I’ve been scheming for a while now about a tattoo to mark the completion of the marathon. I’ve seen folks who put wings on their ankles and folks who put wings on their feet. Also, 26.2 with flames. Somehow, those just seemed a bit cliche to me, not to mention indicating a speedier pace than I manage.

Chic-Fil-A gave our girls the Tortoise and the Hare as a storybook for a kids’ meal. Although I’m certain that they didn’t intend for its artwork to end up on anyone’s skin, at least one of the drawings in there gave me an idea for a great tattoo. I’m one of those slow and steady runners, rather than the speedy hare, so my tattoo became the tortoise. When I went to talk with the tattoo artist (thanks, Drew, for the recommendation!), I said I didn’t want anything too goofy, and I really didn’t want anything Teenage Mutant Ninja-like.

So, last week I got a turtle tattoo: . My last tattoo had been when I was 20, so either my memory was a bit fuzzy about how painful these things are, or leg tattoos hurt more, or things just hurt more when you’re some 10+ years older. Youch! But now my turtle and I will be loping along as I train for a half-marathon in June. Maybe when I’m fast (hah!), I’ll get Speedy Gonzales on the other leg.