending upon their needs and what they feel like doing on any particular night. If you just want to run the 3-mile loop around Green Lake, you can, or if you want to throw in an extra mile ... or five ... because you're training for a half or full-marathon, you can usually find someone to go with you.

Both of the usual running routes head down Ravenna Boulevard, then course through the scenic, shady ravine in Cowen and Ravenna parks, before cutting across to the Burke-Gilman Trail. When runners reach the parking garage area near the big fountain at the University of Washington campus, the 5-milers head up through the campus while the 8-plus milers continue along the Burke-Gilman. The 5-milers cut through the campus, which means a long uphill, before intersecting Ravenna Boulevard again and following it back to the start. The 8-milers follow the Burke-Gilman to Stone Way Avenue, then slog up the long uphill and gradual downhill back to Green Lake, which they course around on the way back to Super Jock 'n Jill.

I decided to do the shorter route on this night and found two others (fewer than usual) who wanted to do so as well. Some construction on the UW campus left us searching for a way through a fence for a few minutes, like having an obstacle course thrown into the workout. Along the way we got separated and I never saw one of the runners again. I wondered if he had gotten discouraged, as it was his first time with the group.

Cooper notes that the presence of so many competitive runners in the group may scare newcomers away. "These are people who run hard, but they play hard, too," she emphasizes. "We also have a lot of fun."

That fun includes trips to local bars and restaurants, such as the Latona Pub and the Red Door in Fremont after the run. It also means more unusual ways to approach running.

"Once a year we line up eight bars on an 8-mile route," says McCann. "We drink a little bit at each one and then run the mile or so to the next one."

This sounds like a good idea to me, as I engage in my post-workout stretch and dribble sweat routine. Tonight, however, I'll just do the beer part. And think about the Mondays down the line when I try to keep up with the greyhounds .. at least for a mile or two.

Glenn Reed is a long-term health and fitness writer and freelancer in Northgate. He welcomes opportunities to cover other issues and can be reached through the Jet City Maven office at 440-9149.