Last week at the USATF Nationals, Haute Volée team member, Emily Oren, had a phenomenal race in the steeplechase finals. It was the kind of race that catches the eye of a serious track fan – Emily was poised, patient, intentional, and last but not least gritty with a mean kick. She moved with deliberation from the middle of the pack to ultimately a 5^th place finish.

Emily recaps her performance, and the importance of simply putting herself in a position to compete with the best.

I have one mantra I tell myself before every single race I run - “I am fit, fast and STRONG.”  Some days it is easier to tune out the negative self-talk by repeating that, but on the days I don’t believe it as much, the negative talk can creep in. After a bad race, all I have to do is look back at my mindset on the starting line and ask myself “did you believe it?” Most of the time if I ran poorly it was because I didn’t believe the positive voices in my head. I let myself be overcome with the fear of failure and the fear of the “what ifs.” Pushing that fear out of my mind has been something I have been working on since I started running.

In middle school I used to make my team flex their muscles, make mean faces and give a resounding “GRRR” on the starting line in an attempt to make us feel strong and confident. That habit has died (thankfully) but the idea has remained the same throughout the years – be strong and confident. It is certainly easier to have that mindset when you have been killing every workout, or are a top seed going into a race. But those times when the workouts haven’t been going my way, or I'm seeded mid to back of the pack, are the times when I need that mantra even more. During those times in particular, I like to focus on putting myself in the mix and just giving myself a chance. Since running post collegiately, my coach and I have been talking about that a lot. We discuss giving myself a shot during the race and having a little confidence. I have worked on that for the last two years and I think it was finally on full display at the USA meet in Des Moines this summer. 

Before USA’s this year I was in a much better spot mentally than I ever had been at that level. Sure, I was a mixed bag of emotions before the prelim, I knew exactly what I wanted to do and that I could do it, but I also knew I had to believe it – and that can be hard. My coach told me to put myself in the mix, have confidence, and give it a shot. During the race I did just that, I put myself in the middle of the pack, stayed calm, and when the race started to move so did I. It was by far my best executed prelim (I mean it is only the second time I made finals, but it was leaps and bounds better than last year). Finals was another bear to tackle mentally. I was nervous to say the least. I knew I could place well, but at the same time I didn’t want to have unrealistic expectations. I once again repeated my mantra “fit, fast and strong” and talked with my coach about giving myself a shot. During the race, I tried not to pay attention to times but rather focus on competing. After bad hurdles or water pits I talked myself back up into the pack by just repeating “you can compete with these girls.” With two laps to go, I was up in 6th place and feeling awesome. At that point I knew it was going to be a good race and I wanted to make a run at 4th place. The last two laps I kept thinking “I am a woman on a mission,” I focused on Shalaya and started to move, not letting anything get in my way. Honestly the final at USA’s might be one of my best races mentally. I never let myself think anything negative. I always pushed those thoughts out with positive self-talk and just let myself run. Crossing the finish line with a smile is my favorite feeling in the world. I had the biggest grin on my face while crossing the line in Des Moines this year – that’s how you know it was a great race. 

JESS CRAWFORD

I currently work as a mascot year-round, as the main performer for two teams: one baseball team and one unnamed winter sport. I'm afraid to say I can't reveal any more than that! Part of the joy of mascotting is the secret identity nature of it; once I leave the suit, I can walk around the stadium or field and be totally anonymous. This is especially true because I'm a 5' 5", 130 pound woman, not who most people picture inside the suit. 

Being a mascot is, in many ways, deeply uncomfortable. The suit - and I feel confident generalizing here - is very hot, and often heavy (one of my costumes is 22 pounds). On top of the inherent warmth of the costume, many of us work outdoors; I've done a number of games in temperatures as high as 105. Visibility varies from suit to suit, but is limited in almost every case. In my baseball costume, I have good visibility directly in front of me, but it's limited to an area roughly the size of my own face. In the winter suit, my view is reduced to an area about 12" across and 4" high, and that window is lower than my eyes. When taking photos, I have to stare at people's midsections in order for my costume to look like it's looking at the camera. I can't see steps very well, so I have learned to traverse the stadium mostly by feel. 

