You know what's tenacious? A honey badger. 

As immortalized in Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger, they don't quit ("Look at the honey badger...it runs all over the place, it's pretty badass.") They run around willy nilly fighting jackals, invading beehives, and eating cobras like no big deal. Badgers don't care about people either. When a badger sees a car coming down the road, they make themselves big and get ready to fight the car.

Runners are tenacious too. We have to fight cars on occasion, and we have to dig and claw and bite our way through tough situations. And while you know the Oiselle aesthetic is all about the beauty of flight - we also design clothes to fight the elements, the clock, and even your own inertia.

Three fabrics/styles that WIN at being tenacious include:

1. Vim and Vigor. The featherweight mini-ripstop - found in the Vim Jacket and Vigor Vest. We call these styles out a lot because they're loved a lot. Beyond their rain repellency, what's less known is that this fabric can fully resist wind up to 50mph. It's also extremely quick drying and resistant to tearing. Add the reflectivity and pack-up pouch, and this is one of our all time fave tenacious styles, so tenacious it was able to take on Emily's 23 mile snowy run.

2. Roga. The fabric used in our iconic Roga shorts is different. It has an incredibly high amount of spandex, which means way more stretch than most shorts. But as a stretch woven, it also has body. Just enough to make it the looks-great, bounces-back, washes-easy, runs-hard shorts that can go from high mileage to the High Sierras. Just as Nicole Antoinette who walked hundreds of miles in her Long Rogas along the PCT. The Roga is always ready, always tenacious!

3. Nyelle™ Compression. A compressive fabric that isn't slick or shiny or overly tight. Nyelle is deceptively tenacious. Deceptive because it's a fabric that has a hand more like cotton - but with all the chops of a true performance textile. Run, wear, wash, dry, repeat - over and over. Nyelle just gets softer and more comfortable with every wear. And proof that even when you're fabric is tenacious - it can still feel and look tremendous.

For more information about our hard working, good looking fabrics, go here.

Then go give ‘em hell like honey badger!

As a running company we had a very official job to do today - watch the Boston Marathon.

This is a re-telling of our emotional journey as we watched the 33-year American drought come to an end. 

Here we are after seeing the footage of heavy winds, far too much rain, and a possible river forming in the road.

And here we are trying to stay positive for the runners pretending everything is fine. Rain? What rain? 

And here is an example of teamwork almost as impressive as Desi slowing down to work with Shalane. Keyword “almost” as in not even close, but still fun.

And here we are getting slightly stressed as we see Mamitu Daska of Ethiopia start to gain a solid lead. But it’s the marathon and we know the journey is far from over. Desi is still in it. We remain hopeful, because she’s a beast. A well-known proven fact. Everyone be cool, BE COOL.

And here is a very dramatic, and embellished, reenactment of Desi grinding her way to the lead.

And HERE we see Desi make her move to take the lead! Our excitement CANNOT be contained, not like we would even try to contain it in the first place.

And here we have another dramatic reenactment. This time it’s of Ryan Linden watching his wife, a strong marathon queen, come down the homestretch to win the freaking Boston Marathon. 

And here we are in front of the T.V. as Desi crossed the finish line making it extremely official that she won the Boston Marathon and is a well-rounded-grade-A-badass. 

And here we are after looking at the results and seeing that 7 of the top 8 female finishers were American. 

Aaahhh it's a good day to be a woman runner. 

BY: ERIN

When I was in 8th grade, I had the kind of best friend whose family is also your family. My friend was skipping school to go watch her mom run the 101st Boston Marathon, and my mom said I could go too. I vividly remember standing on Commonwealth Avenue, in the tracks for the Green line train, waiting for “my other mom” to appear. My friend and I were both on the track team and had worn our running clothes to jump in and run a bit with her if she wanted us to. When Pam appeared, she was walking. She had hurt her knee but was determined to finish. So, we walked with her. Pam told us about how amazing it had been talking with everyone on the course, and how you saw people who were sick or hurt and how everyone was just supportive. 

I could feel that in the crowd. Walking the last few miles of the marathon was magical. I decided that I would run The Boston Marathon someday. 

“Someday” is a very vague goal. My running in college was consistent but had no real plan or form to it. I joined the Peace Corps after college and couldn’t run where I was; I missed it terribly. When I moved back to Boston I started running before going to work teaching ESL at a private language school. 

