What a weekend! Saturday morning the Gate River 15K Championships took place in Jacksonville, Florida. Kristin and I got to be there to watch the stacked race unfold, sharing updates and cheering on the fast birds of Oiselle Team. Yes, we were literally tweeting, running, 'gramming, sweating, and cheering at the same time. It was AWESOME. 

Eight Oiselle women competed in the 15K Championships. The twist? Not in the rad pro kit, but instead in new Spring 15 threads seen on the runway at Nolcha Fashion Week! Huge highlight of the day: three of our gals placed in the top 30 elite women and we scored 5th as a team out of 8 teams. I'll spare you the 500+ photos I took this past weekend (seriously...) and dwindle it to our top pics. If you missed the action, we got you covered.

Highlights at Gate River 15K Championships

Race day morning was bea-u-ti-ful...and hotter than expected at a humid 70 degrees. 

We hung with the birds from the hotel to the elite tent and then outside for their pre-race routine. Bibs on, quick shake out, warm up drills, and tatted up. 

With 30 minutes until the gun, we followed the women's elite field to the start. The city began to wake up and calm set in as the women made their way to the starting line. Stride Short Minis out and about. 

Since the Gate River course runs in a full circle, we knew if we watched the start we would miss prime cheering spots. We booked it to mile 1.5 where we would be able to cheer for our birds at two separate spots. Gun went off and soon after the lead pack came charging down the hill, Kara Foster (above in the Suspension Shimmel in Pop and Flyte Short) and Caitlin Comfort (above in the Verrazano Bra and Competition Brief) tucked in and looking smooth. 

The race was stacked. There was vibrant energy, loud crowds, pump-up music, hot temps, sweat, tears and successes through it all. We watched and cheered, logging 3 miles oursevles with Volée runner Amy Upshaw and Dallas Henry. Pro cheering squad above :)

Hello #flystyle. Runway hit the raceday! Our eight gals looked powerful and strong and flew by in style. 

With a few miles to go we beelined to the finish. First for us across the line was Kara Foster (52:17), placing in the top 10 elite women and podium! Following closely after: Caitlin Comfort (53:23) and Allison Maxson (54:16) who completed our team score. Andie Cozzarelli, Melissa Gacek, Kelsey Markham and Heidi Greenwood all finished strong. 

The race happened in a flash. We celebrated at the finish and got to hear stories and race recaps. Talking with Kara post-race, "It was rough and then okay. Once I got to 10K I was able to settle and relax. Happy to be done!"

Flying across the country to a race would not be complete without meeting new birds. We got to meet Lindsay Finnegan (middle right with Holly Batchelder) and Sarah McCartan (top right with Kristin) from Oiselle Team - such a treat. 

Congrats to all racers who completed the Gate last weekend. Big thank you to Holly Batchelder for letting us crash at your house and celebrate the "Year of Holly" for your 40th. We loved Jacksonville and can't wait to be back. 

By Haute Volée, Heather Lieberg 

I'm racing the USATF Marathon Champs in LA this weekend! I have so many personal goals for the race this weekend. Many of them I will keep to me so I don’t jinx myself, but I am mostly focusing on running a smart/strong race both physically and mentally. I am racing for a certain PR time and I want to cross that finish line knowing I did everything I possibly could to reach that goal. I have had pretty solid training leading up to the race so now is the time to believe that I can do it! I’ve done my homework and it’s almost time for the test. I can’t wait!

Leading up to this week's race I'll be prepping in many different ways, fueling and hydrating being key. My main ritual? Pump up music pre-race. My coach got me hooked on not listening to music during running/workouts for safety and focus reasons. I use my running as my quiet time to reflect on “life.” Being a mother of 3 and a teacher to 23 children each day the quiet is very welcoming. So instead I listen to music leading up to races to motivate me and get me pumped. I enjoy different types so there is quite the variety, but here's my top 5 must listen to pre-race! Enjoy.

