Stop the meaningless medals! Please donate the money at the end of the Race.

[Big H*]

I think medals are great, we have been here before but none the less. I like Gummi have framed a few that mean a lot to me like my first Comrades, London marathon, etc, as I sweated blood to get them.

 

I have boxes and boxes of cycling medals, running medals and even a few for swimming but I still enjoy getting them and I write my time and the date on the back of each, every now and then I scrabble through them and look at the times, dates and it brings back memories - to me its not about getting a medal, its about getting a memento, and the day I get so jaded that I could care less about remembering a day in my life, is the time I will buy a rocking chair and start sitting on the porch with a pipe and a book, until then I'll keep taking my medal, I'll keep jotting down my times, and I'll keep remembering.

 

I am NOT a natural cyclist or runner. I am passionate in everything I do. My Wife, our Tandems, profession, my sport, my fishing, my fly tying, my RC heli's. I hope I never become jaded and aim to keep the child in my alive and kicking.

 

I had a display rack that became very heavy with all the medals. One night it fell off the wall. It souned like a piece of Skylab came through the roof. I have also now selected a few with special memories and they hang from my cabinet where I display my tank, airplane, construction and vintage tractor models. I also have a few patches from our running days. A special one is a patch for a 15 km run that Wally Hayward signed.

Edited February 4, 2012 by eccentric1

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I am NOT a natural cyclist or runner. I am passionate in everything I do. My Wife, our Tandems, profession, my sport, my fishing, my fly tying, my RC heli's. I hope I never become jaded and aim to keep the child in my alive and kicking.

 

I had a display rack that became very heavy with all the medals. One night it fell off the wall. It souned like a piece of Skylab came through the roof. I have also now selected a few with special memories and they hang from my cabinet where I display my tank, airplane, construction and vintage tractor models. I also have a few patches from our running days. A special one is a patch for a 15 km run that Wally Hayward signed.

 

Absolutely agree.

 

We cant all be a Bruce Fordyce or a Lance Armstrong but we can all appreciate the effort we put into something, be it a run a cycle or even just a fun walk like the 702 walk the talk - its not important, what matters is how that medal brings back the memories, good and bad and how we can remember that day 20 years later by just picking up that little piece of tin.

Edited February 4, 2012 by GrumpyOldGuy

[Actionman]

If you don't want one, decline or give it to the first kid you see. I have only just entered the sport but played football at a decent level. I tossed my little cups and medals over the years until I won 3 in the same year and my son asked if he could have them ....

He has collected everything his Dad has earned on the sports field ever since then, including Attakwas and today's event.

 

My point being, what's not important to one, may be very important to others.

 

Ps I should get a medal for reading this Thread....

[Yang]

My collection of medals and trophies is on display for all to see, including a bunch of kids who come to my place every week (art lessons with my wife) and see me as a role model. We now have organised crits around our estate (in Mozambique), and we hand out medals. Kids love them. I will never say no to mine. Some are mingy (like the Panorama medal), some are unusual ( Sabie Classic), and some there are none (Swazi Frontier)- but I enjoy the bragging rights, and every one was earned.

[Shebeen]

i hang mine up in the bathroom window, looped through the burglar bars. it's a tradition of cycle races, if somehow you managed to convince all organisers to stop handing them out at at the finish you would get an uprising. like when sabc2 thought riaan cruywagen was too old for tv.

 

anyway, what has this got to do with table mountain bikers?

[Big H*]

i hang mine up in the bathroom window, looped through the burglar bars. it's a tradition of cycle races, if somehow you managed to convince all organisers to stop handing them out at at the finish you would get an uprising. like when sabc2 thought riaan cruywagen was too old for tv.

 

anyway, what has this got to do with table mountain bikers?

 

Ya happi now??????

[TNT1]

Oh, yay, this thread again.

 

oops, I meant to say: "in before recurring"...

 

Look for a merge coming soon.