The company I worked for was not based in Boston, so we had school on Marathon Monday. My coworker and I decided to take the students to the “cultural event” that was happening. We got to the finish line early and saw the winners, then stayed to cheer for everyone else. One of my students was a woman just a few years younger than I was, who had a terrible incident happen to her while going home one night. After a few hours of cheering she turned to me and spoke about the amazing strength of the people we were watching, and how inspiring it was. I told her that one of my goals was to run Boston one day, and she said she wanted to be there, and maybe run it herself. 

After Boston, I moved to France, and then New York, where I ran my first half marathon. Cheering for the New York Marathon only made me miss Boston, and my training became more consistent. I ran two marathons before qualifying last year in Chicago and I’m ready to fulfill that promise I made to myself back in 8th grade.  

I’ve turned into my friend’s mother in many ways. I’ve run races just to have the shirts she wore and get up to work out before school just like she did. In just a few days, I’ll run Boston just like she did too.

Lucky numbers are a funny thing. My husband has his tattooed on his leg. My boys are super dedicated to the soccer numbers they rep on their jerseys. My favorite number has always been 13, simply because it’s my birthdate, and because others may see it as unlucky, it makes it that much more special to me.

Here’s a list of 13 fun/lucky/favorite things in my life to celebrate this Friday the 13^th!

1. Seattle! Run this way and see water. Run that way and see the mountains. Or run over there and spot a boat with your name on it – say what? Yeah, that happened last summer – lucky me!
2. Once upon a time, in September of 2016, when I was patiently waiting to find out if my BQ time was enough to make it into Boston, a notification popped up on Facebook that said “those who ran 2 minutes, 9 seconds or faster than their age and gender qualifying times were accepted into next April’s race”…. ummm, that was EXACTLY my time. Seriously, who does that happen to? Talk about lucky!
3. The BOSTON Tee! I wanted to celebrate this historical race so I asked Sally if I could design a tee – she said yes! J
4. Is there such thing as lucky sweats… maybe if you wear them ALL. THE. TIME. I’m a “walk in the door, go straight to my room, change into my sweats” kinda gal. So when Sally and the design time showed us the Kara Collection, I said “Oh yeah, come to mama.”
5. Who has two thumbs and gets to combine two things she loves and make a career of it? I do! I do! Running + graphic design = so many awesome projects – like a booklet that talks about boobs and how important a sports bra is for young girls. Yeah, that’s super cool!
6. Roga Shorts, Roga Dress, Summer Rogas – I love all the Rogas!!!
7. Lucky Charms cereal – yep, it really is my kid-at-heart, favorite guilty pleasure cereal.
8. My run bestie! Two Jenn’s who often get mistaken as sisters, or mistaken for each other… running brought our friendship together and we keep eachother motivated!  
9. SPANDOS! Is it weird that I want strangers to feel my legs when I’m wearing these bad boys? The softness, the personality –for the run or the rumble, I love me some Spandos, especially Fightin Floral!
10. Running, running, and more running. How lucky am I that this #runlove has brought so many cool new places, adventures, and people into my life… I hope this luck never runs out!
11. Oiselle! I’m lucky to work with such amazing peeps that are dedicated to working so hard on so many different things to bring together so many different women… it’s a pretty special place!
12. A family that does crazy things together, stays together. Is that how the saying goes? Lucky to have my support crew always by my side.
13.(1) The hubby and I got our besties into running so we started to plan mini getaways around races, our last being the Monterey Bay Half Marathon, a gorgeous course! Travel to new places, run a race, eat amazing food, check out the sites, throw in some shenanigans… all with our besties… I’m one lucky girl! 

What are your lucky 13 things?

Boston, 2018 is destined to be an epic marathon, just check out the fields! Women representing the US include Molly Huddle (American Record Holder in the half marathon), Desiree Linden (2:22 PR), Shalane Flanagan (NYC Marathon winner), and Jordan Hasay (2:20 PR), among many others. Erin Strout had a chance to talk with marathon greats Deena Kastor, Lisa Rainsberger, and our own Kara Goucher (check out the Outside Magazine article) about the Boston race.