Also, kids (and some adults) will treat you like a human playground. I've had baseballs lobbed at my head, I've been forcibly carried, had my head yanked on (never off, thankfully!), been tripped, been hugged around the legs so forcibly that I couldn't move. And many adults will try and force their frightened child to take a photo with me, which is something I deeply dislike. Also, I have been handed so many babies! I have even, upon request, signed a baby. Not joking.

There are so many great joys to it, though, of course! You have license to do so many ridiculous things you would never get away with as a regular human person. I rub peoples' heads, steal food, do absolutely ludicrous dances, bring people random presents, and climb onto, or into places I'd never otherwise be allowed. Something that's surprised and delighted me is the relationship you develop with some fans. Season ticket holders (and other diehard regulars) often will get to "know" you. In the winter, I thumb-wrestle with a young girl, maybe 9 or 10 years old, at every single game. She finds me, sticks out her hand, and beats me every time. There's an arena employee who rubs my nose for luck every game, and an usher who adores my character and hugs me at every opportunity. These are very real and meaningful relationships, and I never even speak a word.

SARAH RAPP

Being the Chick-fil-A cow was way more fun than being Sarah Rapp the runner. Everyone loved me and acted like were best friends in the suit. But when I took off the costume and walked outside the swing door to the kitchen, I just blended in like another sweaty Chick-fil-A employee.

The identity you develop as a serious/professional runner is pretty invasive; when nearly every decision you make throughout your day, revolves around allowing you to perform (or survive!) a workout. Timing meals so you don’t have stomach issues, refilling your water bottle every 20 minutes… subsequently peeing every 6 minutes, choosing to call it an early night with friends - the list of decisions never ends.

Now imagine getting to be a new character. You get to run away from your average, everyday life, jump into the TV and become your favorite cartoon! You have just become a mascot. What’s your first move? Dance like no one’s watching? They don’t know it’s you- your identity is anonymous, yet everyone knows your character.  So the better question is, what WOULDN'T you do?

My mascot resume includes: a blood drop for American Red Cross, the COW at Chick-Fil-A, a Frosty Parrot for a yogurt shop, and most recently, a squirrel for Sir Walter Running. Each character has its own rules and costume restrictions you adapt to  (you can’t talk, your range of motion is limited due to humongous slipper-shoes or tails, pretty much no peripheral vision) … and each character has a pre-determined identity. Some were more popular than others due to marketing and branding (kids know the cow, but not the squirrel!!) But whichever one I got to be, I got to be the best version of that character and make positive memories for everyone I came into contact with. (Except for closed minded babies I had no control over whether they liked me or not)

Approaching kids outside of the costume with the same energy I had in the suit; ready to do that same handshake we had invented moments before I took the suit off, always resulted in them looking at me like I was crazy. That was and always will be a reminder to myself that you can only be you. You can’t be someone or something else that everyone knows and loves all the time. So, I have developed a desire to build my own brand through relationships, positivity, and enthusiasm. I may not become internationally known and loved as the Chick-fil-A Cow… but I can meet as many people at the local level as I can!

You may recognize Megan Rolland as a boss steepler, in which case you would be right, BUT she is also going to be a mom to triplets!!! Congrats Megan and Steph!

BY: MEGAN ROLLAND

I am sitting on a stool in a small darkened room holding Steph's hand who is lying on the exam table sobbing. Big, gasping sobs punctuated every few seconds by a choice curse word. I'm gripping her hand so hard my knuckles are white. I am speechless and keep looking back and forth between Steph and our ultrasound nurse who delivered the news. Triplets. 

