It doesn’t have to be a finish medal. It can be anything.
Something about me makes me collect icons. These are some of mine: A crumpled aid station cup from Ironman Canada 1999 handed to me by a competitor during the race. He did not speak English but could say “Thank You”. In a tremendously sporting jesture he handed me the cup to throw away for him upon leavig an aid station and said “Thank you” to me for taking it. It sits on a display shelf in my house. A ring purchased in the middle of the Sahara from a Bedouin nomad duirng the 1999 Marathon Des Sables. It hangs over my desk. My water card from the MDS 1999- punched at every water station. ONce full of holes, you are done- you have finished. A crystal bottle with a heart shaped top that sits on my desk. Inside is an eyelash from my friend Sarah. Two pieces of wood branded with random shapes from a bonfire on the beach the night before Ironman Canada 1999 by my friend Susan. My 3rd place age category trophy from the RBTT/Fatum Bank Triathlonfest in Curacao, a tough, hot, windy Olympic distance race that had podium girls when I got my trophy. That was huge. It sits on my desk. A photo of the late Michael R. Rabe and I going over the barriers in a cyclocross race with him in the lead (as usual). A crystal bottle of sand from the floor of a Roman built colesium in Petra, Jordan. Other stuff.
I have some cool scars from MTB racing. That’s about it … I look forward to more intl racing and picking up some memories along the way, like UCI Worlds in a couple years.
My running shoes from the 1997 Hawaii Ironman. Me ex-wife tried to throw them out a couple of times but I would never let her. She never understood why I would want to keep a pair of dirty worn out shoes.
Reason 23 of why I love and envy you. I have an inability to cherish items. It is a problem for me. I bet I have a million things I should have kept in my life but didn’t. Lots of memories lost.
Tom, this is a tough one. Mainly the memories from the last 20 years of racing. First triathlon in Kingston Ontario in 1985. First IMC finisher shirt from 1991.
Actually interestingly enough there is a picture in our family album from 1966 of my mom, dad and myself (1 year old at the time), hiking in the Okanagon valley. The pic is at the top of one of big mtns looking down on Penticton and you can see all of us smiling and at the bottom, you can see a birds eye view of what is now the IMC swim start. Is that cool or what. Back in 1966, there are no hotels on that strip, but the landmarks are uncanny. It is the same “angle shot” of the 1991 overhead helicopter shot of the IMC swim start. I really should take the 1966 pic, the helicopter swim start pic and the finisher pic and mount them side by side !
My wife had the 1994 Ironman poster signed by 3 people after the parade while I was resting. Greg Welch, Dave Scott and Paula Newby Fraser. She asked if she got good ones. It is now framed and has a perfect spot for display.
Black Timex visor I received from a friend on the Timex team.
I keep my bib numbers, have them all from every race I have ever done, need to organize them though. Or at least get them all in one drawer.
Water bottles from races, whether from aid stations on the bike or at the gear expo.
The shadow box of medals from my races that my wife made me for Christmas.
The finish line photo from IMAZ - I carried my son across with me.
Picture taken the day before an Oly that contains my sons tennis shoes next to my running shoes. Looks pretty darn cute if I do say so myself.
Stickers from any race or event that I can get them.
Some non-tri related items worthy of the honorable mention:
The pocket knife that belonged to my Great Grandfather.
The short-timer stick presented to my father in his last month in Viet Nam.
The Submarine Dolphins that I earned.
The Submarine Dolphins that were given to me by a good friend. In true Submarine tradition, I first drank these Dolphins, and then had them tacked on - minus the backing.
The last bubblegum cigar and the last real cigar from the boxes that I bought of each for my sons birth.
I have an old disc wheel Aluminium “Velbec” 7 speeds (1990), it must weight a ton seriously have no clue but for sure at least min 2000+gr… I try to sold but got no offer today is just standing with my other wheelsets. It reminds me one of my best triathlon season (won junior provincial title)!!!
Rowing stuff, from before I was a triathlete:
– All of the t-shirts I collected after winning rowing races. (when you win a crew race, the winner takes the racing jersey of his mirror in the other boats – 5 seat takes from 5 seat in the losing boat(s)).
– three medals from my collegiate rowing career – the hardest ones I’ve ever earned. I have others from summer races and stuff, but they don’t mean nearly as much
– the miniature wooden oar given to each graduating senior
– the oar lapel pin given to each senior who rowed 4 years
– varsity lettter sweater
Triathlon
– this huge (relatively – maybe 20" long) wooden sailboat that was the prize for my first overall win at a triathlon
– the bottle & cork from the split of champagne my girlfriend bought me to celebrate the aforementioned win
– a Gatorade water bottle from transition during the St. Croix 1/2 IM
– a pair of ripped Orca trishorts that I ripped when I crashed during a race. I got back on my bike and finished the race. Some dude afterwards saw me and said “I saw you go down, then like 5 minutes later, you passed me on the bike. That’s hardcore.” When I wear the shorts, I think about that.
*T-shirts from the '92 & '93 San Jose Triathlon…the last years it was a USTS/Bud Light sponsored event.
*Finishers T-shirt from the first, and now defunct, Ironman California in 2000.
*Every Wildflower shirt since 1992.
My 4th place “trophy” (it’s actually a tile) from the Santa Barbara County Triathlon in 1994. I felt better about that 4th than some AG wins I’ve had for the 3 guys who finished in front of me all went on to race pro.
*Pair of '94 Asics racing flats with Tinley lace locks that I set almost every one of my running PR’s in. The old Asics flats had a firmer EVA sole that, while not cushy, provided a great ride. They are almost dead but once a year I’ll do a race “old school” style with a Speedo, neon singlet, Oakley Sub Zero’s (Kenny Souza style), Exceed (remember that sports drink?!) visor, and those flats.
*1st generation Motorola team-issued Sub-6 helmet. Still the lightest helmet ever made although I believe they’re not legal anymore.