…all your racing bibs? I’m a little fuzzy on how my collection started but I remember that I used to put my bibs and any medals on a cork board I had in my bedroom. The board was on a wall that I saw when I first opened my peepers in the morning. Now this was back when I had my own life (and it didn’t revolve around two little ego maniacs!) but the downside was I had a full-time job – GASP!!!! I had to wake-up at 4:30 or 5am to get my runs in so, as incentive, I placed my running bibs right in my sleepy face so they would motivate me to get my lazy ass out of bed and hit the pavement! Seeing those shiny medals and racing bibs was like seeing the prize money (prize money I would never get but hey, I was still dreaming). It was the culmination of all the hard training – the race! The bling! So I started saving them.
I don’t even want to think how much $$ all these races add up to!
Somewhere along the way, I wrote the date, my time and if I placed on them. I wish I had started doing this earlier because I would really love to see what my very first 5K time was. I know I came in 12th overall and they didn’t give ribbons for 12th place Focker. It was a small race for a friends children’s school and I had no clue how to race at that time.
Sometimes I write things like “HOT AS HELL” just so I know why I had the sucky time. Not that I could forget. I pretty much remember each race like my delivery of the twins!…and some of them were about that difficult…no, not really. If they were I probably would never race again! It’s funny how people compare running a marathon to childbirth. Have you heard this? It actually gave me a spark of hope before I delivered the twins. I mean, running a marathon is absolutely hard and daunting and painful but totally do-able. I remember thinking that if childbirth (even with twins!) is like a marathon then I totally got this. Well, I wish I could remember who those people were so I could get them alone in a room for a while. I would have rather run a marathon in the desert with a teaspoon of water and only Miley Cyrus songs on my iPod then go through labor and a c-section ever again. But I digress…
Sometimes you get lucky #69 and run a 5K PR! So it was 3 years ago…what?
When I opened my personal training studio, VITA – Train for Life (catchy name, right?) I started putting all my bibs on a half-wall that was close to the ceiling in the center of the studio. They were there, but out of the way a bit. One of my favorite things to do was get out my ladder and add another bib to the wall. It was like adding memories. Adding building blocks of training. Adding new adventures. And, likewise, when I sold my studio two years ago, I waited until the absolute last day to take them all down because it was the saddest task I had to complete. I knew I would find a place for them at my home but it just wouldn’t be the same. As my studio had grown, so had my racing bibs.
The VITA Wall of Fame.
Why do I have so many pictures of the #69 bib? #weird
On the back wall by the spin bike was the shine to the Boston Marathon race. It had everything but velvet ropes.
They all now grace a wall in my garage. I like that I see them each and every time I get in and out of my car – which is all the time! I also like the ease with which I can look up a PR in any given race. No need to search the inter webs for race results…I just walk out to my garage. My only hope is that I can run and race long enough to cover the garage with memories, adventures and the times of my life!
Now what am I going to do with all the racing t-shirts?
What do you do with your racing bibs? Would you rather run a marathon or give birth?
I love the fact that you had your bibs next to you to wake you up for your early morning runs, that is an awesome form of motivation!! I don’t race much but I have never thought to keep my bibs, I think I keep my tshirts as more of a memorable object 🙂 I definitely would do birth, after 2 csections I will most likely be scheduled and won’t ever have to deal with “marathoning” again ha!
I should have scheduled my c-section! Instead I went through 20 hours of labor and THEN a c-section. Just awful. I’m glad it worked out better for you. You’re a smart woman!!! Thanks Nellie!!
Love what you have done with them, especially that you have written memories on them! Brilliant! :)-Ashley
Thanks Ashley! Someday when I’m old and have no knees left, I can see exactly why!! Ha ha!!
I am feeling very guilty. I throw all of mine out. But months ago, I saw this really cool site that makes bags out of them! How cool is that? Have you seen it? I think the company’s name is Mile 22.
I have NOT seen that but I LOVE it!! You’re just a wealth of info Michelle!! Thank you!
