Kara’s call to the starting line.

1. It’ll give you direction on your training. Once you commit to a 5k you know you need to get some speed in. Commit to a half-marathon? You’ll know you need to get some longer runs in.

2. You’ll make friends. On the starting line, during the race- you’ll meet new people to work with and run with. The more run friends the merrier.

3. Expos! Heading to expos is always fun! You get to see new product and discover things that might be good for your running. Plus you can try samples!

4. Seeing new places. The more races you go to, the more places you get to see. There’s no better way to see a city than by running through the downtown with no cars around!

5. Finding out what distances are right for you. Maybe you’ll find out you really love running the 5k and the speed work that goes along with it. Or maybe you’ll realize you were meant to go long. But you’ll find you like some distances more than others and that’s cool to find out.

6. You’ll get a chance to challenge yourself and set a goal. Whether or not you hit the goal, it’s fun to challenge yourself and see what you can do!

7. It can change how you see the world around you. Food? That's fuel for those hard sessions. Sleep? That's a critical part of recovery. Stairs? Perfect for stretching your calves. The world is your training playground!

8. You'll inspire the people around you to get active. Behavior, passion, commitment - they're all contagious!

9. Its an excuse to nerd out on runner science, wisdom, and storytelling. With so much information out there for runners, it's a great excuse to dive in!

10. The finisher photo - there's nothing quite like standing at a finish line with your friends or family members celebrating your hard work. It's a chance for everyone to celebrate your effort. Soak in the love, and be proud.

KARA GOUCHER

RUN: Continuing to challenge my body, to see exactly how high of a level I can compete at.

REJECT: The fear/questions associated with my knee injury from 2016. I'm going to leave behind the anxiety that it might not hold up and embrace the now.

COLLIER LAWRENCE

RUN: New distances and accompanying learning curve. You should always be learning- it's how you grow. 

REJECT: My super power has always been durability, but as I've gotten older this has become less true. I'm leaving behind the super power I've clung to as my only talent for years to see what abilities have been patiently waiting in the trenches.

RUN: This year, I want to let go of insecurities in all my future endeavors. Open myself up to what's in front of me. Be present. Experience. Learn. Love and laugh. Rest when I'm tired. 

REJECT: I want to leave behind pushing for perfection and to stop longing to be somewhere other than where I am right now. 

RUN: I'm taking on completing and publishing my first book and ballroom dancing!

REJECT: I'm leaving a scattered brain behind! 

RUN: This year I will be taking on what will probably be my life’s greatest challenge and reward… to be a mom! As the breadwinner in my family, I’ll be a working mom who also wants to train to compete at an elite level again.

REJECT: I will leave behind the expectation that I can control everything. I want to be relaxed and enjoy life with our new bundle, letting go of any preconceived notions of how my daily life will look with our welcomed addition. I will allow patience and flexibility to be my guides.

RUN: In 2017 I want to take what I'm learning in Social Work classes and put the knowledge into practice. I want to help create a space in running for survivors of sexual violence to come together and heal. 

REJECT: This year, I will leave behind my disappointments from last year. I set high racing goals for myself, and I've had a hard time appreciating the process while letting some of the results go.

RUN: Stepping into my own power and committing 100% to big goals! 

REJECT: Imposter syndrome and flagellation.

CHRISTINE BABCOCK

RUN: This year I will take on opening my heart to running and competing again after the heartbreak of injury. To run fully committed and trust the journey, seeing it as beautiful no matter what.

REJECT: I will leave behind fear. Fear of what it may look like or what could happen. Letting go of fear will free me up to experience the joy of running in new ways.

KYLEANNE HUNTER

RUN: A return to embracing my military past; I spent several years trying to distance myself from my military life, but I realize there is much I can do to continue to serve. This year I am going to lean into career opportunities that allow me to help women veterans and those currently serving. And by run the Marine Corps Marathon again.

REJECT: Saying "yes" based on others' expectations of what I should do. I will start saying "yes" only to those things that further and better me, and stop being afraid of other's reactions to my saying "no." 

Your turn! Learn more about the January challenge here. We can't wait to see where your flight plan takes you!

#WheelsUp17 is a series made for the motivated — a monthly challenge designed to help you see your runway and takeoff. With pro and coach Steph Bruce at the helm, and the power of the Oiselle community by your side — it’s just the right push to help you pull up your wheels and soar.

