Third Place Finish!

I was a bit bewildered when I checked Balanced Steps' post office box last week and found a letter addressed to me from Riverview Educational Foundation.  We haven't published information about our educational consulting yet, so I couldn't figure out how that group got my name and why they'd be contacting me.   I had my two small children in tow so I had to wait until I got them settled with toys at home to unlock the mystery!

Rrrrrrrip - I tore into the envelope to discover a white satin ribbon and a slip of paper.  The paper was a thank you for participating in the Turkey Trot (which, incidentally raised several thousand dollars for Riverview School District wellness grants!) - complete with this year's Jake the Turkey illustration by my book's layout artist, Kirk Werner.  The ribbon was even more exciting - recognition for placing 3rd in my age group for the 5K run!  I already felt good about my run that day, but this was icing on the cake. To top it all off, the note was signed by the race coordinator, a woman whose smile, energy, and dedication to the Snoqualmie Valley make her stand feet above her measurable 5' 2" stature.  A supporter of my book, she has this website bookmarked on her computer and went the extra mile (no pun intended) to track me down.  Thanks Paige!

It is funny to think that at the age of 29 I still get excited about ribbons and recognition.  I was happy to participate in the run because it is always fun to run with others, it supported learning opportunities in my community, and let's face it . . . I needed a jump start back into my own running routine after a few weeks of bad colds being passed around my house.  Placing in my age group was totally unexpected and the fancy ribbon is a nice bit of encouragement for me to keep plugging away at my running, 1 mile or 3 miles at a time, on the treadmill or on the trail, with my dog or pushing one of my kids . . .

So, now my ribbon hangs on the wall beside my computer, tucked into the picture frame with the photo of my husband and me crossing the finish line of the Richmond SunTrust Marathon. Both the 5K and the marathon finishes are memories I'll treasure.

originally posted: 11/28/2007 2:36:28 PM