  Contests & Activities
This week: Train Well, Trust Yourself Edited by: spidey  
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| Welcome to the Contests & Activities Newsletter. I'm spidey , and I'm your Editor this week! |
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Train Well, Trust Yourself
I can be an emotional person. When I watch game-shows, I cry when someone wins a big prize. Those "make-over" shows get me every time, too.
I ran a 5k race this weekend, my first since April. I almost didn't run due to nerves and sudden hip flexor pain. It didn't hurt when I tried running, so I thought I should at least attempt the race. Boy, am I glad I did! I beat my own personal record by about one minute, and I felt amazing by the end of the race! I pushed myself pretty hard during the last mile, because I knew I had it in me. I trusted my training and my feelings, and it paid off. Winning (even just against yourself) can be an emotional experience!
Then, during the award ceremony, where the people who are usually much faster than me get their trophies and medals, I was shocked to hear my name called! I won third place in my age group! I was thrilled! A few minutes later, however, a bunch of us were called back up - it seems they had made a mistake. I was actually 4th place!  I took off my medal and started to give it back, but they refused to take it. They had extras, so there were enough for me to keep mine, but it no longer felt like mine.
I got a little emotional then, I'll admit. I felt like I didn't deserve the medal because I didn't earn it. I wasn't one of the top finishers. But they wouldn't take it back, so I didn't know what to do with it! After a while, though, I realized I worked very hard before and during this race. I trained and practiced and then trusted those experiences during the race. I pushed myself and felt like I'd won upon finishing. In a way, I did deserve a medal.
Of course, I can see a connection to writing here. We're often told we must write daily. I don't know if that's totally necessary, but we must write often and a lot if we wish to improve. Training and practice will only help you! You learn to trust yourself and to believe in your own ability. Take a look at your older works from time to time, and see how far you've come, how much you've grown as a writer!
Entering contests can help you in a way that writing on your own might not - it can push you outside of your comfort zone. It might be difficult, and you may doubt yourself, but push through the fear, and you just might find yourself a winner, regardless of whether you place.
If you enter a contest, and you don't find yourself with the top finishers, remember how you've succeeded because you've tried, because you weren't afraid to try, to train, to push yourself!
And a side note to contest hosts: Check your results before you make them public! No one likes being told they've won, only to be told there was a mistake! 
Always keep on writing!
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My last newsletter, ("Contests & Activities Newsletter (July 13, 2011)" ), discussed The Waiting Game.
Always fun. ~ BIG BAD WOLF Feeling Thankful 
Thanks! 
I am always checking the site to see if the results have been posted yet. I'm just like a little kid on Christmas morning -- I can't stand the suspense! ~ blainecindy
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You're very welcome!
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Contests & Activities: August 10, 2011 Issue [#4552]
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