It’s All About the Bling
My husband and I finally got around to the long-delayed project of hanging up all of our finisher medals in our exercise room.
Combined we have A LOT of medals and have spent years just hanging them from racks or on the wall or over doorknobs. They were honestly everywhere in our room, then for a while in a bin in the basement. I couldn’t figure out the best way to display them, but they represent a lot to both of us, so I wanted to do something productive with them.
I finally got the idea to just hang them on the wall in our exercise room in year order starting with my first triathlon. The intention was for inspiration walls that I can look at while I’m struggling through a peloton workout or just need to remind myself that I can do hard things.
The act of hanging the medals brought up lots of feelings and memories.
From the start
I laid them out in year order and was surprised at just how many races I had finished through the years. I remembered all of the hard work and dedication it took to finish all of those races. I thought about all the hours and hours spent running, swimming, and cycling. The schedules, the meal planning, the travel, and the injuries. It truly is a major commitment and a lifestyle.
But I also remembered the amazing feeling of finishing my first IronGirl Triathon. Those were special races filled with all sorts of women. So many were competing in their first triathlon and were nervous and excited. The atmosphere was festive and friendly – way different than other more competitive races I did later. I completed the IronGirl several times and even volunteered to help beginners in practice swims after my first few. Swimming in open water like a lake or the bay is very different than swimming in a pool – there is far less visibility and so many more people kicking you, literally swimming over you or just jostling you. It can be scary and in beginner races lots of people freak out and have to hold on to the safety kayaks or just outright stop swimming and have to be rescued. It’s a tough adjustment.
I also remembered the race where I got a flat tire and thought it would take longer to change than to run the mile back to the transition. So, there I was in socks (can’t run in bike shoes), with my helmet on (can’t take it off during the bike portion), running with my bike for an extra mile because I wasn’t great at changing tires. My husband’s face was priceless when he saw me. I actually had my best run time in that race ever. So many memories, both of victories and also struggles, including an ambulance ride to the ER after my hydration plan failed.
Looking back, it’s hard to remember why I wanted to start triathlon in the first place. I have never considered myself an athlete and in fact didn’t really start exercising until my mid-20’s. My ex-husband ran, so I decided I was going to run. I started riding a hybrid bike and liked how it felt but wanted to go faster, so I upgraded to a road bike. Swimming was just something I enjoyed, so I started to swim further and further. Then I combined them and became a triathlete which has its own culture. Through the years I did mostly sprint and Olympic distance races, but also several half ironman races. I branched out and did a 2-mile river swim one year and a JDRF century ride another. In the past 5 years, we’ve moved on to Adventure Racing which combines canoeing, mountain biking, trekking, and orienteering. I love the challenge and feeling of pushing myself to do something really hard and finishing it.
I never competed in races to win, but instead to reach my own personal goals. I always laughed when people asked if I won. Won? No way! My goal when I started was to finish and then as the years passed that moved to finishing in the upper 50%. Once in a while I podiumed (finished in the top 3 of my age group), but that truly depends on who shows up the day of the race. I love the pictures I have of myself smiling and sweaty standing on the podium.
But despite years of competing and being a fitness instructor, I struggled with calling myself a triathlete or even an athlete.
In my head athletes were really athletic people, and I never considered myself particularly athletic. I know people are familiar with negative self-talk which is exactly what this is. I’m not a fast runner, so therefore I am not a runner. I don’t win races so therefore I am not an athlete. I have struggled with this for years. I know many women feel the same way. I’m really not sure where it comes from, but I’ve been working on it for years.
I recently had to visit the podiatrist due to the dreaded plantar fasciitis and called myself an athlete when I filled out the paperwork which sounds silly but was a huge step. Also, the act of hanging up all of my medals from all of the races and competitions I have finished through the years made me realize that despite not winning the races, I trained, I competed in something really hard, and I did my very best, which is all we can ask for really.
When I finished and saw all the medals from years of hard work hanging on my inspiration wall, I made myself a new mantra – I am strong, I am capable, and I am an athlete. It’s a start.