"There are so many different ways it could go. Jordan has obviously proven to be a fast marathoner, and she ran very fast in Boston, so does she go and hammer from the beginning? Does Shalane do what she did in New York and hang back, then try to swoop in, which is not her typical style? It worked beautifully a few months ago. Molly Huddle is just the most thoroughbred out there with her track times. Desi probably knows the course better than anyone else—maybe tied with Shalane. Kellyn Taylor has just been chipping away. And Deena—you never know. She could just go out there and run a 2:26. I don’t know. I’m so nervous for them, but in a good-energy way." - Kara

We are unreasonably excited to cheer on all of the Boston Marathon racers! We have over 75 Volée racing the marathon, with many more hitting up the BAA 5K on Saturday and cheering on the course. We hope you join us to shakeout on Sunday or cowbell Monday!

Sunday, April 15th:

     3 Mile Shake Out Run 
     9:00 am
     Meet at Thinking Cup
     165 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02111

     Post Shake Out Coffee Meet Up
     10:00 am
     Thinking Cup
     165 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02111

Monday, April 16th: 

     Cowbell Corner
     10 am 
     Starbucks Wellesley
     68A Central Street
     Wellesley MA 02482

Cowbell corner is at mile 13.1 of the marathon…If you are taking public transportation, this is 0.2 miles from the commuter rail - Wellesley Center stop

Sally and Lesko will be shenanigan-ing the whole weekend, so tweet at us if you need more details or information…or if you need a special cheer on Monday!

Head up, wings out!

It's no secret I love my layers. I come by it naturally, my mom and sister are master-layer-ers too. When it comes down to it, I just hate to be cold (or hot haha) and I don't really care that much what I look like...so BAM, layers! You can always be the exact temp you want.

Me and my layering role-models; My mom, and sister.

Oiselle has certainly taken my layering to a super-master wazzie level. My favorite layer options: 

• Wazzie Wool Base Layer or Wazzie Wool Tank (wool is the best against skin for managing sweat)
• Flyout Tights (for winter under pants), under Track Attack Pants or another swishy sweatpant layer
• Vigor Vest or Vim Jacket...if you put this as an intermediate layer (like over a wazzie and under a Cat Lady jacket), this combo can take you through some mighty cold temps 
• The Yeti (in all fabrics and flavors...of course!) 

Layer up, friends! You won't regret it!

BY: CAROLINE

My Dad was a competitive athlete for as long as I can remember. I remember biking next to my dad as he chased his goal to qualify for Boston. He qualified in a time of 3:17 and then ran Boston in 1995. Growing up I followed in his athletic footsteps. The year after I finished my college swimming career, to help me find my groove after no longer being a part of a team, my dad talked me into a running a marathon. I agreed, and we trained and ran the Columbus Marathon together in 2008.  

While we trained for the marathon he frequently talked about us running Boston together. In the summer of 2016, I was in the best shape of my life and training for a fall marathon, with the hope of finally qualifying for Boston. A month before the marathon, we got devastating news – my dad was diagnosed with brain cancer. He had surgery and underwent treatment, and with his push I went and ran the marathon but came up short. When I got back and came to family dinner that night, my dad came down wearing his Boston Marathon jacket. With his classic smirk of a smile he said, “I was going to give you my jacket, but you just aren’t fast enough!” At that moment I vowed to run my hometown spring marathon, The Flying Pig, and qualify, so he would be there to see me do it! 

Over the next few months, I trained, and he got treatment. At the end of February, we got even more devastating news, his treatment was no longer working. At that moment I wanted to quit. I remember getting notes from a few of the Volée members I had met at camp the previous year. They didn’t know the full story, but they knew I needed to keep training and my dad needed it too. I continued to train and visit him in hospice, secretly praying he would hang on until the race to see me qualify.  

On March 18, I ran a tune up half marathon.  I came home and showed my dad my splits. I told him I was in such good shape, his marathon PR was at risk. He smiled.  

On March 29, 2017 my dad made his transition to Heaven. On the morning of the Pig, I was numb, I didn’t want to run, but I knew I needed to show up. I knew I needed to just keep putting one foot in front of another. That had been my moto over the last few months.  And that is exactly what I did, and 3 hours and 32 minutes later I crossed the finish line a Boston Qualifier, with my biggest fan watching me every step of the way from Heaven. 