SIGN UP & STAY MOTIVATED!

When I get a promotion, then I’ll be happy. 

When I find someone to love me, then I’ll be happy.

When I pay off my credit card debt, then I’ll be happy. 

When I lose 20 pounds, then I’ll be happy.

When I feel confident enough to run in my sports bra, then I’ll be happy.

When I run a half marathon, then I’ll be happy. 

Every New Years, we collectively make resolutions to focus on self improvement in the coming year. Our ‘When I...Then I’s become goals, and we craft a plan to chase them. And as runners, we know how powerful goals can be. They’re empowering, inspiring, and they can even change your life. 

I would know. A goal helped me survive.

My younger brother passed away in a tragic accident at sixteen years old. I went from being a carefree college student to someone who struggled to make it through the day in the blink of an eye. I didn’t know what to do or how to cope and within six months, I’d gained over 75 pounds. I was pushing away my friends, struggling with my self confidence, and I started to believe that my life wasn’t worth fighting for. I felt alone and lost.

Then my Mom stepped in. She’d already lost one child and wasn’t ready to lose another. She helped me set a goal. Helped me see that it wasn’t impossible, just scary. Showed me that asking for help wasn’t something to be ashamed of. Reminded me I wasn’t alone. 

Together we set a goal, and I survived. Turns out, losing weight is really simple. I ate proper portion sizes of healthy food and suffered for at least thirty minutes in a gym every single day. But as simple as it was, it was never easy. It took patience, it took grit, it took support. She believed in me, so I believed (but somedays, I still struggle with that last one). I was stronger, more confident, happy. 

The beautiful finish line of happy still calls our name, but this year, I’d like to offer a new way to run that race. Instead of the “When I’s” and “Then I’s” -- let’s change our pronouns and shift our perspective. 

When we empower the people around us, then we feel powerful.

When we reach out to support one another, then we in turn feel supported.

When we remind others of their own potential, then we feel poised for greatness.

When we look for beauty in the people around us, then we are reminded of our own grace.

When we come together for the journey, then we can go further as individuals. 

Goals are often simple, but never easy. It’s a long, hard road to the finish. A road too hard to ever go it alone. So surround yourself with people who believe in your strength, your beauty, and your capabilities -- and believe in them too. Happiness is a lonely finish line if no one’s there to share your champagne. 

Wherever your impossible goal, obstacle, or challenge might take you, know that you’re never on that journey alone. Let’s join forces to fly farther, faster, and fiercer than ever before.

Head up, wings out. 

Get ready to fight (for love). 

Earlier this year, Outside Magazine commissioned a lengthy article on Oiselle. At eight pages, it went to new depths about our mission, our rise as a company, and the sport of track & field. But when I later saw the digital headline, "The Woman Who Took on Nike with a Pair of Running Shorts," I winced. 

Yes, I’ve had my beefs with Nike. [Their positive contributions to the running ecosystem come with hefty reduction clauses, so to speak. Among the most daunting is the company's twenty-three year contract with the USATF, a tax-exempt non-profit created to protect the interests of athletes, coaches, & officials. It's a contract that threatens the very mission of the USATF for decades to come, through the year of 2040.] But that's not what made me wince. 

I winced because we've never been motivated by following or benchmarking others.

What does motivate us is the belief that a small group of athletes based in Seattle have the skill and resources to not only design premium apparel and gear, but also foster a connected team of women around the world who show up for each other. 

And this has been one of my biggest realizations about the broader notion of activism, sport or otherwise: when we contribute and care deeply in any given area, the rules, systems, and "way it's always been done" that are unjust will present themselves. And as it turns out, the world is an unjust place. Power structures, gender gaps, wealth distribution, political corruption, and the under-representation of the neediest populations. 

There's so much it's easy to get overwhelmed to the point of inaction.

But this is exactly when we need to body slam the status quo and recommit to giving a shit. And while I'm no paragon of do-gooder-ism, one of the things I've learned is that we have the most potential to create positive change in the areas we occupy.

For Oiselle, as the sponsor of professional athletes, what we see is that...

It's time for athletes to receive their fair share of the spoils.

