"I Am A Marathoner."

In an interview with one of the US athletes, I heard the coolest comment. When asked what being at the Games meant to her, she said:

I'm an Olympian. For the rest of my life, I will always be able say that. I am an Olympian.

And that really resonated with me. For the last twenty-five years, I have able to say that about being a United States Marine. And since October 2011, I have been able to say that about running a marathon, too.

I am a marathoner.

No matter what else I ever accomplish on my physical fitness journey, I will always be able to claim that I am a marathoner.

It's true, I won't ever compete in the Olympics. Few of us ever will. But for a moment, an Olympic athlete and I had one thing in common. We both felt compelled to say something powerful, to lay claim to a title, and to acknowledge a personal accomplishment.

She is an Olympian. Me? I'm a marathoner. And I'm pretty damn proud of that.