In it for the Bling

I like to run races. I particularly like to run races which give me bling aka big shiny participation medals. While it would be great to run a race and get what I refer to as an “actual medal” (you know, for winning), for now I’ll settle for bling.

Coney Island Aquathlon 2013

There has been much malignment in the press regarding participation medals and how they are setting children up for terrible horrible futures. I don’t know if that is true or not, though, I have my doubts. I don't have any ribbons, trophies or medals from my childhood and only a few mementos of my childhood sports activities, so I cherish each of them, even the ones that simply say I passed a level of swimming. I’m not a kid anymore and I’m pretty sure I know the difference between winning and not winning, so I don't think my downfall will come from getting a bunch participation medals. I am also pretty sure that at my age just participating deserves something - even if it's just a banana and a cup of Gatorade.

Part of the reason I race is that races give me a goal to work towards and keep my training on track. For example, I know that I will have to run 13.1 miles on March 22 for the half marathon I registered for, so I better not slack off before then or I’m going to be in for a world of hurt. Since this will be my first half marathon, it was also important to me that the race I register for had a participation medal. If you are new to running, or any sport for that matter, I think that signing up for a competition is a good way to motivate you. You just have to make sure that you give yourself enough training time so that you don't feel overwhelmed. I'm feeling a little of that right now as the race gets closer and the weather keeps preventing me from running.

Spartan Sprint 2012

Having a medal to remember the events I do is definitely important to me, and is more about sentimentality than anything else. Some people are not at all sentimental and don't save anything. Me, I have boxes full of memories. It is nice to have a souvenir and to look back at each of the items and think “Hey, I did that!” Sure, I would still be able to remember my races without a medal, but having something tangible helps. While I like t-shirts, sometimes the t-shirt that is given out at a race is ugly or uncomfortable, so I don’t wear it. I'm not a fan of tech shirts, for instance, which have become very popular nowadays. With medals I don’t have that problem. I place them on my display and there they are, to remind me how far I've come and where I'd still like to go.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Virtual 5K

I also like Virtual Races, where you only get a medal. For a virtual race, you sign up and run the distance on your own and then you get a medal. These races are more like training runs, but they can still encourage you to get out and exercise, which is always a good thing! I have done a number of virtual races with my son and he really enjoys getting into the theme and having a medal to show off.

Sometimes, I will sign up for a virtual race because the medal itself is cool, like my Doctor Who 50^th Anniversary medal and sometimes I will sign up because I am running to celebrate a special event, like my Very Merry Run-Birthday medal, which I ran for my 40^th Birthday. I think all of these things are a good way to get active and to take some pride in it.

That said, once I've done something, I don't really need another medal for it. I have run a bunch of 5Ks so I don't really worry about a medal for those, just setting a PR (Personal Record). Although, come to think of it, I do really like my Hangover Run Sweatshirts, so maybe I need to find more 5ks that offer a sweatshirt. *grin*