The Tattoo

To tat or not to tat, that is the question. 

After completing an ironman it is popular to get an ironman tattoo.  Many athletes use their creative juices to come up with cool places and artistic interpretations that can incorporate the Ironman Mdot.  Here are some examples that I've seen out there:

I've never been much of a tattoo person.  I don't have anything against tattoos, I just have never had anything that I felt like I identified with something enough to have it put on my body for all to see for a really long time.   

Lately I've been thinking a lot about getting an mdot tatoo.  These thoughts come about usually when i'm at the gym.  It's almost as if I feel like the Mdot would tell people "Yup, I'm a badass" or "don't give me that look just 'cause I'm on the elliptical, I've done two ironman races".    I don't know where I would get it.  Maybe the back of my calf, but then when I wear skirts to work everyone would see it, or maybe my shoulder.  I don't know why I really care what people at the gym think of me but I do.  Obviously it shows that I'm a competetive person if it's important to me that the random people at the gym think i'm a badass. 

Part of me also struggles with the fact that right now, the Mdot is a symbol of the Ironman company.  There are other companies out there that host the ironman distance race but cannot actually call themselves an ironman because one specific company owns that term.  I am actually rather annoyed with the Ironman coorporation (which is owned by the World Triathlon Coorpoation) because of some of the regulations and policies that they have in place for their races.  I also still think it's rediculous that a friend got lost on a course and as a result ended up missing a race cut off time and didn't get to finish, but I'm starting to get off track from my original point.  My point is, I'm not sure I want to do free advertising for that company.  Perhaps there is another way to express the 140.6 miles that is cool without putting the Mdot on my skin.  

I probably won't get one, but it's really weighing on my mind right now.

So the question is still, to tat or not to tat?