Only 10 days of holiday shopping left. Luckily you're used to going fast (runner joke) so you can still get your favorite running buddy something special. And Oiselle HQ can even help! Below are our top picks for the runners in your life.

* If you're entering the #FastFriday giveaway do make one of your picks from Oiselle.com (makes it much easier for us to gift it to you) and if you don't know what #FastFriday is....get over to Twitter and check it out! Happy Holidays!

KMet’s Picks

1. Lesley Knickers - I love having my hamstrings and quads warm while my calves free! These are the best capris that I have run in; perfect combination of compression, flexibility and warmth.

2.  Runbow Tee - The perfect tee for a runner: reflects my love of running and the rainbow to me symbolizes a gateway to our running dreams.

3. Gift Certificate for a sports massage! Every runner can benefit from an hour of pampering to those overworked and tired running muscles!

JJ’s Picks

1. Oiselle Clearly Vest - I'm a vest girl. I run hot during my runs and the vest is a necessity for my closet right now. Shields the rain without restricting my movement, keeps me cool, and can be paired over my rundelicious for a complete outfit that keeps me warm in 30-40 degree winters. 

2. Oiselle Bum Wrap - I've always wanted the bum wrap and after seeing how sassy (and functional) it looked on Oiselle team runner Cindi Mele in Texas, I have to have it. It's not a skirt it's a bum wrap, big difference. With a longer spandex short and thick waist band, it comfy and sporty which is what I'm looking for.  

3. Thera Band Exercise Ball Set + The Stick - My trunk o' running supplies is lacking lately, and after a small injury post Seattle Half I've realized how important it is to have recovery essentials. Exercise ball set to keep up my strength workouts at home, and The Stick to mend all the kinks I get in my calves and major muscle groups. 

Dr Lesko's Picks

Most common area of neglect in runners is tissue pliability and flexibility, especially lower leg. The calf (gastroc, soleus, achilles) area should be strong, supple, and very mobile. Give yourself 20 minutes each day for these exercises and you won't be disappointed. 

1. Incline board - simple to build or buy. 

Start at lowest setting, stand on for 10 minutes before bed (great reading time), should produce a tingly/stretchy feeling but not pain...then get immediately into bed so the lower leg does not have the opportunity to reset its tension.

2. Trigger Point system - I'm usually hesitant to endorse a gimicky product, but this is the best assistive tool I've found to independently break up cross-fiber adhesions in the lower leg compartments. Graston and ART are great, but you can do this just sitting on the floor reading or watching bad TV. 

Do 6 spots distal to proximal in the three different planes (medial, midline, and lateral), sweeping the foot in 5 circles clockwise and counterclockwise in each position. It is uncomfortable for the first week but after awhile your calves will feel like butter!

3. A good stretching strap (I find straps work better than ropes because they are easier on the hand and don't slip around the foot as much). 

Key stretches are hip openers and tibial nerve glide. 

Your runner friends, family, and lovers will thank you! Oh, and also anything Oiselle. Really. Anything. And pickybars--you can just send them to me. 

Mac’s Picks

1. Mac Jacket - This jacket is toasty, wicking and perfect for running through the cold winter days. I could only imagine how much I would have loved this piece growing up and training in the Massachusetts and Vermont winter. Also so bright! It's practically a shot of vitamin d.

2. Strength Coach - This is a dream gift. I want a trainer with a plan! And someone who kicks my booty once a week in person.

3. Roga Shorts - Especially for the runner that always talks about treating themselves to better gear, but still shops whatever is 50% off hanging on TJMaxx athletic botttoms rack. I may or may not have been that person in the past (cough, cough.) The Roga is my favorite, and you couldn't pay me to shop the dumpy bottoms in the half off bin. In fact I gave away my bin of shorts from years past. #rogarevolution

Happy Holidays from Oiselle! Hope you're all finding time amidst the craze to breath (heavily while running) and spend time with those you love.

Thanks for listening - and hope to see you out at the races!