I have seen, with my own eyes, reasonable proposals from athletes for better revenue sharing get stillborn into the dysfunctional politicking that is USATF governance. It's time for the sport to have a reasonable and just governing body that does more than protect its long and lucrative partnerships. (Hallelujah, Lauren Fleshman is now an athlete representative to the USATF Board).

It's time to make room at the table for other businesses that support track & field, and ask hard questions of a USATF CEO whose impartiality is compromised by personal business gains.

It's time for the IOC and USOC to stop operating like rogue states that live in five-star opulence while Olympians scrape by on next-to-nothing stipends and a box full of Team USA clothing.

It's time for the sport world to wake up and take systemic doping seriously, before we learn that every medal, every podium, every magical athletic moment is a drug-fueled lie.

And yes, it's time for small companies like Oiselle, that have the capacity to support and develop Team USA members and Olympians to be rewarded with - at the very least, a seat at the table - rather than threats of legal action and financial ruin.

Bottom line, now more than ever, the world needs activists. You just gotta find the places you know, and the places you can make a difference.

After all, an activist is simply someone who "uses action to bring about social change." Or a person who is not only willing to defend their own rights and values, but also those of others.

And while we're all getting ready for 2017, warming up our vocal cords and brushing off our marching boots, let's remember that while there is no justice without a fight, the heart of the fight is respect - and love. 

Our mission: Make great product. Improve the sport. Build the sisterhood.

While the idea for this campaign was slowly simmering within us for quite some time, the discussion started with an exasperated exclamation by a Nest employee at our weekly marketing meeting. 

“Oh my god. If I have to look at another airbrushed, over styled, body effortlessly holding a quad stretch on the cover of Runner’s World, I may quit running altogether."

Which led us to ask ourselves an important question - Where did we go wrong? Where did our actual experiences running, and the representation of this sport in media, grow so far apart? And what are the implications of advertising showing the running community a version of the sport that is largely artificial?  

We have strong thoughts on the implications of inaccurate representation, but that’s a different blog post. More importantly for us was a need to start the conversation. To elevate an idea which holds weight to us as a company - the burden of representation. 

John Tagg writes about this idea — the burden of representation — and media's effect on societal norms: 

“The camera is never merely an instrument. Its technical limitations and the resultant distortions register as meaning; its representations are highly coded; and it wields a power that is never its own. It arrives on the scene vested with a particular authority; authority to arrest, picture and transform daily life.”

If we represent runners, and create media that reflects the community, then we as a company bear the burden of that representation. Why? Because the mirror of media shapes our community’s perception of what’s normal. Failure to accurately mirror the experience rejects the realities of its participants, isolating individuals who aren’t reflected in that media. And that is a very dangerous thing. 

So we made a promise: to work, relentlessly, to show the sport as it actually is. To represent our community as they actually live. To be ruthlessly real in our representation of running.  

This promise, for us as a company, is actually a journey. We are currently in the process of overhauling the standard operational procedures of our industry so we can better reflect the diversity of our audience (more to come on this). But all journeys have milestones, and we felt like this photoshoot was an important one to acknowledge. So to continue to embrace our commitment to representation - I’m excited to share our real running shoot through the voices of its participants - the real runners! 

HEATHER 

This photoshoot was different. Our goal was to capture the essence of real running. So, we did just that. This morning when my alarm went off at 5:45am, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Most early morning wake up calls are associated with getting up to race or workout. And the weight of those tasks make me want to snuggle up and stay in bed and continue to hit snooze. A photoshoot day is usually a slow burn start. Drive to the shoot location, sip coffee, grab a bite to eat, pick out outfits, talk shop on photoshoot strategy, play with hair and make-up, AND then around 9am go out and shoot.

We warmed up, we stretched (just a little, because I typically hate long stretching sessions before working out), we did some strides and we started a Lauren Fleshman favorite workout: "The 2, 1, 1, 2". After the first warm up mile, shit started to get real. We weren't doing the bouncy run-for-a-photo-run, we were going to hurt and sweat and channel all things running and workout. The real excuses started coming out, my nose was stuffy, I didn't sleep that well last night. How serious are we really going to take this? 

The answer? Serious enough that the moments that we ran by the camera crew at sub 5:00 pace, I wasn't thinking about how my stride looked, what I was doing with my face, or if my make up and hair looked the way it should look. I was thinking of running fast and surviving the workout. My eyes were locked on Lauren's effortless stride and I was in the zone. 

