March 2006 Tat of the Month

Pat Rizzo - 23 years old, NCC Alum in Naperville, IL

The fabled collection of tattoo's rolls into March with perhaps the boldest tat of any winner so far.  Pat Rizzo was a standout runner and multiple DIII All-American while at North Central College.  It wasn't until after college that he decided to get the art that adorns his right thigh, which ironically relates a great deal to what he learned while still on the team.  "I didn't get it until after I graduated for the reason of team representation. I had college teammates that might not like the way a tattoo would reflect the team...its flamboyance of pride would go against NCC's quiet confidence," he said.  Rizzo originally considered a lion in stride, but instead he "thought that the face profile symbolized the constant sense of "quiet confidence" as we call it at North Central...the constant sense of self confidence when on and off the track."  No doubt he has that. "You never want to come off as cocky, but every top runner feels he has the best chance of winning every race, if only in his mind." For Rizzo, the lion represents the "silent pride of the runner." It also reveals an instinct he learned at NCC.

"The lion is always on the hunt," Rizzo says. "You never want to turn your back on it or it just may strike. The lion hunts for the whole pride of lions, not just himself.  It is a team-kill animal; it shares and wants the group to be the best. That fits right into my philosophy of running." Now Rizzo and the king of the animal kingdom fit nicely at the top of the Tattoo of the Month contest.

Now ladies, if you're paying attention, this guy has it all. A great tattoo, silent self-confidence, a killer instinct, and a sense of pride in team. Not to mention a sensitive side. If you look closely at the picture, a recently viewed movie sits on the floor near the DVD shelf, none other than 'Sleepless in Seattle'. Wussy movies like that don't exactly bode well with the guys here at the CRC, but the tattoo kicks ass. Ladies if you want the hook-up please email info@columbusrunning.com and we'll see what we can do.

Congrats to Pat on earning some fine CRC merchandise.

Do you want to be the running tat of the month? Send us a picture at info@columbusrunning.com or stop by the store. Please let us know why, how, and when you got the tattoo...

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