Heather's Top 5 Tunes

1. I Need a Miracle – Third Day. When I reflect on all the duties of my daily life as a wife, mom, teacher, professional runner etc.. I don’t know how it all works itself out.  All I can say is that I’ve been given a miracle, am truly blessed and God is good!
2. Eye of the Tiger – Survivor. Great old school pump up song!  Don’t lose your grip on the dreams of the past; You must fight just to keep them alive
3. Lose Yourself – Eminem. When I listen to this song it reminds me that this is my shot to prove myself as a distance runner. I don’t have a lot of opportunities to do so, so I want to make the most of each   big race and give it my all…No excuses!
4. We Run the Night – Havana Brown. Plain and simple….I just like the beat!
5. Shake It Off – Taylor Swift. Everytime I hear this song I just feel energized and happy!  It makes me want to “shake it” and helps relieve some nerves!

Hey Sports Fans, big race coming up - with no less than EIGHT of our fast flyers headed out to run it!

This gave us an idea! With eight of our gals headed out to lay down some smokin' fast times, why not get them in our latest, greatest Spring 15 styles? The basic idea is this: with NYC Fashion Week (2013, 2014) we brought race apparel to the runway...but now, what if we used this 15K champs to bring the runway to the race?

With that simple goal, we started putting looks together, talking to the athletes, and drafting our "collection."

So when race day comes on March 14th in Jacksonville, FL, each of the Oiselle athletes will be wearing a unique look from our Spring 15 line. From new tanks and mini stride shorts to sports bras and buns, we're excited to see our newest styles put to the ultimate test.

RACE DETAILS 
When
Saturday, March 14th!

What

• GATE River Run 15K, Jacksonville, Florida
• Largest 15K race in the United States
• Once again, it will serve as the USA 15K Championship with America's top Olympic athletes competing
• $85,000 in prize money
• 24,000 runners and walkers 

Follow
Our own Kristin Metcalf and Jacquelyn Komen will be flying East to bring you the racing action. Follow along with us on @oiselle (Twitter and Instagram) and #RUNway15k as we share first looks of the runway styles out on the course! 

MEET THE RUNNERS

Caitlin Comfort | Verona, WI
Spent the last year working through a couple injuries and getting stronger from them. After a couple trips to Flagstaff to train with coaches Steph and Ben Bruce, Caitlin brushed off the racing shoes in early february with her first 10k of the season in San Diego. After two great road champs appearances in 2013 at USATF 20k Champs and 12k Champs, Caitlin is pumped to race her first GATE River Champs! 

Caitlin Comfort will be wearing the Verrazano Bra and Competition Brief.

Kara Foster | State College, PA
Starting off the 2014-2015 season Kara went to the roads with her debut half marathon at Big Sur finishing 2nd overall and the 1st American across the line. In her second half marathon Kara finished 14th in January at the US Half Marathon Champs. Traditionally a 10k specialist, Kara is debuting in the 15k at GATE River Run!

Kara Foster is wearing the Keyhole Tank and Mac Roga Shorts.

Heidi Greenwood | Cleveland, OH
Her first time at GATE River Champs, Heidi is coming off of two solid personal records for herself this year - last spring a 1:17:37 at the Gary Bjorklund Half and this fall a marathon PR at Chicago. After several months training at altitude in Boulder, Heidi is strong, healthy and excited to drop down to the 15k.

Heidi Greenwood is wearing the Stripped Tank and Stride Short Mini.

Allison Maxson | Sacramento, CA
Her first time at GATE River 15k Champs as well. Of the last five races that Allison has run this year, she has PR’d in 4 of them! Her most recent the US Half Marathon Champs in January with a 28th place finish in a time of 1:15. Before that this fall she PR’d at the Chicago Marathon along side Haute Volée marathon runner Andrea Duke. She is ready to rock and roll.

Allison Maxson is wearing the Suspension Shimmel and Embossed Mac Roga Shorts.

Andie Cozzarelli | Raleigh, NC
Talk about a break out Fall, Andie is coming off of two great half marathon performances. Her debut at the Rock n' Roll Half Marathon in September with a 1:16:30 and then a three minute improvement in November at Monumental Half with a 1:13:49 for 2nd place. So excited to see what she is capable at for her first road 15k.

Andie Cozzarelli is wearing the Farrow Tank and Flyte Shorts

Melissa Gacek | White Bear Lake, MN
A seasoned marathon runner and fabulous Oiselle team member for years, Melissa has always had GATE River Champs on her bucket list of races. Finishing 49th at the 2013 US Half Marathon Champs and just recently trying to break the World Record Treadmill Half Marathon time, Melissa is proven that she is a fierce competitor. She will bring a vast amount of racing experience to our group next weekend.

