Come, run along with us as we share our joy of everything running.
I don’t consider myself an overly sentimental person, but there is a plastic tote tucked in my closet that houses all of my old running journals and all of my race bibs (most of them, at least). After each race, I write the date, location, finish position, and race time on the back of my bib and slip the bib into a vinyl sleeve to go in my BibFolio. Now, I have a snapshot of where I was in my training for that race as well as a great memory-jogger.
Step-by-step and race-by-race, now you’ve got a full race bib album! In addition to all the sentimental value now lodged in this album, sometimes a quick flip through is the only motivation I need for the week. Whenever I’m stuck at a goal and really struggling to push myself to the next level, I love to take a quick look through my bibfolio. Maybe this week, I’m struggling to shave any time off my PR, but the album is a quick way to remind myself of all of the time I’ve shaved off throughout my journey! Since my bib album is mostly chronological, I also love seeing the mix of distances trend up as I was able to push myself further and further!
I like to look at running as a constant competition with myself and my bib album has become a testament to all my wins (even if some of them felt like losses at the moment). Of course, I also keep my medals, but I think there’s something cool about the imperfections of the used race bibs. My race bibs are crinkled because they were there with me during the race and they will always have permanent wrinkles that are a direct result of how hard I pushed myself on that day. Similarly, the impressions left on my race bibs echo memories and lessons left on me as I look back and remember my highs, lows, accomplishments, and lessons that they taught me. Okay, maybe I’m a little more sentimental than I think I am.
I’ve also found a few running buddies through my race bibs! If I see someone's local post about a race they completed, it’s easy and quick to send them over a photo of my recent bib from that race as a great conversation starter. Plus, you already know at least one of the distances they run! A bib is also a good way to recognize if any local running groups are running some of the same races you are. If you come across a large group photo, even with any costumes or matching outfits, usually the race bib is pretty recognizable.
I’ve also found a few running buddies through my race bibs! If I see someone's local post about a race they completed, it’s easy and quick to send them over a photo of my recent bib from that race as a great conversation starter. Plus, you already know at least one of the distances they run! A bib is also a good way to recognize if any local running groups are running some of the same races you are. If you come across a large group photo, even with any costumes or matching outfits, usually the race bib is pretty recognizable.
Whether it’s sentimental value, daily motivation, or an ice breaker, there are plenty of reasons to keep your race bibs - especially when there are bib albums that make organization easy. Maybe the better question at this point is - what’s the point of throwing out your bibs?