Watch Clipped on FloTrack

Our Team and How it Works   
History
Elite and Ambassador Teams
What we offer
What we look for
What we ask
Maximum team size
Team Member Changes

– Kristin Metcalf, Team Manager, kristin@oiselle.com

History
Since day one, Oiselle has been inspired by women who toe the line. Who not only love to run, but who also love to get after it at the races…experiencing both the high fives and hard knocks that come with putting it all out there. That, plus the big, beautiful sisterhood. In which our ups and downs are not a solitary sum, but rather a common bond…that keeps us upright and moving forward.
It was a very small leap from these core ideas to the notion of starting a Oiselle Team. Running apparel…plus women who love to run…well y’all know that’s an easy equation. Plus, we needed you. We needed help creating awareness about our brand. True to start-up form, we were rich in mojo but flat out strapped in our spending.

The initial formings of the team started in the Fall of 2009. Initially, it was just us Oiselle peeps doing some local cross country and road races, but soon we were on the lookout for women racers who were drawn to what we were doing, and shared our enthusiasm for the sport. At The Running Event that year, I met Andrija Barker McCurry. First noticed her when she won the trade show’s Indie 5K, but liked her even more when she came to our booth later. I said, “I saw you edged out second place in the 5K, congrats!” and without missing a beat, she replied, “I didn’t just edge her out, I whooped her a**.” Her talent and ballsy attitude was perfect for us – and in addition to becoming our first athlete, she also became Oiselle’s first employee, joining me on a daily basis in our “office” which was a conference room within a defunct print shop.
In early 2010, we sought out more runners, and put structure around the team, including a team manager, contracts, and a modest sponsor plan. Looking back, it’s cool to see that some of our earliest team members from this era, including Jen Bigham, Erin Ward, and Megan Rolland are still with us today – and running faster than ever.

The team grew, but very gradually as we were short on resources to manage it. By Summer 2011, we had about 35 team members.

Elite and Ambassador Team
Elite Team. From the get go, we wanted to provide the highest level of support to women who were chasing the most difficult goals. US Championships, Olympic Trials, Marathon Majors, etc. Because reaching these levels requires so much, in terms of training time, we knew we wanted to be able to offer them a higher level of support. In order to do so, we would have to limit the Elite Team to just a small group. That means we can offer them more apparel, higher discounts, some race coordination, and entry fee reimbursements. Our Elite team members are women who are at or near to the Olympic Trials A or B standards for their respective events.

USATF Track & Field Standards
USATF Marathon Standards
* These standards are in revision for the 2016 Olympic Trials currently.

Kate Grace competes in the 1500m semi final at the 2012 Olympic Trials

But we also felt strongly that we wanted to support all kinds of women runners, with the caveat that they were pursuing competition of some kind. Go fast, take chances. It was the notion of “you don’t know ‘til you try.” And that sometimes pushing through dark, difficult places leads to an amazing new levels of clarity and strength.So we started our Ambassador Team. In essence, women who were challenging themselves with their training, but weren’t pursuing a professional career in running, or trying to qualify for the highest level races. In other words, women like me! Women who have a passion for the sport, who want to run and train hard, but who primarily do it as a mind-healing, body-strengthening, girlfriend-sharing outlet that is just one valuable thread in the fabric of life.

In August of 2011, Kristin Metcalf came on board to manage both growing teams. Her credentials were ideal. 15 years’ coaching experience at Blanchet High School (Seattle) and married to long-standing University of Washington Head Cross Country and Track Coach Greg Metcalf. During the past 1.5 years, “KMet” has grown the team steadily, from 35 members when she joined to 150 team members today, including roughly 25:125 Elite to Ambassadors.

The growth has been a challenge only in that it’s been very difficult not to say yes to everyone. If anything, we only want to spread run love all around the world, man, woman, and child!

What we offer
The Elite Team members receive a combination of free apparel, up to 12 reimbursed entry fees, and a significant discount on our line. The Ambassador Team receives a combination of free apparel and a discount on our line.