Melissa Gacek is wearing the Suspension Shimmel and Stride Short Mini.

Asher Henry | Savannah, GA
Her first time at GATE River Champs, Asher in the midst of finishing her PHD in Physical Therapy at Armstrong Atlantic University in Georgia. Asher is not only taking a full load of classes but she is training full time as well. She debuted at the 20k distance in September in New Haven, CT and is now excited to get after it at the 15k distance as well. Spending a lot of time focusing on trail racing, Asher has been building strength and is ready to attack the road with her Oiselle teammates.

Asher Henry is wearing the Keyhole Tank and Stride Short Mini.

Kelsey Markham | Morgantown, WV
This is Kelsey's first GATE River Champs. Kelsey is working full time as a Pediatric Dietician, she trains in the early morning hours with her good friend and Oiselle teammate Aubrey. Kelsey broke 3 hours at the Chicago Marathon this last October racing alongside 11 other Oiselle women. Training with the US Marathon Trials Project under coach Mark Hadley, Kelsey has definite goals for the next year!

Kelsey Markham is wearing the Gwen Tank and Distance Shorts.

Lauren Wallace is just coming off of her first National Championship this weekend in the 1000m at the USATF Indoor Championship in Boston, MA. Have you watched the race?! You have to watch it, her final kick will inspire you to keeping fighting all the way to the line! We wanted to know how Lauren prepares for race day. I mean, why not learn from the best? Here are her top 5 pieces of advice for preparing for your next race.

WRITE IT DOWN
Every race is an opportunity to showcase your fitness. I think it is important to know what the overall goal of your race is and then make sure you know how to get yourself there. The night before a race, I will write out my race day schedule, including eating, napping and warm up times. I will right out cues to focus on during the race as well and then visualize myself doing them. Then I follow up with an inspirational quote or mantra. Lately, I’ve been writing out a quote from the novel “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel – “We fight and fight and fight. We fight no matter the cost of battle, the losses we take, the improbability of success. We fight to the very end. It’s not a question of courage. It’s something constitutional, an inability to let go. It may be nothing more than life-hungry stupidity.”

HYDRATE
This is an obvious one. But I have learned both from experience and from second hand horror stories, that hydrating correctly is paramount. When you think about hydrating, you automatically think good ole fashioned H2O. But, you can actually consume too much water and make yourself feel flat. Your body will end up flushing out all the needed electrolytes when you solely drink water. My go to is Pedialyte. It is for babies, I know, but it works magically and doesn’t have all the sugar that regular sports drinks have.

SLEEP
Always. Period. Pre-race nerves often keep athletes tossing and turning the nights leading up to the race.  One of my tricks is treating race day and the days leading up to the race, if I am extremely nervous, as if they are any other day. Race day doesn’t begin (mentally), until after I wake up from my nap on race day. This ensures that I am getting adequate sleep and not wasting mental energy stressing about my performance come race day.

SHAKE IT OUT
Race morning shakeouts are a wonderful thing. I will always get in a race morning shakeout (unless of course, my race is in the morning) to wake my body up. Sitting around all day the hours leading up to a race always make me feel pretty flat. My shakeouts are generally around 10-15 minutes of jogging at an easy pace. Then I will do some dynamic drills like A-skips, B-skips and quick leg cycles to get my muscles feeling ready to go.

PRACTICE
Practice your race day routine before you race. This is often overlooked. A lot of athletes feel as though they need to change routine in order to perform well on race day. It is important to find out what works best for you, and hopefully not finding that out the hard way. Practicing your race day routine the week prior to race day ensures that if you have anything you need to tweak, you will have time to do so. For example, if I am racing in the evening, I will push one of my workouts back to race time so I can rehearse eating, napping and warm-up prior to having to play around with it on the day.

Runners have a camaraderie with each other that runs deep. We look for ways to help each other reach our goals through donating, volunteering or coaching runners into the sport. Yes, that's why runners rule! We asked several Flock Leaders, members of our Volée team, to tell their personal experience giving back to runners in their community, and why it's awesome. 