Qualifying at that moment meant so much more than being able to run Boston. It reminded me that I was going to be ok, we were going to be ok, and my dad was going to be by our sides every step of the way in whatever goal or challenge we face.  

That night my mom gave me my dad’s Boston jacket. 

The story doesn’t end there…. fast forward to September when I registered for Boston. I knew I was going to be on the bubble for getting in but was hopeful. I remember getting the email “Notice of Non-Acceptance - 2018 Boston Marathon”.  I was at work and I ugly cried.  The last year just flashed before my eyes, all the ups and downs, the sadness, and the joy. I was crushed. A few weeks later, I headed to Boulder for Kara’s Podium Retreat and wasn’t feeling really excited about running. My bird friend, Beth and I had signed up soon after my dad passed away. We thought it would be a fun weekend and we would get to meet our sister hero, Kara. The second day of the retreat Kara’s agent and friend, Shanna, gave a speech on legacy and had each of us write our obituary. I couldn’t. I just remember writing my dad’s obituary with my mom and siblings just a few months ago. It was too soon. I cried. After the exercise was over, Kara’s friend Anna asked me if I wanted to talk about it. Kara who was sitting in front of me turned around. I started telling my story, ugly crying, snot rolling down my face and, in that moment, I felt something inside of my shift.

I felt strong again. Throughout the weekend, I met a handful of other inspiring women and shared my story, and I remember meeting Pam who encouraged me to apply for a charity spot at Boston. At the airport on my way home from the retreat, I filled out an application for the charity 261 Fearless. I researched Kathrine Switzer’s organization and it felt like a perfect fit. 10 years ago, my dad chaired a committee to retroactively award varsity letters to women at the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University who competed in sports prior to Title IX. He was huge supporter of promoting women’s sports, and it was right in line with the mission of 261. Before I hopped on the plane my application to 261 Fearless 2018 Boston Team was submitted. Two days later, I did a phone interview. Three days later, I got an email “Congratulations! You have been selected to run the Boston Marathon” I was at work again, and this time I screamed!

On Monday, April 16, I get to toe the line in Hopkinton and run the 122^nd Boston Marathon. The goal was to run Boston with my dad, and while you may not be able to see him with me, I will be able to feel him with me every step of those 26.2 miles. I cannot wait to take in every moment of Marathon Monday, one mile at a time just like I have every day since my dad was diagnosed. Thank you to my family and friends for the support and encouragement over the last year. And special thanks to all my Volée #birdfriends – you remind me daily, I am stronger that I realize, and sometimes strong is our only option. 

See you soon, Boston! 

BY: ANDIE COZZARELLI

In the last few years I have been struggling to see the potential that I know is within me. I’ve shared my experiences and worked at being better for myself. I’ve expressed my vulnerability and laid it all out. Through it all I have always tried to spin each situation in a positive light. To label it as a learning experience, proclaiming to bounce back in an epic fashion. But what do you do when you don’t bounce back? When you’ve taken the steps to become better and it falls short? When you think you are being your best self but you're feeling worse than you ever have? You put away your pride and reach out for help.

About a week ago I was hitting a low point. Running, no matter what pace I was going, felt hard. My muscles were in a constant state of soreness. My legs felt stiff and heavy. Some days were okay, and some days were just awful. Recovering from long runs and workouts kept getting harder. I had been gaining weight and our team was talking with sponsors, organizing photo shoots, meetings, and the like. I didn’t want people to see me and as crazy as that may sound, I felt very inadequate. I didn’t feel fast. I felt like I was out of control. I was worried about another year of frustration, but this time much worse. And to make matters worse I felt like time was running out. If didn’t perform this year, people would give up on me. I wouldn’t have any entry times to get into the races I wanted to run. And worst of all, I would lose my sponsorship. As my worry of recovering from whatever was happening deepened, so did the pressure. So, after reaching out to Allie Bigelow, the person who gave me the confidence to keep going back in 2014 when I first joined Oiselle, I emailed Sarah Lesko. My options were to hold on to how I was feeling and let it drag me further down, or express that I was having trouble. It is natural to go through these kinds of periods and feel alone. But really your only alone if you choose to be.

