camaraderie

Ah, runner's camaraderie. I heart it. It's so fun to be out on a long run, and pass others who are going the distance too. You look at them and just see it. They are runners. You are a runner. You have something great in common. Something tangible and real. An achievement. You are cheering them on in your mind. Good job, just a few more miles. You are doing it! All you do is smile or nod or maybe say good morning but what passes between you is so much more than that. It's like a club.

Walkers have a separate club entirely. They often don't even look at me when I pass them. Maybe they feel an aversion to me because of my running. I think walkers are the "stop and smell the roses" type. Runners, well I am generalizing now, are overachievers; get-things-done types. I feel antsy when I walk. I don't say that to brag, it's probably a character flaw, but it's the truth. I feel a need for the pounding, the quick steps. A need to cover more ground. And, I feel like other runners get that.

So, here's to all my running buddies, whom I've never met, nor spoken a word to, but who are absolutely on the same page as me. My running brothers and sisters. Let's keep going the extra mile!