Let's back up a year. Steph, my wife, and I decided we were going to try and start that family we had been scheming about for a long time. She is 6 years older and wanted to give it a go before she felt it was too late. Being as we are both female and lacking certain required components to make a baby, we enlisted some help. We have a wonderful male friend who offered his goods and we were off and running - or more like lying down with the hips elevated for 30 minutes. After about 6 months of trying at home without success we went to a fertility clinic for some assistance. At this point, it actually became cheaper to use a sperm donor from a bank instead of our known donor so we opted for that choice. Let me tell you, catalog shopping males off the internet is exhausting work. After many glasses of wine consumed and hours of reading 40 page profiles we had our winner! 

The clinic categorized Steph as “advanced maternal age” because at the ripe old age of 35 people start worrying your shriveled up eggs won't do a good enough job on their own. Because of that, she was placed on a small amount of fertility medication to help spruce up her ovaries to those of a 20 year old. A lot of people ask us how we got pregnant, so here are a few of the medical details. We used a process called IUI (intrauterine insemination). All that means is a nurse takes a long syringe full of sperm up the vagina, bypasses the cervix, and inseminates directly into the uterus. This gives the sperm a little better chance of making it to the actual egg. This is much different and way less expensive than the more commonly known procedure of IVF, in vitro fertilization, where they extract the egg, combine the sperm in a petri dish, and once it is fertilized place it back into the uterus. 

Another common question we get is “did you try for triplets?”. By the way, whoever asks that question automatically gets added to the night shift feeding help because NO! We wanted 1 healthy baby just like most normal, sane parents. Using the clinic and the IUI method along with a little medication did increase our chances of having multiples to 3%. Even if you are not very good at math, you probably understand that 3 is pretty low but 3 happens to be our lucky number because here we are 5 1/2 months later and there are 3 little fetuses in Steph's belly vying for real estate rights. 

What now? We know there is a lot of uncertainty in our future. We worry about complications with our babies, such as prematurity, and a healthy pregnancy for Steph, as well as every other anxiety that comes along with being new parents. Not to mention our sleep deprived zombie states once the babies arrive. I worry about juggling going back to my nursing job full time while having triplets and also maintaining my running fitness because yes, I would still like to run competitively. Ideally, I would love to run through one more Olympic Trials in the steeple in 2020. 

As Steph's belly continues to grow to the size of a small island over the summer, I will continue to train and compete at the NACAC senior championships in August. After that, our hospital bags will be packed and ready to go. All we can do is go forth, embrace the challenges, live in the moment, accept the chaos, keep each other laughing and revel in everything that comes with motherhood. All we know for sure is we are in for one wild ride!

As we have gotten to know Kendra this past year, through training, racing, and life updates, we’ve learned that this woman really knows how to move forward despite any forces trying to push her back. Many forces that reach far beyond the track. Essentially, she’s the Go Forth Queen.

So we wanted to know, what made Kendra go forth and…

1. Move to a new city and join a new training group?

What made me go forth and move to a new city and training group, was the strong motivation to stretch my comfort level and give my last Olympic cycle a true, genuine opportunity. I felt like I wasn’t being challenged enough in my previous training group, where I only had one other training partner. Now I train with five other women, who are some of the best in the world. I felt comfortable in Texas, in a way, I certainly was - my family was close by and the familiarity often made me feel stagnate. Moving to a new place can be a fresh start for many, but for me it is was putting myself in the unknown, taking the risk so I can look back at my track career with no regrets. I refuse to leave this sport asking myself "what if?" So I made the move!

2. Back off of your career to run and then decide to get your master’s degree?

I backed off my professional career to run because I knew that if I did not put all my effort into running I wasn’t going to fulfill my goals as a professional runner. I had wonderful positions and internships coming out of college and the most frustrating part was that I wasn’t able to pursue them further or take the next step because of track. There’s a saying that goes, “A jack of all trades is a master at none.” I honestly felt like having work and track, one would most certainly suffer. As an athlete I refused to settle, and as a professional I refused to give companies less than what they deserved. I decided to go back to school because I knew that while I put my time and energy into running full-time, I could also be productive in my recovery or travel time. I wasn’t getting any younger and my experience on my resume wasn’t getting better while I was running. I realized early on that track would end one day and then what would I become? I’d be an older job candidate and I wanted to set myself apart from others. I went forth and chose to get my master's degree in order to manage my running and my future more successfully. 