Favorite line: They don’t give ribbons for 12th place Focker. Still cracking up over that one! We have two rows of shelves in our basement that are filled with race trophies, ribbons, medals, and some bib numbers. We also have a file with some of our race bibs with time and place written on them. Lately we’ve been a little lazy about keeping our bibs. My bib from last weekend is in the car, and my daughter has scribbled all over it. Oh well! At least I’ve got the race details documented on the blog! Can you please tell me the secret for cracking 20 minutes in the 5K? That’s on my goal list. I’ve been very close at 20:10 but that was years ago. Hoping to take another crack at it soon. Once I crack 20 minutes, I can retire from competitive 5Ks FOREVER!!
I hear ya about the 5ks!! You notice that my PR was 3 years ago, right? I have not hit under 20 since but came close a few times. I think it was perfect speed work leading up to it coupled with perfect race day conditions (cold!) and a pancake flat course. So that’s all you need to do it. Simple, right? ha ha!! I loved your race re-cap – so amazing!!
What a great way to commemorate all of your races! You must feel really proud of yourself when you look at all of your bibs! I have never run a marathon or gone through childbirth. Not sure I would enjoy either, but you make childbirth sound like so much fun! 🙂
Ha ha!!! I will give you this advice about childbirth – if you’re “lucky” enough to have twins just schedule the damn c-section! And you could totally do a marathon if you wanted to because you’re amazing like that:-)
Oh my, I LOVE that you wrote notes on them. I think that’s important!
Thanks Tamara! It is to me…
What a great idea! I don’t have any running or marathon bibs. But you’ve inspired me to start framing and posting some of my writing victories. Kind of similar? 🙂
Definitely!! I love it!!
{Melinda} Well, to do something with my racing bibs, I’d actually have to have them! 🙂 (I actually did run a couple 5ks a few years ago) I have been working out at the gym regularly which is a big victory for me.
I love that you write on the bibs why you might have had a bad time. I think that would help you stay positive and encouraged, even if you had a bad race day.
I know, right? I’m so happy to hear you’re keeping up a regular workout schedule!! Fantastic:-)
I started way (way) back in high school writing my time, place out of how many and date on the back of my numbers. Saturday after the CC meet, Hunter did the exact same thing – it was a proud day!!
Mine are all in a “scrapbook”. Not a cutesy one cause I have zero patience for that but they are organized and all in one place. I love the idea of hanging them in the garage!
That is so awesome that your son did that!! I can only hope one day mine will do the same…at least the one I named Miles!! Scrapbooking them is a great idea…but then you have to actually go look at the scrapbooks. Either way, it’s great to keep them from over the years. Very cool Kim!
You have so many! I have two I hopefully didn’t throw out. And then my two upcoming 5ks… will have to steal your memory idea.
I only started with ONE. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you accumulate them. I’m glad you read this when you’re just staring so you will be able to see how much you improve over time. Hooray!!
Good luck with the upcoming 5Ks. I hope you blog about them…:-)
I have no doubt that “someday” when your ready to move your whole garage will look like you wallpapered it with bibs!!! It’s to bad they are make out of paper you could make a quilt or blanket out of all of them.
As for running a marathon, for those of us who aren’t runners I would have 10 C-sections!!!!! I had two and would do it again, rather than run a mile let alone a marathon!!! Clearly I missed the running gene.
Someday you can fill your studio with alllllll your bibs and medals, just make sure you get a very large facility!!!!!
Love u
Auntie L
Ha ha!! You crack me up!! Thanks Auntie Laurie!!
Hum, love ya even more! You had your own studio! I must email you to see what that was all about! Cute how you write notes on these things. I don’t keep them but then again, I only run randomly for causes.
Just when you thought you couldn’t love me more!! Ha ha!! Yes, opening and running my own studio was one of the best times in my life. I plan on opening another as soon as the boys are in first grade!
What a great idea. Mine are just in a pile in a drawer somewhere but I’d love to do something with them!
It might be fun to go through them!! A little trip down sweaty lane:-)
Um a 19:32 5K PR girl? OMG!!! Amazing!
I keep some of my bibs in a box.(and for some reason I’ve kept the timing chip of my Feb 5K that was the first one with my current age on it and it seems to taunt me – 43! 43!! 43!!!).
Childbirth was a c-section for me as well (I tried vaginal delivery but my little guy was stubborn even then). My only 26.2 experience was a hellish one so given the choice between a marathon or childbirth, I’m not sure I can really decide. Yikes!
It’s a painful choice for sure! The twins were stubborn as well – both head down but just wouldn’t budge. Funny, they move around plenty these days!!