What we look for

• Competitors! We love that casual runners, walkers, yogis, etc, have embraced our line, but since day one our brand has been about the ethos of competing, and its transformative power.
• Brand enthusiasts. Runners who know and wear Oiselle…who are attracted to what we’re doing and our approach.
• Active on blogs and/or social media. More than about building awareness of us, it’s one of the best ways we have to connect with YOU.
• Sisterhood supporters. Women who experience the strength in togetherness vs. the trend toward negativity and creepy sabotage.
• Involved and connected. Active in running, racing and training in their local community.

What we ask

• That during all competitive events, athletes wear our singlet and gear.
• That they positively engage in Oiselle – and running – community.
• That they keep us in the loop as to their race schedules so we can continue to promote the team and its activity.
• Possibly be available for guest blogging or Oiselle events.
• That they not promote other athletic apparel brands via blogs or social media.

The final point is worth some explanation because we recognize that for some runners it’s a big ask. But bottom line, we do ask for this exclusivity because of what we are providing to the athlete. We are offering distinct benefits, including free and discounted product in exchange for your support and endorsement. If you endorse our competitors along side us, it’s confusing and denigrates our offer. Failure to adhere to these requests can result in first, a warning, and second, being asked to resign from the team.Having outlined all this, we respect every runner’s likes and dislikes! If you have a favorite brand that’s not Oiselle, we totally respect that…it’s just that the Oiselle team won’t be the best fit.
 

Maximum team size
While we wish we could expand it to infinitum, we are faced with the reality that we must limit the size of our team. Budget is only one reason. Athlete support is the biggest. We would rather focus on and support our current team, than expand the team to an unwieldy size.
We have determined we can support 125 Ambassadors and 25 Elites. After accepting roughly 10 athletes each month throughout 2012, we have now reached our maximum team size.

We apologize for the disappointment this may cause new and interested members. We hope you understand that the limitation is there because we want to provide the best, most personal and significant support we can to our athletes.

Team member changes
Life changes. Runners decide to become less active in racing than they have before due to a variety of reasons…job changes, babies, new interests. For that reason, it will always be necessary to change up our team and therefore we will approach (and encourage being approached) by non-active team members each year to see if they’re interested in relinquishing their spot to a more active runner. This will be an ongoing process based on race schedule communications with the Team Manager.

Women who love to run and race inspire everything we do! So thank you for being interested in running for Oiselle, and we hope you will keep in touch with us as we continue to grow.

Head up, wings out!
Sally Bergesen
Oiselle Founder + CEO

Oiselle HQ is headed to Texas. We'll be in Austin, Texas for The Running Event 2012. The Running Event is an industry expo. All your favorite running brands show off their latest and greatest to running store buyers, industry journalists and each other. This is our second year using The Running Event as our annual sales meeting. This means Oiselle HQ meets up with all the Oiselle reps and our VP of sales, Christy Slye. It's fun to get the whole flock together.

This year we have an amazing custom booth where we will be showing Fall 2013. Above you can see last years booth and our rep team. Sally and I built it ourselves out of curtains from Pottery Barn and frames from Goodwill. It was quite a project! Here's your sneak peek of what this year's booth looks like...

Be sure to follow @oiselle, @oiselle_mac (me!), @oiselle_sally and @oiselle_team for all your updates from The Running Event!

OIselle: 20% off orders of $150 and over

Code: CYBERBIRD

              Shop: www.oiselle.com

Picky Bars: 30% off picky bars through Monday.

Code: PickyThanks

Shop: www.pickybars.com

Nuun: $19.99 for all 4 packs (save up to 33%) through Tuesday.

Shop: www.nuun.com

SwiftWick: 35% off any order $200 or more + free shipping

Code: CyberMonday

Shop: www.swiftwick.com

Believe I Am: Receive a free Training Journal with every “I Am” necklace purchase + free shipping on all US orders

Code: CyberMonday

Shop: www.believeiam.com
 

Bondi Bands: offering free shipping for the rest of November.