3. Race when you knew you didn’t have an ideal buildup?

Going forth and deciding to race this season was a tough call. After having one of my kidneys seemingly fail out of nowhere in late March right before my very first outdoor meet, it was hard to recover and produce quality workouts. I was in a hospital bed for a full week, then followed by a month of slow and progressive cross training. The training started to get better on the track, but the longest aspect to come back around were my long runs and mileage build-up. I had to use an anti-gravity machine to get my legs used to the tempo and long runs again. It felt like my body had to relearn running after a grueling and hard fall. I was discouraged because I felt I had lost everything from fall. I had put in the work and had nothing to show for it. I wasn’t ready to open for another two months, and was able to run relays at Penn Relays in-between. I finally ran my first real 800 meter race at the end of May. To my surprise, I ran a 2:02. As many would think I should’ve been happy, but I wasn’t. I knew what kind of shape I was in before my health scare and still feel like my body took a big toll and lost a lot of fitness that I had gained.

Regardless I chose to run the remainder of the outdoor season including USA Championships, because even though I wasn’t in top shape compared to the field, I wasn’t afraid to go out there and not be the best. It may sound crazy, but racing does so much for the mind and body. Racing is often less grueling on the body than high intensity training and it teaches you how to strategize and compete. I wasn’t scared to lose because losing comes before the wins, before the PR, before the season best. I am a very transparent athlete and felt like whatever my best effort was for the rest of outdoor, would be taken with grace and humility. To be honest, I am grateful I can even run right now. I am eager to have a pain-free, healthy, consistent season next year. I often have to remind myself to look how far I’ve come, not how far I have to go. At the end of the day every athlete on the start line is dealing with something. There’s an injury or a story they could tell. It’s inspiring, yet the one who refuses to let that impact their race often wins.

 "Go forth and Iive your life to fullest, no regrets, take the risk and love every minute of it!"

We want to know what made you "go forth and..." share on Instagram and Twitter using #GoFourth 

The US National Championship meet (whether USA's or the Olympic Trials) is always one of Oiselle's highlights of the year. The ups and downs of every US Track and Field athlete lead to this one meet, where the combination of hard work, talent, and good luck unite. We were so honored by our athletes in Des Moines. You fill our hearts! 

Kendra Chambers bounced back from a really tough spring, fighting hard in the 800m to finish just 2 spots out of advancing to the semi-final. She is just getting on her feet and looks to get in more racing this summer! 

Her first time competing in Oiselle, Bethany Drake beasted for an incredible 4^th place in women’s javelin with a PR throw of 54.20! Possible singlet effect? :) We can't wait to see how the rest of her summer goes as she brushes up her technique in Germany. 

Our #steeplepeople delivered big time! All four of our steeplers made the final, with Alexina Wilson 11^th, Megan Rolland 6^th, Emily Oren 5^th, and Mel Lawrence with the BIG third place finish and a shiny new PR, finishing in a time of 9:33.30! AMAZING!! All four of our steeplers will continue to race, with Megan, Emily, and Mel representing the US at the NACAC meet in Toronto in August (Oiselle steeple takeover!), and Alexina racing in the US. Mel heads overseas soon to chase more PR's in Europe. After the NACAC meet, Megan is returning home to train for her next competition: being a mom to triplets! Megan's wife is currently 20 weeks pregnant; Megan will no doubt put her hurdling skills to use as she wrangles all of those babies! 

Maria Michta-Coffey cruised to an incredible 42^nd National title in the 20k Racewalk (that's 50 laps on the track!) in a time of 1:35:21. She lapped all of the competition early, and then maintained her solo focus for the remainder of the race to break the finish tape with a smile. You are the gold standard of race walk, Maria! 

