Got my first Running medal!
By 5th House
@5thHouse (1678)
Sheffield, England
October 19, 2016 6:54am CST
My first medal came today from Pow Virtual Run. I ran my first 5K a week ago and earned this rather cute glow in the dark Halloween medal. It's far too big and heavy to wear, but I think it makes a cool Halloween decoration.
The beauty of a virtual race is that beginners like me can run 5K on their own, at a time and place that suits us. As long as we send in proof that we have completed the run, we receive a nice medal to show for it. It's a great way to motivate yourself and push yourself towards new goals. The proceeds of each virtual race go to charity. In the case of my particular medal, proceeds go to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, which promotes respect and understanding of subcultures in our communities. (Sophie was tragically murdered in 2007, simply because she was dressed as a Goth. It was a truly shocking, distressing case revealing the levels of intolerance in our society.)
Of course, I intend to run 'real' races in the future, but as I've only been running since September this is just the start for me and it can seem a bit daunting to be running alongside more experienced, proficient runners when you are still finding your feet. But with a few virtual runs under my belt, I know that I'll feel ready for the next step.
18 people like this
18 responses
@MarymargII (12422)
• Toronto, Ontario
19 Oct 16
You should be so proud of yourself and it's a very healthy hobby---keep on runnin'!
2 people like this
@MarymargII (12422)
• Toronto, Ontario
15 Nov 16
@5thHouse Yes, that would be tough- but I guess all runners face inclement weather!
@moffittjc (121482)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Oct 16
Congratulations! A very well-deserved medal, and a pretty nice one too! One of the fun things about running is that the more you do it, the more you want to keep on doing it! I love running, it's very therapeutic! Pretty soon, you'll have a house full of medals from all the races you participated in! Keep up the good work!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121482)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Oct 16
@5thHouse Now that's what I like to hear! Good for you!
{And good for him too, I imagine!}
You go girl!!!!
@5thHouse (1678)
• Sheffield, England
20 Oct 16
I think you're right about the more you do it, the more you want to do it. It will be harder to stay motivated in the winter but I'm sure I'll be fine once I have new goals to focus on. As someone who hasn't really done any sport on a regular basis since school, it's quite a big deal for me to find out I'm actually not that unfit after all and that, much as I enjoy indoors things like writing and crafting, sometimes a few lungfuls of fresh air are what you need to make you feel more alive.
1 person likes this
@5thHouse (1678)
• Sheffield, England
20 Oct 16
@moffittjc I think I certainly deserved a medal for some of them
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
19 Oct 16
well done - hope more medals and trophies follow
1 person likes this
@CinnamonGrl (7084)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
19 Oct 16
Congratulations! Very nice medal, sounds like a great cause. Killed because of clothing? Good grief! Here in America with the rise of trump we have developed some very nasty bullies and haters . There have been several violent incidents tied to his rhetoric. All we can do is our little bit to be kind and accepting of everyone. The SophieLancaster Foundation sounds like a great project.
1 person likes this
@CinnamonGrl (7084)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
19 Oct 16
@5thHouse I don't either. My daughter and her friends used to dress like that, big deal, wow.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40243)
• United States
19 Oct 16
Congratulations! That's awesome and I hope you get a whole collection of race medals. It was sad about Sophie though. I do at times enjoy the goth subculture and to think that someone would get murdered over what they are wearing makes me sad. Humans can be awful to each other. I saw some races online like this - where you can either run or walk them at your own time - they're traced with fitbit - the fitness tracker. Maybe you will inspire me to try some.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
21 Oct 16
Congratulations, that is a great accomplishments.
1 person likes this
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
19 Oct 16
Just keep running, no matter what!
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (101864)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
20 Oct 16
Congratulations on your achievement doing something you enjoy doing.
1 person likes this
what is the medal made of?
looks cool though. 
@amitkokiladitya (171928)
• Agra, India
22 Oct 16
I think all mylotters are very proud of you
1 person likes this
@5thHouse (1678)
• Sheffield, England
19 Oct 16
You sign up online to the distance you want to do, then you run the distance, send in proof (i.e. a screenshot of a running app to show you completed the distance and what your timing was) then the results get posted on a league table, so you can compare yourself with other runners, if you wish, and you get sent a medal in the post.
@Happy2BeMe (99380)
• Canada
19 Oct 16
Congratulations that is awesome and what a wonderful cause. Great picture of you and your medal.
1 person likes this
@saulgoodman (2643)
• Dundee, Scotland
20 Oct 16
Wow.
Well done indeed and may I say what a lovely picture.
You could frame the medal.
I managed to lose my first full marathon medal which irks with me just a bit 33 years after the event.
Sophie Lancaster. I remember seeing the case reported on the news. Tragic.
Intolerance in our society is rife.
Things are improving but not quickly enough.
In 2 weeks time I will try to run again for the first time in decades.
I appreciate just how daunting it could be even just doing a half mile down a cycle path and back.
I am bricking it. Weight is down enough. Good muscle mass. Breathing ok. But can I run?
@5thHouse (1678)
• Sheffield, England
20 Oct 16
Wow, great achievement to run marathons. I can't get my head round the whole idea of running such a long way. At the moment the most I'm thinking about is progressing to do 10k next year. But who knows? I have a friend who took up running in her late 40s and she regularly runs marathons these days. (She also got herself a new man when she joined the local running club) I'm sure you'll get back into the running if you do it gradually. I've found this c25k program really good for starting from scratch though I know a lot of other people who have run in the past who have found it useful also when they've wanted to ease their way back into running.
1 person likes this
@saulgoodman (2643)
• Dundee, Scotland
20 Oct 16
@5thHouse
I was young and very fit.
Could do a 12 mile march and shoot in full combats etc on Morecambe sands in about 75 mins.
If you can do a 5k now you can do a 10k.
Find a track. In Sheffield thats easy.
25 laps. I think you might find it easier than you think.