Code: freeshipping

Shop: www.bondibands.com

BIC Bands: Free first class shipping, and if you buy 3 get one for free!

Code: CM2012

Shop: Bic Bands

ChiRunning: Enjoy 50% off running DVDs through Monday.

Code: THANKSDVD50

Shop: www.chiliving.com

Happy small business Saturday! Of all the holiday-created-shopping-mania days this is my jam. Small business gets me excited. Small business to me means a business someone created out of passion and elbow grease and a whole lot of sleepless nights. It’s a business that isn’t really a business at the end of the day but a solution, a tribe; a space bigger than a store front an idea larger than a shopping cart.

And I want to celebrate our favorite small {running} businesses!

1. Picky Bars: created by professional runners, Lauren Fleshman, Stephanie Rothstein and triathlete Jesse Thomas. Picky Bars were made in Lauren and Jesse’s kitchen until recently. The business is still run out of their house and the family of Picky pros has grown to six including Loren, Laurel and Patrick.

Twitter: @pickybars
Facebook: Picky Bars
Shop: www.pickybars.com
Deal: 30% off Picky Bars through Monday! Code: PickyThanks

2. Nuun: Nuun is a fellow Seattle small business.  Twenty-two employees including familiar runner faces: @dailysweat, @arielledora, @runzoerun and their fearless leader, @runhydrated, who all work to hydrate the masses from their sweet ID Seattle office.

Twitter: @nuunhydration
Facebook: Nuun Hydration
Shop: www.nuun.com
Deal: $19.99 for all 4 packs!

3. Swiftwick: A sock company after our own heart. They had a lot of fun spreading the Swiftwick love at the 2012 Olympic Trials and even got some coverage in the Eugene press.

Twitter: @Swiftwick
Facebook: Swiftwick
Shop: www.swiftwick.com
Deal: $19.99 for all 4 packs!

4. Believe I Am: Lauren Fleshman and Roisin McGettin take the sports physcology tips they use and hand them off to us in visual cues, goal making walk through, and encouraging quotes from pro runners in their Believe I am Training Journal. The line has grown to include apparel, accessories and now even jewelry.
 
Twitter: @believeiam #sistersinsport
Facebook: Believe I Am
Shop: www.believeiam.com
Deal: Check out their gift packages and save money!

7. Alchemy Goods: Another local Seattle company. We partnered with hip urban upcycle company for our NYCMarathon Banner bag. Got dudes on your list? Their bike messager bags made out of bike tubes are rad.

Shop: www.alchemygoods.com

 
8. Another Mother Runner:  Sarah and Dimity lead a tribe of mother runners. Their blog turned book(s) inspire, educate, coach and encourage moms to get out there and their chase goals. Whether it’s about health, me time or PRs, Run like a Mother or Train Like a Mother is a great gift for the mother runner in your life.
 
Twitter: @sbsontherun + @dimityontherun
Facebook: Another Mother Runner
Shop: www.anothermotherrunner.com

9. RecoFiT: I met Susan the year she launched RecoFit compression sleeves. She came out to Kingston for a women’s retreat and was so passionate about the product she’d created. I run in the sleeves all the time, they are so lightweight and comfortable but I can really feel them working.
 
Facebook: RecoFiT
Shop: www.RecoFITsports.com

 
10. Super Jock n Jill: We have to give a local shout out to our favorite running store! From The Monday Night Run to high school spike night this is more than a store it’s  the heart of running in Green Lake.

Twitter: @jocknjill75
Facebook: Super Jock n' Jill + The Monday Night Run
Shop: In person!

11. Running Evolution: One more local shout out to our favorite running coach, Beth Baker. She will take you from coach to 5k and beyond. Her energy and sense of humor will ensure you’ll never want to miss practice.

