Medals, Glorious Medals

[Dexy5]

I know this may horrify a few of my running buddies, but I have been having a sort out and have decided to recycle some of my medals.

Runr, a local running clothing company is collecting the medals people don’t want anymore so that they can be used to inspire school children and other groups to get running. More of the initiative on here:

runr.co.uk/pages/medals-for...

So why don’t I want these?

The Saint Georges Day evening run was a 5k or 10k race and it was my first 10k race after juju’s plan . However it turned out not to be full 10k distance, which I was so disappointed in. Many runners switched to 5k and got the same medal so I was running alone a lot, and I was heavily bitten by mosquitoes attracted to the fluorescent spots on my leggings. The medal is far too big, and only one of the 4 patron saints medals, which link up. The only good things about it was the introduction to a new running area in the north of the city, and our first run outside parkrun with Mr and Mrs   Coddfish . And My disappointment spurred me on to enter the chip-timed Bristol 10k and meet up with   cheekychipmunks soon after.

There are 2 virtual run medals for running a self imposed distance in a month which I am happy to pass on and then one which was meant to be a chip-timed race at Southampton but due to a low number of entrants turned out not to be, and I don’t like the medal.

Has anyone else held on to a medal which doesn’t mean much to them? Or is all bling sacred?

PS This isn’t a plea for you to send your medals in, but a discussion on whether all medals are equal. In my case, some are definitely more loved than others. ❤️

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon]

You’re very noble Dexy. It’s a lovely idea. 😀

Having said that, mine are all too precious to part with. So I’m afraid they’ll be remaining on my hangers! Now running teeshirts? Take ‘em all!

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to cheekychipmunks]

UTS said you wouldn’t forgive me. 😂. But all in a good cause eh? I still have loads of lovely medals which I do care about. ❤️

[Oldfloss Administrator]

This is a wonderful idea....I don't have many....but I shall look x

[JonathanP 10 Miles]

I only have 2 (GSR x 2) Dexy and that's plenty! Until the next GSR?😜

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to JonathanP]

They are so precious, I’d never get rid of them.

[SueAppleRun 10 Miles]

A good thing to do Dexy, I only have one so I'll keep it for now

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to SueAppleRun]

NFM 2023!

[SueAppleRun 10 Miles in reply to Dexy5]

Yup

[TailChaser Marathon]

I’ve just looked at mine…and no, like vinyl, I can’t part with any of them. Some may have to go into a shoe box at some point (soon probably) but I don’t think I can part with them…not yet anyway.

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon]

Every single medal is precious and tells a story. Although there is one that I’m not so fond of.

I had signed up for a 10 mile race and bad weather meant it was cancelled so I ran it virtually and got the bling. The following year I signed up again and ran it and as soon as I crossed the finish line saw that it was the same medal as the year before! I was so disappointed ☹️

I mean, couldn’t they put a different coloured ribbon on it or something?

So every time I look at it, it jars. But it’s still staying 🙂

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to Irishprincess]

I suspect they would have had a lot of leftover medals on the first year. But I agree, just put a new ribbon on if you are going to use the same medal.

[Cantstopmenow Half Marathon]

That's a great idea Dexy. I've only got 5 so I'll be hanging on to them.

[Cmoi Marathon]

Good for you Dexy5 👏

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon]

Nooo 😱 While I can understand your reasoning, I couldn't part with any of mine. In fact, I am desperately in need of a new hanger. Having said that, not all medals are equal. Some are just too beautiful to dispose of and some bring back happy memories of running with special people 😍

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon]

I think that this is a brilliant idea Dexy5. aliboo70 also pointed out a way of redistributing used, but not worn out, running shoes. Easy for me to say of course;I have collected very few medals and generally I don’t do “stuff”. Thank heaven we are all different 🙂

[Cmoi Marathon in reply to Beachcomber66]

Thinking of JogOn jogonagain.com/ Beachcomber66 ?

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon in reply to Cmoi]

Exactly right Cmoi. 🙂

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to Beachcomber66]

Sometimes we have a running clothes and shoes collection at parkrun for charity, and my local running shop collects old shoes for reuse or recycle . It’s good to know that things we no longer need can be of use to someone else. When my shoes are no good for running, I use them for walking, and then recycle them later.

[Cmoi Marathon]

"It’s good to know that things we no longer need can be of use to someone else."

So, so much this Dexy5 . I'm appallingly messy and have accumulated far too much stuff, and I don't just mean running gear, over the years. As I also detest waste I'm now trying to use the stuff I already have, to acquire less, and to declutter by donating and recycling as much as possible.

In fact just this morning we were at a village "gardening swap" where people can give and take away any seeds, plants, shrubs or trees they want. All free. Our vegetable raised beds were full of forget-me-nots, so my husband dug some out, repotted them, and we took those. Much better for others to enjoy them than for them to be chucked on the compost!

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to Cmoi]

I do like the idea of swapping plants.

[Cmoi Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

It was lovely. You don't even have to swap, you can simply give or take, as you please.

Also involved organic beer from the village microbrewery, and pizzas and organic bread cooked in the village bread oven. Those were on a paying basis though!

Other associations in local towns do "freebie fests" on a similar basis - donate or acquire clothes, household linen, crockery, books, toys and more.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

Sorry I'm so late in replying. Dexy. Well done you! My medal hanger needs a real clear out (or I need a new one, which is my preferred option). I did throw some of the early monthly virtual medals I got, but I'm not sure I could throw anything with real memories attached ... I'd even find it hard to throw away my first GSR medal; despite all the bad memories attached to it, it hangs there as a reminder that bad things happen, but they don't define the future!

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to linda9389]

Yes I only managed to remove 4 from my collection. 18 remaining! I could never dispose of GSR medal either. I recall you received the worst T-shirt that year too.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

Yup. It really wasn't the best of days 😍

Given it was pretty much my first event, it's amazing I've gone on to do so many more. If I remember, I signed up for LLHM just a week or so later ... determined that that run wasn't going to be the end of me!!!