[Tumbleweed]

What about the weird medals they sometimes give out at Babbas? I got some for events I'd never entertain entering. Hahaha! Like some posters have said, I'd give mine to my kids at the end of the race. I have a Sabie finishing medal from my eldest son's first real MTB race. It's a varnished bit of lumber that sits on the bar in the bike room and does duty as a coaster. Makes me think of him and the smile on his face after that muddy slog that year.

['Dale]

Kandui, the "disinterested volunteer" is maybe a very disrespectfull and wrong description. The person is a VOLUNTEER who were up when you were still in bed to prepare the venue for race day. they most likely gave up their race to ensure things were shipshape for the day. While you were haveing a shower at home and relaxing with a lager in fornt of the TV they were still cleaning up the mess you and your fellow cyclists left behind.

 

Not very kewl your description of a very important and intergral part of your special race day. Next time let me know how you enjoyed your day as a volunteer.

 

Good post!

[goya-goya]

everything is relative!

 

when I was starting out in races I "collected" medals for the back end of the race... it was my motivation when I was exhausted..."I am gonna get that medal to remind myself that I can do it" I have a box of them and everyone is a key to remembering the pain and agony... and sometimes joy of the effort I put into my preparation and race... some people just have good memories and dont need objects to remind them... that's also cool.

 

Just because you no longer see the benefit of "meaningless" awards... does not mean it will not motivate newcommers to the sport.. like it did me! and you do understand the implications of a sport with dwindling numbers?

 

you do understand that it is not just about you! If you want to give to a charity... then do so... do not expect everyone else to do it for you... you have a check book? internet? get the bank detail of a charity and EFT your contribution to them... it will take less time than riding your bike in a race... and then you could give them something substantial instead of the R10 that the medals cost!

 

My last race was the Namiba Desert Dash... I came 52nd... I got a medal with my name and time engraved onto it... I will treasure that object!

[Breezer]

I like medals. So if you don't, take all your unwanted medals to a scrap yard and sell it. Then give the money to a charity of your choice.

[scotty]

I declined my Emperors medal today, instead i had an extra cup of energy drink at the table.

[Big H*]

I declined my Emperors medal today, instead i had an extra cup of energy drink at the table.

 

So let me understand this correctly, you declined something you paid for, you drank your energy drink you paid for and stole the energy drink somebody else paid for.

 

I wonder how that person felt when they told him/her there are no more energy drinks left and he/she had to be happy with hot East Rand tap water. His/her glycogen levels have now gone for a loop as well as the recovery process promised to him/her in Ride and Bicycling and he/she may even never do another race ever again in his/her life.

 

And we all wonder why races are so expensive. Dit is die klein jakkalsies such as your extra energy drink and your wasted medal that causes this.

 

Sies Scotty, ponder that tomorrow when you sit in the luxury of the Gautrain.

 

Do NOT get confused by statements made by jaded mountainbikers who are users who has never volunteered to facilitate at Cycle races.

[scotty]

So let me understand this correctly, you declined something you paid for, you drank your energy drink you paid for and stole the energy drink somebody else paid for.

 

I wonder how that person felt when they told him/her there are no more energy drinks left and he/she had to be happy with hot East Rand tap water. His/her glycogen levels have now gone for a loop as well as the recovery process promised to him/her in Ride and Bicycling and he/she may even never do another race ever again in his/her life.

 

And we all wonder why races are so expensive. Dit is die klein jakkalsies such as your extra energy drink and your wasted medal that causes this.

 

Sies Scotty, ponder that tomorrow when you sit in the luxury of the Gautrain. Gautrain bus drivers are on strike

 

Do NOT get confused by statements made by jaded mountainbikers who are users who has never volunteered to facilitate at Cycle races. I is a volunteer at our clubs race

Edited February 5, 2012 by scotty

[Big H*]

 

A Volunteer....... Good show!!!! Now go and pay for that energy drink and you will be absolved!!!!!

[Lucky Luke.]

I'm saving all my medals so that when I am 90 I can dress up for Armistice day. I have my charity shop airforce uniform ready to go.