Allie Bigelow
I coach for Girls On The Run and serve on the board of directors of our local GOTR council. I also use Charity Miles to support GOTR and EMC whenever I walk or run with my son! As a lifelong athlete who is a mother to a son I really love having the opportunity to share the lessons I have learned through 38 years of participation in sport with the girls I coach. I am incredibly grateful to be able to teach them to reframe their negative self-talk into positive messages, to set goals and believe in their own power. And since I coach at my son's school I am getting to watch these girls grow up and see them put the topics we discuss into action. I truly cannot imagine a more important, fulfilling way to spend my afternoons.

Left to right: Sheila Wordell and Holly Roberts

Kerry Camberg
I volunteer coach at my daughter's high school for cross country. Inspiring, motivating, encouraging the kids to develop themselves as runners and a lifelong joy of running. Every meet we ran was over 90 degrees so teaching them about importance of hydration. Answering questions about shoes, workouts, etc.

Emily Brain
I pay it forward by volunteering as a running buddy for Girls on the Run and by signing my niece and nephews up for their first races and buying them their first pairs of running shoes! I love helping kids get into running, it is so rewarding to see their pure enjoyment and satisfaction when they try their best and I like to think that I am giving them a gift that could last their lifetimes. Watching my niece run with a huge grin on her face reminds me of the simple, natural joy of running.

Victoria Freile
I volunteer at local races and hold weekly "running office hours" at an area running store in connection with my job. Every week I run with someone new. Running in Rochester is all about community. I love to support others and strive to inspire folks to step outside their comfort zones to try something new. The journey is so much about working hard to better youself and being a part of that realization for others is a true gift.

Kelly Burns Gallagher
I am a race director for three races: a 5K, 1/4 marathon and 1/2 marathon. Last year we raised $17,000 for our charitable organizations. In addition I frequently donate new and gently used running and triathlon gear and clothing to women who are unable to afford it. I find that cost is often a barrier to entering a sport. Helping women be able to feel confident while there out running is not just an aesthetic thing, it also helps them stay in sport and reap all the awesome benefits.

Atha Vermillion
I coach a blind runner who lost his eyesight while fighting for our country and our freedom. He recently qualified for Boston! I love the ability to give back to someone who has sacrificed so much. He proves to me that anything is possible if you are determined enough. Guiding him and watching others guide him during marathons is proof that the running community is an awesome thing to be a part of.

Holly Roberts
I am a race director for a local run that raises awareness and funds for a local program which provides chronically hungry children with a backpack filled with child friendly, nutritous food, for them to enjoy over the weekend when school subsidizes meals are not available. As a race director, I am able to combine several of my passions: running, event planning, and helping those in need (especially children). #RunLocalSupportLocal

Sheila Wordell
I pay it forward by being a race director for Girls on the Run of Milwaukee, a marathon pacer, lead marathon build up runs, organize virtual race meet ups, city running tour guide, and of course coordinate midwest Oiselle meet ups! Community = unity. From helping girls to be strong and healthy in mind and body to helping encourage and guide runners to achieve their marathon dreams goes beyond the physical rewards but towards a happier community in general.

Regina Faura
I pay it forward by volunteering at packet pickups and at the races, water stops or the finish line. I also Coach My First 5k/10k Training Programs. I am always very thankful for all the volunteers at a race, so when I get the opportunity to volunteer, I jump on it. I honestly get so much from coaching the My First 5k/10k Training Groups. It is truly awesome to be next to someone, who has never run before, and they turn to you with a big smile and say, "I can't believe I just ran for 3 minutes straight". Then to be with them on race day and cross the finish line with them. I always get big hugs after that!

Farron McIntee
I pay it forward by volunteering at race day registration. I've also raised over $5000 for the Alzheimer's Association NYC through running the NYC marathon. It's scary to imagine what a race would be like without the volunteers so I'm happy for the opportunity to volunteer. It's also a great way to meet new people. Running for a charity is a great way to raise awareness for important causes.

By Haute Volée, Heidi Greenwood

Mantras have been given a lot of credit, and rightfully so. They have helped many individuals out of rough patches in both everyday life challenges and athletic performances. These challenges are typically a combination of mental and physical will and focus.

I have personally used various mantras in the past to help me in my training, racing, and also in everyday life. Depending on my mood and the situation will depend on what mantra or "phrase of words" I use or have found work for me. It is uber important to acknowledge that mantras are never or rarely 100% successful. It is a skill that needs to be practiced regularly...and your ability to use mantras successfully will increase the more you use them.