Twitter: @runningevolve
Facebook: Running Evolution
Website: www.RunningEvolution.com
 
12. Handful: Out of Portland Oregon our favorite under the t-shirt casual bra is Handful!  Created by Jennifer Fergesen athletic enthusiast and a woman with more energy than a 12 year old girl at a Beiber concert. If you’ve run Hood to Coast, you’re probably seen (or heard) their team. They are a fun group of women!

Handful is also an approved mastectomy bra, They are passionate about supporting women as they return to health.

Twitter: @handful
Facebook: Handful
Shop: www.handful.com

Of course we are also a small business, and today with every order you get free Oiselle shoelaces! Enjoy and shop small!

Today's #FastFriday is a game of hide and seek!

How to Play
Follow Oiselle on Twitter, we'll let you know when Nerdy Birdie (seen left) is hiding! She'll be hiding in a product photo. When you find her tweet @oiselle with #nerdybirdie and the link to the product where she is hiding. The first person to find her wins whatever product she's hiding on.

Who is Nerdy Birdie? Sally Explains...
Nerdy Birdy was dreamed up and drawn by my 10-year-old daughter Iris. With a bespectacled golf ball-sized head, she embodies the gentle spirit of nerdiness...in that to be a "nerd" simply means that you're really, really into something. You love it to distraction. Doesn't matter what. Whether it's running, cooking, or soap making - own it! Nerdy Birdy reminds you it's okay.

Happy #FastFriday!

Avid runner, mom, everyday super hero and creative artist, Melissa Gacek (Oiselle Team Elite) has partnered with Oiselle to launch a limited edition line of precious metal silver and bronze jewelry for runners, featuring the Wings Out PR Necklace (short) and Fly Necklace (long).

The original necklace, given to Melissa by her late sister-in-law Alyn Shannon, became her PR (personal record) necklace, as she wore it to the 2008 Olympic Trials and went on to hit her 2:44:10 marathon PR.

Proceeds from jewelry sales will benefit healinghaiti.org. Healing Haiti was founded by Alyn Shannon, and Melissa carries her vision forward be creating beautiful jewelry that inspire women to be free to develop their inner passions and true selves.

Read on to find out more about Melissa and our partnership for Oiselle's first jewelry collection.

 

Hi Melissa, you're a runner on the Oiselle elite team and a fast one at that (2:44 marathoner), how did you hear about Oiselle and when did you join our family of runners?
My teammate, Erin Ward, started racing for Oiselle, I remember being impressed with her FB photo of some sweet arm warmers. Oiselle really got on my radar when they did their Olympic Trials 2012 Fashion Show. I officially joined the team in September of 2012.

>> To read more about Melissa Gacek's running check out her Oiselle Team profile here.

How did you get started making this beautiful jewelry?
Over the past 7 years, I spent many hours hanging out with my sister-in-law, Alyn Shannon, while she worked. She eventually invited me into her tribe where she would orchestrate a pretty intense Christmas craft for several years in a row, (major artistic undertaking, not just “jam in jars” kind of thing....) during the latter of which she first had us try an infused glass and punched metal necklace designs.

From there, Alyn started working with the precious metal clay, and she became so busy she stopped the annual craft because she had such high demands for her designs. I’d help her occasionally with holiday shows or sales. After she passed away in 2010, I wanted to keep her vision alive and received specialized training with the product. Like myself, Alyn was a graphic designer by trade, and that skill set meant creating custom molds for the clay with typography and patterns was possible.

I always wished there was better running jewelry out there, so when I met Sally at Hood To Coast this past Aug, I saw a vision again for next generation of jewelry designs. Oiselle has such a strong designs and an enpowering message for women, it was love at first set; the perfect partner.

Alyn sounds like she was an amazing woman. Can you tell me a bit more about her Healing Haiti organization?
Alyn used 100% of her time, materials and profits from the jewelry to make a difference and to support her mission, HealingHaiti.org. She and her husband, Jeff Gacek, built Grace Village in Titanyen, Haiti and it opened in 2011. It is the home for 65+ orphans, a feeding center for the village, it’s the hub of the elder care program, they just opened their first school that has 265+ students. They also have supported other schools, teacher salaries and have a water truck running thru Cité Soleil.