I know about those taunting bibs – a few of them heckle me from the garage:-)
Hey Allie…i was thinking about this recently so your post was timely. I actually throw all my bibs away and have no attachment to the metals or trophys I have won. They are in a box in the basement! I keep the pins in case I need them to pop a blister. I think after 35 years of running races there were so many and they don’t mean that much to me. I’m not sure why….maybe because I had nowhere to put them and I hate clutter. But, I think, as runners, we dont run for anything but our own satifaction and accomplishmnet and in my mind I remember all the races worth remembering….
Well said Denise! And a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS are in order on your BQ!!!!! OMG you are just freakin amazing. Of course you don’t keep your bibs – you just best yourself with each race. Truly, I am in awe of you. I cannot wait to hear about your Boston experience next year…and maybe between now and then we can get together for a run!?
PS – My trophies are in a box in the basement too. I can’t pin those to a wall…
Thanks Allie… You are awesome! i love what you do. I am recovering this week but hope we can run in a few weeks and catch up!!!!!!
Absolutely!!
I love that you have kept all those bibs and write things on them to remind you of that race. I’m running a 5K next week (2nd one for me ) with my 12 year old (first one for him) and Im going to make sure he does this so he will always have his first bib! I also love how you put them next to you in early mornings. So smart – and motivating!
That is so cool you’re running with your son in his first 5k! I hope to someday do the same with my boys. Definitely have him put his time and maybe a little something about the race. He will be happy he did it! Good luck! I hope you post about it!
Wow, you are so organized. I’ve recycled every last one of mine. LOL
That is also an excellent idea!
LOVE what you do with your racing bibs! I never saved all of mine – However, I have the one bib for the marathon I ran plus the mylar blanket I got at the finish line. Nothing has ever made me feel quite so badass as being handed that mylar blanket! Except for child birth, maybe. Yeah, I want to get in the room with that person too!
Mylar blankets definitely make you feel like you just accomplishment something amazing…which of course you have! Me *and* you alone in a room with a few of those people is dangerous:-)!!
Ahh what an awesome idea!! is it weird that i now want to start racing just for the bibs? i barely even run- i just want a wall like that now!! would i rather run a marathon or give birth.. well, having never done either, im going to go with… ehh this is hard… maybe the marathon?? at least then i’ll have a bib 🙂
No it’s not weird at all! Go for it!! And absolutely pick the marathon over childbirth…at least run the marathon first & get your bib!!
Good for you! I have all of two bibs that I have kept over the years, out of literally hundreds. I kind of regret not doing a better job of that, now!
Marathon, no question! ; )
It’s funny that it wasn’t something I really thought about…it just kind of happened, and I’m glad it did! I know you would absolutely chose marathon every time! Me too!!
I only starting saving bibs a few years into racing and still have no idea what to do with them… they’re strung around a ring hanging next to my medals. But I love the idea of writing notes and race times on them as a form of record keeping. And I’m inspired by your super speedy 5k, awesome!!
Thanks Laura!! At least you have all the bibs (and medals) that’s really all you need. And, I’m sure, you have many more to come!!
Could you sew a quilt together with all of your racing bibs? lol! 😉 You could truly SLEEP IN YOUR VICTORIES!
That would be a very uncomfortable quilt!! But I love the idea
I too use to keep all my ribbons and medals right by my bed as a kid. If I had continued in the sport, as you have, I would definitely put them somewhere that I could see daily. I would probably need to put them in the kitchen then. Sigh. So as for your many – I can’t believe someone on Pinterest hasn’t come up with an awesome idea. Those ladies are on that stuff.
I know! I should probably put them in the kitchen if I want to spend more time with them. And, yes, there’s a lot of much more creative things to do with them out there…I’m just too tired after running all those races to do any of them!!
What a great idea to write on the bibs. Never thought of that! I love how you had them displayed. A studio seemed to be the perfect place to display them. My bibs are in a box. I’m not sure where I want to put them yet… I bought a binder hoping to put them in those little plastic sheet covers, but never got around to it.
I have 2 kids a full time job and still have to get up at 4:30 in order to run because it’s the only time I have. That will change soon though. Great post
That 4:30am wake-up is a rough one! You are a dedicated woman. I prefer working out in the morning but around 5:30 or 6!! Thanks Hope…