Lately in my training I have been finding more success in using a phrase that may not seem like a “good” mantra to most people...but, I'll tell you what this phrase is and why it has been working for me. The phrase I have been using is "You're fine, you got this." Sometimes in my head I say it in a calming voice, but others in a stubborn voice. With me being a stubborn person it really motivates me to grind it out. It makes me feel stronger and tougher.

The thing with mantras is that in order for mantras to work you REALLY have to believe them. I have found that by having a mantra of, "You're fine" it is easier to really believe. When I use a mantra like, "You're feeling awesome" or "This is a piece of cake, easy peasey." I can usually only believe those “overly-positive” mantras for about 2.5 strides then the words of "oooohhhh $h!t" or "mother F'#$%r" begin to flood my brain. I'm being honest here. That is a real and authentic account of what SOMETIMES goes on during my workouts or races. I feel that I am not alone on having experiences like this.

Training at any level is hard. Whether you are a Professional, age-group winner, or rookie runner we all feel the pain. How you handle that discomfort and your ability to talk yourself it to BELIEVING that you can do it will help you break down barriers and become successful in whatever you are trying to achieve. By having a power phrase or mantra as your "ACE of spade" in your back pocket when the going gets tough is a great secret weapon to have. Mental toughness is something that I have to continually work on. I really believe that this is what separates the good performances from the amazing!

What mantra do you use? Tweet me at @heidijogreen. Everyone in driven and gets their mojo in different ways…experiment and find what works for you!

Happy racing. 

Do you follow your head or your heart? Do you obsess over every detail leading up to race day? Or do you roll out of bed, show up and chase? Are you a worrier or a warrior? When you create a training and racing plan it's important to work with, not against, your personality. "Knowing your personal strengths and liabilities will help you maximize your ability."*

So how do you figure out which you are, worrier or warrior? There's a quiz for that! The Worrier or Warrior Quiz is one of my favorite sections of the Believe Training Journal, co-authored by Lauren Fleshman (Lo) and Roisin (Ro) McGettigan-Dumas. Ro created the W.o.W Quiz drawing from her expertise as is a sports psychology consultant and Olympian. 

I had the honor of talking to Ro as I dove into what it meant to be either a worrier or warrior and asked her about the inspiration for the quiz. 

"I became fascinated by psychology, the science of behavior, as a student-athlete at Providence College. As an aspiring Olympian I was intrigued to know more about how my thoughts could affect my performances. Over the years I read a lot about how being super positive is optimal for performance, but I noticed that some of my world class sisters-in-sport weren’t always optimistic AND they were the ones consistently kicking everyone’s asses! It baffled me.   

When I first read about Warriors and Worriers in the book “Top Dog- The Science of Winning", I had my answer. I learned about genetic factors that contribute to each of our personality and performance styles; what helps my Worrier teammates perform optimally is truly different to what I, a Warrior need. The funny thing is, that together Worriers and Warriors can bring out the best in each other. And the best Warriors most likely have a few Worrier traits, and vice versa.  

I was so excited to bring this information to the wider running community via the Believe Training Journal and turn it into this quiz. I want help other athletes increase their self-awareness so they stop shooting themselves in the foot and know what they need to thrive.  And, of course it will be fun to find out if runners are mainly Worriers or Warriors!"

Want to take the quiz? You're in luck! Ro published the quiz online. Take the Worrier or Warrior Quiz below! Share your results with #runwarrior or #runworrier. 

And if you liked this quiz but haven't checked out the Believe Training Journal, you totally should! This training journal is so much more than a log of your workouts. It's a guide to becoming a stronger athlete, competitor, and human. 

____

Big thanks to Ro! Follow her on Twitter at RunRoRun and at BelieveIAm.com. 

*from Worrier v Warrior quiz, page 40.

With spring marathons on the horizon, I want to hook you up with a new secret weapon: meditation. Hear me out, runner chicks… The science is there: meditation helps your systems to function more optimally. And, one of the best things about meditating is a little bit goes a long way — you don’t have to spend a ton of time to feel the difference.

This simple 6-minute meditation will help reconnect you with your most potent power source — your heart — so that you can more readily access that place when you run and race. It’s great to do it first thing to help set the tone for the day ahead, but fit it in whenever you can. Let me know how it goes!

