Today is a day of cleaning, purging, and organizing around here. We figure that we might as well make the most out of this dreary, rainy, and grey day. I'm in the process of finding all my race medals from AFTER college and high school. I've never kept track of them. They usually go in a drawer, a box or get lost somewhere random. I've never cared much about saving them but I started dragging them all out today hanging them up on a bulletin board in our room/office area. I have not found them all...I've lost many of them but just hanging the ones that I do have has brought back so many great memories!
Every single medal here tells a story. I remember the feelings of euphoria, the struggles, the moments that I dug deep within myself to finish strong or get through a tough part of the race, the joyful feeling of being finished and the satisfaction I felt knowing that I was done. With every medal I placed on my board today, I remembered my life and where I was at that time. These medals don't just represent a race or a registration fee...they are a symbol of all that went into training for that race and the parts of myself that I was discovering, working through, and embracing during that time in my life. I'm so glad I've held on to some of these.
Do you save your race medals?
Amanda
I have saved all of my rowing medals. I only have a couple of running medals (two marathon finishers, a marathon relay participant and that weird Bay to Breakers finishers one), and I still have those, too. My running medals, oddly, don't mean all that much to me... I am just not that into "finishers" medals. I guess I am jaded after my rowing life. My favorite rowing medals are ones from regattas where only the winners went home with hardware... first place only. Whenever I pull out that medals box to show the kids, I definitely have that flood of memories :)
ReplyDeleteI tried your thing... guess what? I can do it... but I don't have as low body fat as you... so I just look like I am flobbing my flab around :P
ha ha...flobbing your flab around. so funny. I definitely have more memories with the medals that not everyone got or the finishers medal from a special race.
ReplyDeleteAll my medals are hanging up in the hallway outside my bedroom so I walk by them everyday. Sometimes I forget they are there, other days I admire them, some days I find myself touching them as I walk by on my way out the door for a run. I hang them up for inspiration. To remember my first race to my most recent. They each do have their own story and own emotions and feelings behind them.
ReplyDeleteVery cool! I just started running two years ago so I have saved (and treasure!) all of my medals so far. My kids love to show them off to people and like you said... they each symbolize a lot to me. Mine are hung up on an Allied Medal Display which I love!
ReplyDeleteI have all of my medals, too. And yes, I love the story that every medal tells, even if it's a story of struggle and defeat. Now, that Im thinking about it....can I steal this idea for a post of my own?! :)
ReplyDeletePS - Seriously, you are SO pretty and have an awesome stomach. Where did you get those abs!? I love your SHT - its hilarious. And yes, you should win!
I am so bummed out because I can't find my Seattle Marathon 2010 medal (first marathon). We moved a few months ago and I haven't seen it since! Boo! I am hoping I find it before we get all our stuff packed up for our move to Germany
ReplyDeleteYou know, I get annoyed with the way my kids' soccer teams frequently hand out trophies for participating. It's always seemed like it cheapened the experience of getting a trophy. And yet, my finishers medals, especially the marathon but even the one from my first 5k, mean a lot to me. They're definitely a symbol of all that hard work and of accomplishing something I never imagined I could.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely save my medals! They remind me that it CAN be done! You're right...so many tell a story. Plus my daughter loves to wear them when we play "big race"! She is always the winner of course!!
ReplyDeleteAh! I am only working on increasing my medals. I don't have too many, but they are all crammed into a drawer.
ReplyDeleteMost of them are just finishers medals- only one is from a win, and there are a few plaques for those too. But I don't hang them up! ha. I should put them into a box..
I save all my medals. Don't stare at them or sleep with them but I do save them. Even if they are just finishers medals, I feel like they're still important to me in a sense. Lots of memories, lots of hard work for many of them! I have them hanging on a curtain rod currently in our "hockey" room. Reese has all of hers on a real cool cast iron medal hanger that says "runner girl". The fun part for her is that since they rarely give out finisher's medals for 5k's, hers are all AG medals! I will have to post a picture:)
ReplyDeleteHope you had fun reminiscing today! And dreary, rainy? Sunny sauna here.....
Absolutely!!! It's my blood, sweat, tears with memories, good and bad. I look at them daily in amazement. I hang them proudly in my office at home!