Jasmine Blocker accomplished a remarkable feat: qualifying for a US final in the 400m. The US is so deep in that event, making the final is a truly noteworthy accomplishment. She finished 7th in the country, running 51. twice in the process. Jasmine is pumped to be representing the US at the World Cup in London next month! Congratulations, Jasmine! 

Megan Clark cleared 4.30m in the pole vault, finishing 13th. It wasn't what she hoped for for her USA's performance, but her speed and strength looked great and she will keep honing her technique at meets in Europe this summer! 

And our friend Riley Cooks (you may know her from #birdswim fame) sported the Oiselle Blackbird crop and buns in the women's heptathlon. She finished 8th in the country in a PR of 5825 points. Amazing job, Riley! 

Saturday night we got to enjoy a team family dinner, which was a great reminder of why we are involved in elite athlete support. It was so fun to meet everyone's loved ones! Big thank you to Lauren Fleshman (and baby giggler Zadie), photographer Heather McWhirter, and entertainer/life coach Jungle Chicken for making the weekend so memorable. And thank you to all of the Volée for your support of this team in their dream-chasing. 

Since joining Oiselle, moving into a van, and traveling across the west exploring towns and trails, I’ve received a lot of messages about safety. Recently, IRunFar published survey data on trail-running and safety which they collected earlier this year from their online community. The results of the survey, while nuanced, revealed (unsurprisingly) that,“female trail runners, across the board, are more challenged by human-safety hazards than male trail runners.”

Oiselle’s Bras for Girls Program has had a great spring! We’ve given away almost 1,000 bras to middle school age girls and are planning to donate more than 4,000 bras in 2018! If you have a program you think would benefit from breast development education and free sports bras, please nominate them here. A big thank you to our Volée team for supporting Bras for Girls! Hear from some of our recipient programs on their experiences.

Cascade Middle School Track and Field (Susie Lutz): 

As a PE teacher at Cascade, I am always thinking of ways to build confidence in our young ladies and student-athletes. When I was young, I went through the same growing pains that many of my students are experiencing today, so it inspires me when I see companies like Oiselle “paying it forward” for these young ladies. Oiselle is a forward-thinking company that identified the need for building-up our young ladies’ confidence, by donating sports bras to young female athletes. Because of Oiselle’s generosity of donating a well-made physical support garment, they have actually facilitated a process for emotional support and health support too, that may result in a lifetime of improved health. They have honestly liberated so many of my students, by donating a product to our school that enables confidence within my students to run with their awesome, brand new, sport bras! This year, our ladies varsity track team had the biggest turn-out we have ever seen. Our 7^thand 8^thgrade track team were all smiles after feeling the comfort of a reliable sports bra during extended periods of high activity. I know not all of my student-athletes may not continue their journeys in Track and Field, but simply because Oiselle provided these young ladies with a confidence builder that promotes health and activity, maybe they will have the confidence to take on other adventures; such as 5K fun runs, cross country, and maybe even some will challenge themselves to run a marathon one day!! 

REI/ Gritty Girls presentation (Volée Leader Sara Daum):  

It was a fantastic experience! We enjoyed meeting the REI staff, Athleta staff, and Kim from Girls Leadership. The girls and their mothers were so excited to see us that many came up to the table before the presentation to hear about what we were doing and ask when they'd be able to get their own bras. We took that opportunity to hand out pamphlets and talk about Oiselle. After Kim's presentation, we gave a quick overview of Bras for Girls (especially why it exists). I asked each Volée member present to say briefly what the biggest thing they've gotten out of sports is. For me, I said that running is my practice believing in myself! Running helps me tackle goals that scare me, and I get to remember on a daily basis that I can do hard things. Others identified lifelong friends made through sports, connections to the community, time to enjoy the outdoors, and feeling happier. When the girls were released from the presentation we had a rush. When possible, we let the girls choose which color they wanted - some wanted bright pink and orange, and some specifically asked for plain muted colors. Time flew by and the event was over before we knew it. Thank you again for the opportunity to be a part of this! It was so impactful to be able to directly see where our team funds go, and to get to share our love of sports and adventure.