There have been race photos that I've been critical of in the past. Why did I look like I was trying so hard? Often, the face I was making didn't match the story I told myself of running down the finishing stretch. I'd feel so certain there was more gas in the tank, more room to improve for the next time. But the pain face captured in the photo would tell me otherwise. It's kind of a beautiful thing. To capture the true spirit of running. Real running. We are so locked in during these moments. So present. When we cross the finish line, the experience of running hard or racing translates into a new story in our minds. We pick apart the moment and omit the moments of pain and struggle. But the photos capture the feelings in the midst of the hard work, and give deeper meaning to it. 

I look forward to sharing what real running looks like, because that it what real running is all about.

REBECCA 

The concept was simple, just put on these clothes and do what they were made for. Just run. I can do that.   

Lauren set us up with a nice fartlek workout sure to get the sweat levels high. As someone who sweats A LOT (trust me, it’s like “did you just take a shower?” status), I was initially a little nervous, but then again, the point of the shoot was to get sweaty, so the nerves morphed into feelings of “Hey! That’s the point!” 

My sweat glands did not let me down and sure enough by the end of the workout I had wet hair, a soaked shirt, and several lines of sweat framing my face. And I was proud, really proud, of the work I put in. I felt like a badass. Snot rockets were blown, bushes were made into bathrooms, encouragement was given after each set. It was just like any other team practice, and that’s what made the shoot so great, we got to be ourselves and do what came naturally. Even after the workout portion, we played. Literally played, letting the kids (and parkour master Fleshman) come out to get sweaty in a different way. 

I admit that in the past I was a victim of being caught up in how race photos turned out (even though I absolutely nailed the race), how much swass I got going on in any non-black bottoms at the gym (even though someone just came up to me impressed with how hard I was working), or the feeling of a shirt sticking to my skin after I have sweat through it (even though I am absolutely beaming at how amazing my body is for taking me to all the places it does). And I can’t even say that I don’t still fall victim to negative thoughts (I am human), but holy crap this shoot made me feel so freaking proud of sweating, working hard, feeling tired, pushing through. But that's what the shoot was about, capturing how beautiful putting your heart and soul into something really is. 

Each day running is my tiny victory, some days it’s my big victory. Running is my way of establishing equilibrium in my life. When I am lonely, I find others to share sweaty moments with, when I am overwhelmed I take solace in the miles I can run by myself. It has helped me discover strength I previously thought unfathomable, and truly appreciate the miracle the is the human body. 

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

TAYLOR

It's really inspiring to push yourself alongside a group of women who know what it means to run within themselves. And it felt painfully good. It is so satisfying. I felt inspired, not only by the amazing athletes I ran beside today — I was also inspired by myself (it's okay to be your own inspiration).

To go out and do something that was a little outside of the norm for me and finish the workout knowing that I gave it my all is rewarding and encourages me to keep working. It is always fun to get outside of your comfort zone to see what you are capable of. That is what makes you a better athlete, getting a little uncomfortable. 

To me, real running means digging deep both mentally and physically. Running is such a mental sport, you have to be your own number one supporter sometimes. Real running is not just going through the motions. It is being present. It is pushing yourself.

LAUREN 

Real running is simply that: real. The upbeat and the downbeat. The before and after. The tight ponytail anticipation and the windswept satisfaction. Real running is not buying into the bullshit that you must be doing it wrong if you look like you're trying; if you experience gravity; if your personal representation of aspiration falls outside what's been served up. Nobody knows real running better than a real runner. I want us to see a photo of a race and not give it the power to re-write our memory of the moment. Yes, effort is beautiful, but I'm over fighting to fit more and more things into the beauty bucket. Forget beauty. I want you to feel the urgency of my blood pumping and taste the weather that splotches my angry skin.

And who could forget Lauren’s powerful meditation on the idea.

YOU

Equally powerful was the response from our community. The photos you shared of your real moments with the sport. This idea belongs to our community. And we are proud to bear the burden of representation on this exercise - because all of you are right along here with us. 

Volée member Sarah Overpeck’s reaction was one of hundreds of powerful, inspiring, and honest responses to the idea. 

