Medal Musings - 7th Year Runniversary

 It's hard to believe that it's been 7 years since I laced up my rubbishy Primark trainers and hit the playing fields for my first Couch to 5K session.  I find it amazing that I'm still running and still enjoying it as much as ever.  With another anniversary dawning, I found myself rummaging through a couple of boxes of medals.  I've accumulated a great many of them over the years and the medal hanger only holds a select few, so there were plenty I had forgotten about.  It was actually great fun reminding myself of all the medals I have collected.  Many of them were for virtual runs (I did lots of virtual runs in the early days and of course also in lockdown) and some of these were from companies no longer trading.  It made me feel quite nostalgic as I looked at them all, remembering the thrill I had when I achieved a certain distance for the first time or when the medal contributed towards a charity close to my heart.  I picked out some of my favourites and they are shown in the attached photo.  From left to right, let me try to tell the story behind each one and explain why it is particularly special to me.

Balloon Dog - This came from a virtual run company called Medal Miles, which is no longer in business.  It's a shame because they did come up with some really unusual medals.  I love balloon dogs, so I knew I had to have one of these as soon as I set eyes on it.  It was quite early on in my running journey and I was trying to master the 10k distance, so I decided that this would be the perfect motivation/reward for doing so.  I can remember thinking about the balloon dog as I was running. I had already given it a name - Miles - and was looking forward to giving it a home.  I didn't have a Garmin watch in those days so the first time I ran, I misjudged the distance and it was quite a bit under 10k.  Not to be deterred, I set out another day and this time I made sure I did it right.  So, Miles the Balloon Dog was mine and some six years later he is one of the medals that I have permanently hanging up in my bedroom. Most of them get swapped around now and again, so that's how much I love this little shiny guy.  Proceeds from this medal went towards a dog rescue and rehoming centre, which makes it even more special to me.

White Rabbit - I have always been obsessed with Alice in Wonderland.  I think it all started at primary school where my best friend had a gorgeous Alice pop-up book, which she would sometimes bring into school.  I utterly adored it.  Back then, of course, pop-up books were incredibly expensive and so I knew there wasn't much chance of me being able to own such a beautiful thing, but throughout my life I have been attracted to Alice-themed things.  Earlier this year, I kept seeing this White Rabbit medal appear on my timeline.  I kept being drawn back to it, although I was trying to be frugal at the time.  In the end, I couldn't resist and I signed up for what was called the Tea Party Challenge, an event along the Trans Pennine Trail in my hometown.  As long as you completed one lap (roughly 6.5 miles) you were assured of a medal, but you could push yourself further and do a half marathon, a marathon or even an ultra, if you wished. I had told myself I wasn't going to do another half marathon, but the thought of earning this stunner was enough to make me change my mind.  Yes, the half was hard and my slowest ever at 2 hours 11 minutes but I felt very proud to complete it.  This medal reminds me that I do have stamina and determination and I can achieve more than I often think I can.

Nightmare 5K.  This was a virtual race offered by a company called POW.  When I first started running, POW was probably the most cool virtual running company of all.  Their medals were so unique with their comic book and movie-based themes.  Sadly, they're no longer in business either .  This was one of the first 5Ks I completed.  The medal glows in the dark and it's one of the best Halloween medals I've seen although I have picked up a few since this one.  Although I earned this 7 years ago - back in the days when I still did my running in a muddy field in cheap trainers, not having the confidence to go anywhere more public because I thought I was slow and embarrassing - I still get it out and hang it up around Halloween, just to remind myself how far I've come (and of course to see it light up!) 

1000K medal.  These days 1000 K in a year would be a very modest goal for me, but back in the early days it felt like quite a challenge.  Achieving that total for the first time was one of the things that finally made me feel like a 'real' runner,  This medal was in connection with a charity raising funds for diabetes research.  I just love the colours - the silhouetted black figure and distance against that cheery rainbow.  It's a very hopeful, positive looking medal.

Feline Frolic - Another virtual race.  The Feline Frolic was organised by Virtual Racing (I'm glad to say they ARE still in business!) and as a cat lover, I knew I had to have this in my collection.  You see quite a few virtual runs for dogs - no doubt because you can take your dog with you - but it's rare to see a virtual run dedicated to cats.  I ran 9 miles to earn this sparkly and wonderfully pink bit of bling and it felt good to have contributed towards cats protection.  9 miles for 9 lives!

GNR Reimagined - Okay, so this one isn't particularly pretty, but it's special to me because it represents a moment in history when during the lockdown, the Great North Run was a virtual event that anyone could take part in.  I like the fact that this is truly a one-off.  Unlike the London Marathon where the virtual event has become a regular feature, being offered as an alternative to the main race, the virtual GNR only happened one time.  That makes this medal a unique memory of a unique time.  I hadn't intended to take part, not having done a half for a couple of years and certainly not having done any training, but I'm so glad I did because it felt so good to be part of it.  When I was out on the trail, making up my own route, I saw so many people out doing the same and there was a sense of camaraderie. So, although it's kind of boring design-wise, it does have real novelty value. Not that we really need reminders of lockdown, but it does make me think about how much we all improvised and adapted during that difficult time and found ways to keep doing the things that mattered.

So, let's hope there'll be a few more medals joining the collection as the years go by.  I don't enter as many events or virtual events these days but I am always keeping my eyes open for a special bit of bling that will (literally) make me go that extra mile.  Once in a while, it's really good for the soul.