Jen Hawley Price: Students Run Chicago

Oiselle’s Bras For Girls program recently inspired student runners and triathletes from Chicago to talk openly and honestly about breasts and body image, building confidence while learning about breast health and getting fitted for a sports bra.

Illinois Volée Leaders Jen Hawley Price, Ali Schultz, and Kristine Burgess distributed sports bras to Students Run Chicago and Student Tri Chicago, mentorship-based athletic programs that transform lives by inspiring students to achieve goals and learn life skills while training for and completing the Chicago Marathon or the Chicago Triathlon. Most participants have little to no previous running or sports-related experience and tackle marathon or triathlon training while managing to keep up with a busy school schedule.

At the Bras For Girls event, there was a great deal of open and honest discussion. Each student shared why they decided to participate in the marathon or triathlon training programs. One student shared how she decided to train for her first marathon because she has given up on many other activities in her life, and this is the thing she doesn’t want to quit.

Body image and media portrayal of female athletes was discussed. The group quickly came to the consensus that the women they see running up and down Chicago’s Lakefront Trail or lining up on race day look far different than what we see in magazines or on social media. Our sports are diverse, and we left our Bras For Girls discussion determined to keep them diverse and celebrate all who participate; regardless of color, shape, size or athletic ability.

We talked breast health and development before fitting the students for sports bras. New Oiselle sports bras paired with great conversation provided a transformational confidence boost for each of the students. They left the Bras For Girls event “head up, wings out,” showing off their new bras and filled with energy and excitement for their training season.

Thank you to Oiselle and Oiselle Volée members. You make a difference -- the portion of your membership that supports programs like Bras For Girls is having a significant impact.

We are so excited to be heading back to Des Moines for USA’s…it’s been 5 years since we first experienced the sweaty awesomeness of Drake Stadium, complete with our “Balls” t-shirt, tons of swass, and hyped-up super-fanning. 

So much has happened since then, but what hasn’t changed is our enthusiasm for the sport and the amazing athletes who will be competing their hearts out in the heat and humidity. We can’t wait to cheer for everyone, especially our fierce flyers listed below! Follow along on @oiselle_team (twitter) for all of the action. 

Competition schedule for Oiselle’s Haute Volée:

Thursday

1:50 pm: 3,000m Steeple First Round (Alexina Wilson, Emily Oren, Megan Rolland, Mel Lawrence)

“My goal for USA's is to make the final, and then improve on last year’s 10th place finish! I really think I have the capability to finish within the top 6 this year!” - Alexina Wilson

"I really would like to make finals again at USA's and go in with even more confidence than last year. I’m hoping to place higher than I did last year, and really higher than I ever have at the national meet." - Emily Oren

"I am hoping to really enjoy my USA experience.  This is my 5th year in a row qualifying for USA champs in the steeple and every year I become more grateful to still be able to compete at this event in this meet.  I think even more so this year because of the rocky spring season I had with injuries.  I hope to show up, compete with confidence, make the final and give it all I have." - Megan Rolland 

2:20 pm: 800m First Round (Kendra Chambers)

"I am hoping for healthy rounds of racing and competing to my absolute best ability! This year has been a big adjustment to a new training group and after being injured I feel blessed that I'm healthy again and ready to run at USA's!! " - Kendra Chambers

4:40 pm: 400m First Round (Jasmine Blocker)

"It's all about making that final!" - Jasmine Blocker

5:15 pm: Triple Jump (Tori Franklin)

As the current American Record Holder in the triple jump, Tori is looking to continue her flying ways! 

Friday 

6:05 pm: 400m Semifinals 

6:50 pm: 800m Semifinals 

7:40 pm: 20k Race Walk (Maria Michta-Coffey) 

Saturday 

3:20 pm: 3,000m Steeple Final

"I have a feeling the race will be tactical, so I want to walk away from the race knowing I was aware during the race to match moves. I want to walk away feeling really strong and confident with how I raced not just ran." - Mel Lawrence

Sunday 

1:55 pm: Pole Vault (Megan Clark) 

"At USA’s, I’m going in hoping to continue progressing this season, technically, and in height. I was able to make a few really big breakthroughs coming in, so hopefully that will give me the confidence I need to compete to my full potential." - Megan Clark

From the Athletes: Favorite Pump up Songs...