The proceeds from the Melissa Gacek for Oiselle jewelry will support the aquaponics system that will launch in January 1, 2013. This is a tilapia farm that connects to a greenhouse structure that grows vegetables and fruits for the village (that’s my non-scientific description for it LOL). The villagers will be able to learn this trade. I love the sustainability aspect of not just feeding, but learning a trade.

Shop Melissa Gacek for Oiselle Collection: Show Your Wings

Follow: @melissagacek

Friend: www.facebook.com/melissa.gacek

Read: www.creative-adrenaline.com

We would like to introduce October's new Oiselle Racing Team members! This is an amazing group of talented and strong women who are excited to represent Oiselle as they train and race toward their personal goals. 

Lindsey Finnegan

Lindsey works for the YMCA in Orlando and is constantly talking with people about the importance of exercise. She meets with several different running groups in her area and is also a spin class instuctor... Meet Lindsey.

Katie McFarland

Katie serves a race director for a popular 10k/5k in St. Louis and also is a part of the local triathlon club. She also shares her love of running through her blog... Meet Katie.

Lisa Janssen

Lisa is known in her circle of runner friends as the "Oiselle gal". She works with Ann Ringlein of Lincoln Running Company and her marathon training classes in Lincoln ... Meet Lisa.

Abby Fennessy

Abby didn't think that several years ago she would be hooked on long distance running, but this month she will compete in her first marathon... Meet Abby.

Stephanie Jimenez

Stephanie loves food, beer, and running of course! She has two blogs; one about all things running and the other about food... Meet Stephanie.

Stephanie Viloria

Stephanie lives in East Greenbush, New York and is a member of Hudson Road Runners Club and the Capital District Triathlon Club. Her sister Mollie is also a Oiselle runner; two birds in one family!... Meet Stephanie.

Taryn Hand

Taryn has been running since middle school. She is currently studying for her Masters in Nutrition and Exercise Science at Oregon State University... Meet Taryn.

Nicole Hart

Early in her life Nicole was diagnosed with a heart condition which later was repaired.  When her mother passed away with heart disease, Nicole knew that a healthy lifestyle was important to her and her family. As a mother she wants to pass on the importance of fitness to her children; Nicole runs for her heart, her mind and her soul... Meet Nicole.

Cynthia Fowler

Cynthia qualified for the 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials in Boston. She just recently won the Top of Utah Marathon in a time of 2:45:51. Be looking for Cynthia in four year at the next marathon trials... Meet Cynthia.

Sarah Chan

Sarah is one of those people who loves to try new things; she loves trying new recipes, new restaurants, new exercise classes and most of all she loves meeting new people. Within minutes of meeting her, one will find her positive energy infectious... Meet Sarah.

On Sunday November 25th, Team Oiselle will be toeing the start line of the Seattle Half Marathon as Team EMC. Sally, Jacquelyn, Kristin, Suzy and I are all running to raise funds and awareness for Every Mother Counts.

What is Team Every Mother Counts?
Every Mother Counts was founded by Christy Turlington Burns to support global maternal health. The mission of EMC is to ensure that all mothers have the care they need to have safe pregnancies and deliveries. Also of course to help with preventing unwanted pregnancies, women's health in general. It's truly inspiring. The race is symbolic in a way. We run this race so that mothers around the world don't have to walk.

Website: http://everymothercounts.org/

Join Us & Enter to Win EMC Gear!
It's my first time running for something bigger than myself and I'm very excited! We each have a fundraising goal of $1,000 and as the date approaches we want to blow that number up.

We understand that you all have charities that you give to, that your funds are already committed to. That said, even $10 would be immensely helpful in reaching our goal, or $13.10. But also sharing with a friend or social community that may have a heart for EMC would be so rad and have great impact.

In the top row of the Seattle Half Team EMC page you'll find all the Oiselle birds, click here to donate.