ReplyDeleteAnyone that was offended by your SHT is too uptight. LOL I thought it was nothing short of AWESOME.
ReplyDeleteYou bet I save my medals! They're hanging on an Allied Medal Displays hanger in my bedroom! They all mean something, except for one. I got one medal at the end of 2010 that was sent to me by Competitor for completing two RnR events in that year. It's kind of crap because I have the actual medals from each of those races. It seemed kind of pointless, even to a hardware whore like me.
I know why you've picked up extra followers. It's not because of your brilliant and thoughtful prose (although there's plenty of that). It's because we all like a freak show and we're wondering what you've got in store for us next.
ReplyDeleteI'm a medal hoarder. Some mean more to me than others but each mean that I had the courage to sign on, the tenacity to train and the will to finish even when I was having a really bad race. They are badges of honour.
I have saved them all and have them hanging in our office at home. I love looking at them and remembering the good and even the bad from the races. You are right every one tells a story:)
ReplyDeleteSorry you had a dreary day! I do save my medals but only have a few so far!! I don't display them--they were on the belt rack in the back of our closet door. :)
ReplyDeleteHOpe tomorrow is better weather for you!!
I absolutely save my medals and love going through them and reliving the memory.
ReplyDeleteSo fun that you were able to find a lot of yours.
I only have one right now, but you bet I will be saving them all. They are a constant reminder that I CAN do hard things. And yes, I love that they each tell their own story of struggle and triumph!
ReplyDeleteI actually really only save the medals that really mean a lot to me (first marathon, first Half Ironman, etc..). The rest I have actually donated to Medals4Mettle..it's an awesome organization!
ReplyDeleteI love my race medals! I haven't run long, but they encourage me to keep running. I have an awesome hanger for them. When I get frustrated, I am reminded that I can do things I never thought possible!
ReplyDeleteCheck out these medal hangers. I love them! (No, I am not paid to brag about them!)
http://www.alliedmedaldisplays.com/
I'm a new follower, and currently training for my first marthon! There is a really cool program http://www.medals4mettle.org/ where you can donate your marathon/ half marathon/ triathalon medals and they will give them to a child fighting a debilitating illness. Although I intend to hang on to my first marathon finishers medal, I definitely will donate to them in the future.
ReplyDeleteI save all of my medals. I don't have that many of them but I can't imagine not keeping them someplace special. I keep them all on a bulletin board inside my closet with my race bibs!
ReplyDeleteYes, I have my medals hanging up. Most of them are filled with a painful story though. My husbands rack is full, mine.. not so much
ReplyDeleteI def have all my medals and I'm in the process of scouring the internet for the medal display. Think I might have found it on Etsy but we'll see. I love looking back at them, esp when I'm struggling. It reminds me of what I am capable of.
ReplyDeleteI keep mine...even when I had a bad race. I learn something from every race so they are good reminders for me.
ReplyDeletei keep them, but they all are just in a shoe box somewhere from the move. i have every intention of doing something more fancy with them someday. but i just haven't done it yet.
ReplyDeleteYeah...medals rule. Little feller took mine in for show and tell in the 4th grade... awesome. Yours are so pretty!
ReplyDeleteMy whole motivation for signing up for races is the bling! So yeah, I save all of mine and pretty much don't let people touch them. I delicately have them in a box with other race "souvenirs". I use the lanyard parts as padding so that none of them touch. I did decide on the medal hanger that I'm going to have made ~ inspired by Pre, of course! Then they will be on display for me to gaze at ... but NOT touch!
ReplyDeleteI keep my medals in a photo box for now with all of my race bibs. Ive not quite figured out yet what to do with them, and our home is teeny tiny so I don't think displaying them would be appropriate. One day when I have an office maybe they will make an appearance.
ReplyDeleteHi! I just came across your blog and am having a ton of fun reading…
ReplyDeleteInteresting topic today because we just moved and I am trying to finally get organized (ha!) and also coming across medals from many years past, even some I had forgotten all about.
I've been blogging since this January and enjoying it for many of the same reasons as I read in your "Why" post. I homeschool four boys and mostly blog about our very active (and FUN/Beautiful) Hawaiian life…but I keep wanting to get a running/fitness category on my site. I'll certainly refer to you if I do-you are a ton of fun. Stretchy skin and all. :)
I'll be back!