Prior to emailing Lesko, I had several instances of feeling helpless, unhappy with myself, and scared of never finding an answer. The first weekend in March I had planned to run a 10k but in the week of the race every run felt bad. The easy way out would have been to drop out of the race because once again I wasn’t happy with my body or how I was feeling, and I didn’t want to run poorly. My confidence has always been a struggle for me and I didn’t want it to sink further. But I chose to do it. Although it didn’t go well, I'm happy I chose to race. I put myself out there the day before the race and I felt supported. I felt the same way when I emailed Lesko.

Her words as I read them sunk in relieving me of the stress I was putting on myself. There are times when no matter how hard you try to keep positive, you can’t will the worries away. You must address them. Her opening line, “One of my rules in life is: don’t worry alone” reminded me why I joined this team in the first place. The unconditional love and support of this team is what keeps the dream alive. She also made a point that so many of us forget when roadblocks intercept our path, health is far more important than anything else. As I read her email I even started to feel better about my situation. I am not just a runner. Oiselle doesn’t care for me just because I run. They care because I am a person. Because I don’t want to bounce back for myself, I want to be back for those that follow me. The people who believe in me. More than anything, I love the connections I made through this team and when I hear from others that my story makes a difference, I know I am doing what I was meant to do.

It is always going to be hard to handle these kinds of situations, but it doesn’t get any better when you try to handle them yourself. As runners, we are so in tune with how we feel. Small changes in our health can be evident to us but in comparison to most of the population these things could seem insignificant. Through the issues I have been having, I haven’t been able to determine what is happening. I have been torn between who and what to trust. I have felt crazy and isolated but there has got to be an answer out there. For now I will focus on what I can, and I will have to remind myself of that every day, because it is easy to write a blog post on such a mindset and much harder to reinforce it. Sharing my struggle can only help me move forward and I hope in writing this my words will impact others. In times when I can’t be a role model for others through my achievements out on the roads, I hope to at least be a role model in how to navigate the road of uncertainty. The road where things don’t work out as you hope, but you still keep that hope. 

Where Do You Train?

I get a lot of questions about how and where I train while living in the van. Though I’m not traveling to a new place every day, I’ve spent the past 3 months all over Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, and Utah. Since moving into the van I definitely spend more time planning – where to sleep, where to shower, and where to train.

Sometimes I use google. Other times, I reach out to locals for recommendations. Sometimes it’s just luck. Sometimes, in the moment I see a beautiful place, I stop, get out a map, and go!

Here are 10 (or so) beautiful places I’ve run:

NORTHWEST

1. Chuckanut Mountains – Bellingham, Washington 
2. Klahhane Ridge (Lake Angeles and Heather Park Trailhead) – Olympic National Park, Washington
3. Seven Lakes Basin – Olympic National Park, Washington 
4. Forest Park – Portland, Oregon 
5. Hamilton Mountain – Columbia River Gorge, Stevenson, Washington 
6. Smith Rock State Park – Terrebonne, Oregon 
7. Crescent Mountain – Cascadia, Oregon 
8. Clam Beach County Park – Arcata, California 
9. Redwood National Park – Berry Glen, California 
10. Marin Headlands – Mill Valley, California 

SOUTHWEST

1. Duck Lake to Mammoth Crest Trail – Mammoth Lakes, California 
2. Angeles National Forest – Palmdale, California 
3. North Beach – Del Mar, California
4. Joshua Tree National Park – California 
5. Kelso Dunes and the Mojave National Preserve – Baker, California 
6. Zion National Park - Utah 
7. Red Cliffs National Conservation Area – St. George, Utah 
8. Bright Angel Trail to South Kaibab – Grand Canyon National Park 
9. Chuck Wagon Trail – Sedona, Arizona 
10. Phoenix Mountain Preserve – Phoenix, Arizona
11. Honeybee Canyon – Tucson, Arizona 

I first met Sally at the 2016 Kara Goucher Podium Retreat in Tucson, AZ. Sally’s presentation at the retreat absolutely resonated with me. The last planned event during the last day of the retreat was a “Circle of Sisterhood”. Kara asked each one of us define and share our “intention” for the coming year.

The women attending the retreat went on to share amazing goals and intentions. When my turn to share came, I shared my simple intention: To create and have more “sisterhood” in my life. I wanted to have more of what Sally had talked about in her presentation. I wanted to have more of the amazing sisterhood I had experienced during the four-day life-changing retreat! And I did!

