As has happened on my last visit to Toulouse, I am beginning to meet people and become more part of a community right as I am about to leave. Two things have contributed to it, my running ability and Instagram.

Not sure which makes me more interesting. Since I have been running with Run in Toulouse, I have begun to be accepted as part of the group. I started getting accepted as I am a good runner and would do the en livre (free run) parts of the runs with the faster runners in the group. There is a smaller sub-set of most young guys who do the breakaway part of the runs. I try to do them as well and generally can keep up or close to them when we do the breakaways. This has given me credibility as a runner and they are impressed. I think they are most impressed that an older person can keep up with them or at least hold close to them. They have adopted me as part of the group. So now they all acknowledge me when the group meets. Also when we are on the breakaways they encourage me and joke with me about going faster.

The second part of the accepatance is my Instagram account. I post every day when I am in Toulouse and post about the running group on Tuesday and Thursday. When I joined Noam and Nordine running one Sunday, I asked if I could take their picture and told them I was going to post it on IG. Noam found me and my post of them and started following me. Last Tuesday, I posted a picture of Noam and Lucas on the run. I tagged Run in Toulouse. Both Noam and Run in Toulouse reposted my story. Lucas then started following me and I got a lot more views from people who follow Run in Toulouse. I did the same thing for this run with a picture of one of the guys I do the breakaways with and tagged Run in Toulouse. I picked up more followers of the people I run with.

Definitely going to miss the run group as it has become a big part of my life here in Toulouse. I bought a Run in Toulouse shirt and will wear it when I am back in Alexandria and post pictures of me wearing it and the monuments.

I had another good Vietnamese meal yesterday. It was probably one of the least expensive meals I have had but was excellent.