Secret Smiles

I knew today was going to be quite busy with the fundraiser running around and the running around for training so I tried to get an early start. I set my alarm for 5am and had everything set up for my run. Unfortunately, I didn't hear the alarm until 6am and didn't get up and ready and out the door until about 7:30 :( . The team was meeting at 8am at Riverside park and I'd planned on running from my apartment to meet them at 66th Street and Riverside. I realized I was never going to make it when it was 7:55 and I was only at Riverside and W. 10th. I was waiting for the light to change and felt pretty bummed about being late, being slow, etc when a woman came running toward me from the east side. I didn't know her and she didn't know me, we didn't have anything in common (if you can tell that by appearance) and I was wearing head phones (a sure sign I'm not that friendly) but she gave me this big wide smile anyway and I smiled back. It was a smile I'd seen before. It's a smile that says "This running thing is great, isn't it?" or "Great morning for a run!" or maybe it just says "hey, we're here, we're strangers, we're runners, we're connected". It doesn't seem to matter if you're fast or slow, man or woman, runners have a community of their own, a secret society if you will with secret smiles. The running community is not exclusive like most secret societies. In fact, I've found it to be extremely inclusive and the only thing that keeps people out is their own judgements about running or their own abilities. I encourage everyone I know to try it just once...I bet you'll be hooked and soon you'll have secret smiles of your own.