• KOD by J. Cole - Jasmine Blocker
• My House by Flo Rida - Emily Oren
• Get Up 10 by Cardi B - Alexina Wilson 
• We Run This by Missy Elliot - Megan Clark

Keep up with the fun on FloTrack or NBC Sports. Good luck to our fierce flyers, Head Up Wings Out!

At 11k to go in a race where each of the 90 kilometers is counted down with a large sign, my teammate, also (in this race) non-teammate, also competitor, also friend, Devon, ran up beside me, ‘Everything ok?’, she asked. She waited for my reply, ‘Yes’, before she continued along to open the gap.

The next day, as we both sat at our respective team tables at the prize giving ceremony that celebrates the Gold Medal winners (top ten females and males), one of the speakers discussed the responsibility of government to provide support for athletics. She discussed sport as something that brings people - of different races, different nationalities, different genders, different sizes and ages - together. And while Comrades is one of the world’s most competitive ultras, what makes it so special is the humanity that arises from such a large diverse race. Where so many people, competitors and spectators alike, come together with shared goals, shared struggles, and shared celebrations. 

We feel this togetherness in all sport, but Comrades is a special embodiment of this  - the competition is fierce, but the camaraderie is equally strong. As we embark on a personal journey from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, we also embark on a shared one with countless shared experiences along the course, each memorable in a special way.

As Devon passed me on Sunday, we shared a comment about how hard the race was, how it was silly that we keep traveling so far for something that at times feels insurmountably challenging, for something that tests your body and your will for such a long time.

But as I sit on this return flight home and even though I have been awake for over 30 hours, and sitting for 19 in a very uncomfortable seat with my legs aching and my loose toenails throbbing, if I’m being completely honest with myself I’ll probably be back next year and I’m already looking forward to the next down year two years from now.

Coming into this past weekend, if you had been able to sneak peek into my mind, you would have known that I was hoping for a podium finish. It would have required a particularly good day of course, and maybe a particularly rough one for one of my competitors, but it did not seem unreasonable based on my fitness. I thought 4-5 position was a decent day. Something above that might have suggested I felt a bit off.

But Sunday, we raced and my competitors were strong and they remained strong throughout. I may not be the speediest, but I do tend to be strong(er). Usually I can rely on my ability to overtake people in the later stages of the race. But that’s why we race and that’s why it is fun - because on the day, there are so many factors that impact the outcome. You can be fit, but you also need to decide to accept pain, to challenge yourself to commit to the mental challenge. That’s why it’s exciting and why we keep coming back.

At the prize giving ceremony, we were asked by the head of the Comrades marathon to stand, recognize, and pay respect to the top three women. I’ve attended this ceremony two times prior, and this was not a typical request. He asked that we applaud them not because they posted fast times, but because they truly battled out there on the course. Because they persisted. Because they demonstrated respect for themselves and each other, as athletes. They did not settle, and in this, they pushed each other to some of the fastest finishing times in years (despite this year’s course being long.)

And even though I expected better placement, it’s really difficult to be disappointed with a Comrades race. Partially because it is so competitive, but more so because of the honor and privilege felt when you take part in such an event. Where your sport is respected, by the community in its commitment to spend 12 hours on the roads cheering and seconding, by the media in their full-day coverage of the event, by the government in its commitment to continue prioritizing the event, by organizations who provide prize money that is substantial and deep. Everything about the race reminds you that what you care about is valuable and respected. And with the amazing crowd support from start to finish - kids reaching out for high fives, women in dresses jumping in the race to run beside you, the intense encouragement that comes from tunnels of people screaming your name and calling for you to stay strong. That feeling is something that I feel is especially powerful at Comrades. And why, even though the flight is expensive, and long, and the road is unforgiving, there is something very special about this race that makes it difficult for me to want to spend my first few weeks in June doing anything else.

