In the club

I've been running more and more lately, and my favorite place to run is on the Custis Trail which starts near my house and connects to the C&O Canal trail in Georgetown. I love to run there during rush hour, which really is as much a rush hour on the trail as it is on the road in DC. There are so many fantastic people to look at: the older men commuting home from work in offices, relieved to be out in nature and riding fast to get home to families and for stress relief. There are high school and college runners breezing past all others. Recreational bikers mashing on their pedals at low rpm, hoping no one is looking at them, usually self conscious. Then there are the triathletes. It's a guess, but I imagine we're the ones that aren't great runners, are a bit uncoordinated and have all the great gear. Cyclists don't use tri bars so the triathletes on bikes are easy to spot. Today I realized the reason I love to run at this time. It's because I wear an Ironman hat. I don't care how many people look or if anyone even knows what it is. When I clop along at 13 minutes per mile I'm no longer self conscious, wondering who will pass me. Today I caught the eye of a 70-something and as he passed he pointed at me and gave a thumbs up. He was also wearing an Ironman hat. I'm officially in the club. I am an Ironman.