In the past two years I have greatly expanded ways in which to connect with other women in many areas of my life. One of the first ways in which I created more sisterhood in my life was by joining Oiselle Volée just a few months after the retreat. What an amazing community of powerful women!

I have made so many truly special connections through Oiselle Volée! It goes well beyond the super awesome clothes, designs, and fabrics! Ahhhh, the power of that Oiselle Volée singlet/bra! I am so inspired by the amazing women of Oiselle Volée! I love that the community is inclusive of all women! There is such power when women come together, to support each other! Together, we can effect change! Sally, Lesko, and everyone at Oiselle… thanks for providing the opportunity for women to come to connect, come together, and change the world!

Head Up. Wings Out!

Dr. Anabelle Broadbent

1. HUGGING STRANGERS AT START LINES
How many times have you made your way to the start line of a race all by yourself? You might be nervous and feeling a little lonely. When you wear your Oiselle singlet you WILL make friends at the beginning of any race. It’s guaranteed that anyone else wearing the team singlet will share a big smile, an introduction and maybe even a good luck hug.

PC: Courtney

2. WORLDWIDE FRIENDS
Travelling to Tucson, Hawaii or Ottawa? Volée live there! With over 4,000 members worldwide, there are welcoming teammates almost everywhere. Whether you are looking for a running partner, a place to stay or a restaurant recommendation, you can connect with local Volée via the online community portal. 

3. FRIENDSHIPS THAT ARE ABOUT MORE THAN RUNNING
Sure, running might be the thing that brings us together initially, but the Volée brings together people who may have otherwise never met and helps us get over the “making friends as an adult” hump. Having real life, grown up friends are an invaluable Volée highlight. #VoléeFastFriends

4. THE MOST EPIC GIRLS WEEKEND IMAGINABLE
All Volée members get the opportunity to attend Big Birdcamp – an epic three-day weekend filled with running, new friends, campfires and hanging out with Lauren Fleshman and Kara Goucher! 

5. RACE DAY SQUAD
If you are running any major race around the country, you can count on your Volée teammates showing up. Whether you need a boost from Cowbell Corner or you need a little pep talk from a teammate on the course, the Volée will be there for you! 

6. ACCESS TO THE EXPERTS
Lauren Fleshan, Kara Goucher, Sally and Dr. Lesko are part of the team too! Where else can you crowdsource training tips from the experts? 

Our team is accepting new members! To join us register here!

Well, the short answer is YES! 100% YES! 

But if you’re looking for a more detailed explanation of why Birdcamp is for you, keep reading! 

This will be Oiselle's 5th year of Volée Team Birdcamps...and every year is different! We are thrilled to be mixing it up with Big Birdcamp in 2018 (no Sesame Street characters were harmed in the naming of camp). August 24th-27th, Equinunk, PA. 

1. ALL LEVELS ARE WELCOME
I mean it. You will not be left behind. I’m going, and I am what some might call a “middle of the packer.” We will have groups runs geared towards all distances and all paces. Each of them will have a run group leader and a sweeper, so there is no way you’ll get lost or left behind. If you’re injured or taking a break from running, that’s ok too. We will have SO MANY other activities that don’t involve running. They might not even involve standing up! You can swim, bike, climb a rock wall, stand-up paddle board or learn how the pros deal with injury and setbacks. 

2. YOU WILL MAKE AWESOME NEW FRIENDS AND LAUGH UNTIL YOUR FACE HURTS
Runners are awesome, Volée members are super awesome. Even if you come alone, you will leave with so many new friends and maybe even a six pack from laughing so hard. You’ll meet people you would have never had a chance to meet otherwise: pro runners, masters runners, mother runners, new runners, runners who live across the country.

3. YOU’LL GET TO LEARN FROM THE PROS
Lauren, Kara, Allie, Sally, Dr Lesko…the list goes on. How can you deal with injury? What’s it like to have a massive break out race? What is the latest and greatest, yet-to-be-released flystyle? They’ll tell you! You’ll get one on one access with the Oiselle Pros, members of the Haute Volée and the gang from the Nest.

Want more details? If you are already on Volée team, check out the Arbori or email volée@oiselle.com. If you are interested in Volée team, get on over to the pre-registration page to get an invitation to join! The window will open early August...

Volée Team Love,