-Sarah Bard, Oiselle trail pro + ultra runner

A birthday well spent. Six hours of taking photos, playing in the rain, and cheering on these speedy women! Conditions were not ideal - but Kendra, Alisha, Emily, Alexina, Megan, Mel and Sasha all braved the weather + threw down some solid performances (not surprised)! Below is the evening in photos, enjoy! 

Keep up with the team and follow along @oiselle_team on twitter! 

Head up, wings out. 

Jess

The Team Birdmachine Snowmass post-race report can be summed up in one word: FANTASTIC! We don’t like to brag, but we were awesome! We were able to pull off a win in the women's masters category, overall masters, and came in second overall women’s team - 30^th out of 222 teams! The conditions were beautiful but challenging. The first couple of legs were really hot, and even though we all live in Colorado, we were running at 3,000 feet of elevation more than we’re used to. Also competing were three Oiselle Volée teams. We enjoyed running into our other bird-buddies around the camp and watching them fly down the trail. Many of the other women made a point of searching us out in our campsite to say hello and wish us luck. You can truly feel the love with these women!

Some highlights from our weekend:

Friends. We have competed together for 12 years now. We might only see each other once a year, but we can always pick up right where we left off. These women are like my sisters; we know each other like family.

Amazing Oiselle gear. We loved strutting around camp and running those beautiful steep trails in our team gear. It was chilly Thursday night, so we wore our tracksuits down to race headquarters to pick up our race packets. We heard another team whispering “We’re gonna have to step up our game” when we walked by in our matching black jackets. We raced in our Toolbelt Roga shorts and team Go tanks and we are convinced they made us run faster. Let’s not forget to mention the Runner Trucker hats that kept the sun off our faces!

Glamping. After many years of traditional camping at trail races, we decided to go soft and pay for a glamping site.  Our personal concierge, Connor, was our favorite! We had a living room, kitchen, space for all of our stuff, and then our favorite, the back porch, where we could sit and cheer on all the runners as they whizzed by. They even provided mimosas on Saturday morning (which we passed on, but thought it was a nice touch)!

Nature. Shooting stars, a colorful hot air balloon takeoff, dive-bombing bats, raccoons, two fox sightings and incredible wildflowers. Seriously…the shooting star at 2:00 a.m. was most incredible! Have you ever seen the stars at 8,000 feet with no city lights? If not, add that to your bucket list.

Crashing. Our team had a total of three falls during our 21 hours out on the trail, but that didn’t slow us down one bit!  No major injuries, but some big purple bruises, scrapes, and a couple of trips to the med tent. 

Night Legs. The dark didn’t slow us down one bit! Running at night is truly an amazing experience. It can be a bit scary when you can't fully see where you are going, but there is something magical about running in the dark. We all enjoyed our night legs and even managed to run pretty fast. It’s pretty cool to look across the mountain and see the headlights from other runners across the hillside. 

Brrrr. Ok, we can't fail to mention the most challenging thing about a trail race at 8,000 feet...the COLD temperatures at night! The race organizers do a great job of keeping the campfires going and even having heat lamps near the start, but it is almost impossible to stay warm in the middle of the night. Some of our team members opted to burrow into their sleeping bags. We had one runner who refused to lie down, claiming that if she did, she'd never get up! This year the cold seemed to be particularly challenging, but the great thing is that when the sun starts coming up the temperatures also start to rise and by the time we finished we were all toasty warm again. 

Crew. Our volunteer Jen was most incredible! She sign up for all 3 shifts after Stacy ended up at home with the stomach bug. Jen surprised us Saturday morning with some fresh watermelon, which really hit the spot. Social media guru Laurie did an amazing job shooting videos and pics! 

Overall, our Podium Project weekend was spectacular and left us all feeling happy and tired. In the favorite post-run words of our team member Vic, it was “So Fun!” 

- Lisa Mansfield, the fearless leader of Birdmachine CO