Jasyoga has more videos coming soon — in the meantime subscribe to The Monday Reset, a weekly blog dedicated to balance (plus some other good juju)…

A couple of years ago I shared a message on twitter. I said, “Once you make the decision that you will not fail, the heart and body will follow.” At the time I was struggling with self-doubt and confidence in my running. I was slated to run the Boston Marathon, but I had been struggling with getting my fitness back after a long foot injury following the Olympic Marathon the summer before.

I was in a battle at the time about what I wanted in my heart versus what my brain was telling me I was capable of doing. After going through the motions for a month, training hard and not really making progress, I realized something needed to change. I had to mentally make the decision that I wasn’t going to fail. I wasn’t promising that I was going to PR or have an amazing race, but I knew that I wasn’t going to fail because I was going to listen to my heart and truly commit to what I was doing.

After I made that mental decision, believe it or not, my training started to turn around. And even though I didn’t PR in Boston, I ran a solid 6th - something that seemed so unattainable just a few short weeks before.

I try really hard to balance my head, the realist and sometimes harsh critic, with what my heart and soul want. My brain picks apart my training, gives too much credit to my competitors, and leaves me feeling overwhelmed. My heart is always beating and telling me, “you can do this. Dream bigger!” I know there are times when my heart wants more than I am ready to do (um, going for the win in NYC this fall after a year off on a crazy windy day?) but also there are times when my head talks me out of taking a chance on myself or truly dedicating myself to my goal. It’s a balance, but in the end, my heart always seems to win out. What about with you? What wins out for you? What your practical head says or what your dreaming heart does?

Last week you to showed us your #TeamChemistry on Instagram. After hundreds of photos were submitted, we're excited to announce our three winners!

$200 Oiselle gift card winner (photo below): @viccckpea

"The best picture EVER taken #umwtf #sampark #3k #battlegrounds #bestfrans #teamchemistry"

$100 Oiselle gift card winner: @briannnamees

"My team >> #teamchemistry"

$50 Oiselle gift card winner: @katevanem

"Love, love, love #cnuxc #teamchemistry"

Congrats to our photo challenge winners, and thank you to all who entered. We will DM each winner on Instagram for prize information. Stay tuned for next month's challenge!

Happy <3 Day! I mixed you up a heart pumping playlist for your Valentine's (or Galentine's) run. Play in order for warmup > steady > cooldown.

Feel the #runlove!

Looking back on the weekend at the US Cross Country Championships in Boulder, a collective feeling sums it up: gratitude. Gratitude for the women that make up Oiselle Team. From our first finisher, Christine Babcock in 13^th place to our 4^th and 5^th racers Drea McLarty and Liz Anjos. The beauty of cross country racing is that everyone steps to the line together experiencing the same challenges of the course: 5,000 some feet of elevation, 70 degrees of sunshine, and a field of courageous and fast women. The race strategy for most women: start off conservative within one’s self, and then build, increasing effort and pace as you go: 4 – 2k loops. Christine’s race was an example of this race strategy executed well which ended up getting her to a fabulous 13^th place and a ticket to Pan American Games in Colombia! 

If you went out too fast, you most likely paid the price. Some women ended up breathing hard and struggling to the finish line. Watching as a spectator I was so impressed with our five women's strength and determination. Proud to have them representing Oiselle!

Above:
Christine Babcock – 13^th 29:06
Collier Lawrence – 30^th 30:51

Below:
Arlene Espinoza – 56^th 33:34
Drea McLarty – 61^st 34:32
Liz Anjos – 62^nd 34:33

Not only did we experience great races, we had great spectators: a Oiselle fan-girling cheer-section! The Colorado flock of women are wonderful people and fans of the sport. From a morning run together, to spectating at Flatiron Golf Course, to a lunch meet-up after at Fate Brewery, these women exude a passion for the sport, the Oiselle brand and their friendships made with each other. That’s what is special about having women in every part of the country to connect with: we all have a love for the sport of running and can share and support each other along the way.

The next day was spent recovery and running long at Wonderland Trail! Gorgeous run, awesome people. 

If cross country sounds like something you would like to try, start thinking about this year's Club XC Championships in San Francisco, CA: early December! And stay tuned for more information about Christine’s next adventure to Colombia for the Pan American Games.

(Photos by Rebecca Elliot)