Have I mentioned how much I like winning stuff?

At the 2010 Giant Acorn Triathlon I killed it and won an age group award! Heck Yeah! Sadly I couldn’t stay for the ceremony (due to a previous obligation i.e. tailgating for a UMD football game with Karin, to be exact – Go Terps, unless they play UVA, of course). When I found out that I had won, I called and asked to have the hardware mailed to me. It cost me $7 in shipping. Whatever…I thought “It’ll be a nice addition to my collection – super shiny and show-off-able”.  I might even wear the medal around the house for a bit, just for fun!

When the package arrived a week later, it was like Christmas morning. Grown up Robin all-smiles like a kid, as I tore open the packaging and bubble wrap to behold my award and….wait for it….it was a rock. A rock with the Tri logo on it. It felt like I got coal in my stocking. WTF? Not even any inscription of “Robin came in second in her age group and ROCKS”, no medal to wear around my neck, no plaque to hang on the wall. Just an EFFING ROCK.  How are people gonna know what this means?

So the question is, who really cares about the rock? Answer (after a gut check and mindset shift): only Me. Why did I feel the need for everyone and their mother to know about my successes? Purely the big-head ego part of myself wanting validation?? I checked that attitude quickly.

But it IS nice to have a physical object acknowledging something I worked hard for to achieve. I personally know what that rock symbolizes – a PR at the time, a “sprint to the finish” to race ahead of another age-grouper who I knew had passed me on the bike (grrrr), a proud “all-out, nothing left on the pavement” kind of effort. Priceless memories and I display the rock proudly. Who cares if it means nothing to anyone else? On the very rare occasion when a houseguest asks a question like “what the heck is that rock doing there?”, I’m able to indulge a bit and tell my story of triumph!

The rock kinda rocks!