For me, the most memorable part of the shoot was the moment right as the group finished the workout. Pain and determination dissolved into relief, vulnerability, presence, and ultimately, connection. We were stronger because we went through it together. 

There was a point where the group, in unison, seemed to collectively exhale not a sigh of relief, but satisfaction. As if to say, together — “this is it”. 

Well, this IS it. The people, the sport, the work, and the sisterhood. That shifts the burden of representation, to a privilege. To share the beauty of these real moments with the world. Let’s keep showing the world how truly powerful real running can be.  

Head Up, Wings Out. 

Oiselle at The Big Event with Kate Grace and Sarah Lesko:

LESKO: What an honor to bring the bird to Rio, to follow our 4 Olympians: Kate Grace, Maria Michta-Coffey, Sarah Attar, and Maria Elena Calle. I’ll never forget! Good thing I documented the whole trip here.

THE MARATHON:

L: Maria Elena Calle and Sarah Attar looked fantastic running, both working hard and soaking in the experience. At dinner, Maria’s sister and mother shared stories of Maria, and her nickname of Niña Bonita in Ecuador. #runfamily

RACE WALKING: Maria’s form was the absolute best of the entire field! Great finish, such a different experience watching her: nuance and drama.

KATE: My memories from Rio are still fragmented. There was such a mix of nerves and anticipation, alone time and newness, and beneath it all, the strange awareness that everything happening was on a more public stage than I had before experienced. It all contributed to the fuzziness in my recollection. Also, how much can I remember about lying in bed meditating (which I did, every day, multiple times a day). The moments I see clearest are the before and after, inhale exhale, waiting and return. 

L: After Kate’s prelim race, it seemed improbable with 3 heats remaining that 2 people would not nip Kate’s time of 1:59.96…but with each heat we got a little more excited. I don’t usually like to wish for people to run slow, but I was definitely projecting images of running through sand to the racers. We got to blow Kate kisses and kind of talk/yell through a fence after her race. It was like her victory lap at the Trials, when we were just looking down at her but couldn’t touch.

K: Rushing to make the early bus before my first race... sheepish that I had devolved to an earlier self, drastically underestimating the time to get ready at 6am. Sitting in the call room, around athletes I had seen so many times in race footage and now were there in real life. Feeling the different energy coming from people. Standing on the ramp waiting to be led to the track, trying to ignore the camera on me as I did my weird pre-race faces. Vaguely aware that it was probably a B roll for American audiences, and I couldn't even do my jumps properly because of the incline. The smoke machine that was supposed to add drama but just made me feel like I didn't know how to look cool and shouldn't really be thinking about that anyway. 

L: Kate’s semifinal was epic. At 80m to go K8 looked like she considered going outside, stayed inside, got a window. And went through it. With 40m to go I started crying. So much for being calm!!! The family in front of us looked at me and they all started crying too! Emotions are truly contagious. Going to the Olympic Final! 

THE 800M FINAL: I was so proud of Kate when she was going to the start line. And more so when she finished. Kate ran her 4th fastest 800m time ever, 2 days after PR-ing. An Olympic Finalist in arguably the most competitive event. I thought about every point in the last 4 ½ years when things could have gone differently. Kate showed us a beautiful story of hard work, stubborn tenacity, incredible bravery, patience with the minutiae of PT, unwavering self-belief, racing dominance, and also good luck. And it doesn’t get better than that. 

K: Those are images, moments that I can make flash again in my memory. The feelings I remember are from the reunions. After the semi-final race, hugging my family and Sarah for the first time. Wandering aimlessly through the underbelly of the stadium after the final, finding the sports psych first and hugging her and crying a little. Then finding my family and crying again, but in a happy way because we have come on this amazing journey together. Walking away from the stadium with my crew, for blocks through the rain until we could reach the area where the uber ban was lifted. The ride is over, let’s get dinner. 

There must be some psychology to this... experiencing memories in their fullest form through the eyes of the people around you. The Olympics are an incredible undertaking, with amazing feats. But it all seems a bit like a dream until I ground myself in the specific experience of someone who watched or was there. I’ve said it before I'll say it again, sharing the thing makes it real and worthwhile. So thankful to have people, Oiselle family, to go through it together. ..walking through rain. 

xo, 

Lesko & Kate