If you feel inspired to give or share the mission you are qualified to enter the EMC contest: please Tweet or share on Facebook. Call out Oiselle (@oiselle) and use #TeamEMCSea so we can spot you and enter you in the contest to win Team EMC gear!*
Note: Once you see a bird has hit $1,000 find another bird to attach your donation, spread the love to another bird!

* In the next 10 days we will randomly select winners to receive spike bags, tees, or even a hoodie! Stay tuned on Facebook and Twitter to see if you win!

* Men: we have tees for you too!

And of course, 40% of net proceeds from Collection EMC go to the charity! Shop the Every Mother Counts Collection here.

Brandi Bolli has been a runner for Oiselle since 2010. Her speciality is adventure! She lives to scale mountains, run trails, and run LONG. Her favorite workout is a combo: Long trail run + rock climbing + skiing + yoga. You may recoginize her from Runner's World Rave Run  in Roseberry, Idaho. She just attempted her first 100 mile race and we wanted to hear all about it.

The race went well, it was super challenging with many ups and downs both mentally and physically, and a huge learning experience for me!!!

From the start until mile 20 it was 8 degrees.  Runner's had frozen hand bottles, frozen tubes from their hydration packs, and fingers would not work to open a bar or GU.  Getting a slice of pizza down at the mile 13 aid station made a huge difference. I was leading the women's field until mile 45, feeling great, climbing the mountains with easy speed, with my legs wanting to tear down the mountain's single track!  

At the mile 58 aid station the hurt started to set in. I could start feeling my hip flexors beginning to lock up, and had some plantar fasciitis pain kicking in, and I was COLD.  My husband, Jeremy (also a co-race director), rubbed out my hips, put warmer clothes on me, gave me two Aleves, I picked up my 2nd pacer, and off we went to the next hard, long, climb of the course.

I made it to mile 75 and made the decision with my pacer to drop out. I had a bit of hyponatremia (too much water and not enough food) got dizzy, and sat down. I tried to get more food in, but it was too late at that point and I could not stop shivering-while wearing 3 puffy jackets, a long sleeve, t-shirt, gloves, beanie, 2 hoods, and fleece tights.  I think I burned way too much energy in the first half because:

1. It was 8 degrees until mile 20ish
2. I went out way too fast too early
3. I did not eat enough early on when the temperatures where in the single digits, so I had nothing left in reserve.

I have no regrets, and learned a ton about running 100 miles (the IMTUF course was 102 miles), forcing food for proper fueling, and start slow-then catch the other runners at the end.  Out of 33 runners who started the race, 14 finished.  This thing was no gimme, everyone who ran 100 mile races all over the country said this was the hardest one they have ever done.  I'll chalk it up as a great learning experience, put my ego in check, and this was my first DNF (did not finish) out of all my races, I got to feel the mental and physical experience with that. 

So, you ask if I'll do it again?.....ABSOLUTELY, no hesitation, the fire is burning inside to train my butt off and win this thing next year.  The trails are not going anywhere, and they continue to call my name. Once the snow hits, I'll be Nordic skiing, secretly training for the IMTUF 100 in 2013!!!! Or who knows, maybe another crazy 100 miler?

Best "sums-it-up" Tweet from @LizWeil:

"Between the marathoners helping on Staten Island and those running anyway in Central Park, canceled race turned into something beautiful."

As you may know, Sally, Kate Grace and I were in the city for the New York City Marathon. Below is my recount of the weekend. If you'd like, skip to the end to find resources for how we can help Hurricane Sandy victims.

We watched Sandy from nearly 3,000 miles away in disbelief. The destruction she left in her wake was unprecedented, it was staggering, and our hearts hurt for New York and New Jersey. How fragile the city looked.

The next days were filled with the question, “is the marathon on?” Team Every Mother Counts remained positive as Mary Wittenberg assured us that the marathon would not go on “if it were to inhibit the restoration and recovery operation. The event will only go on if it in fact seems to further the city’s recovery effort." Major Bloomberg backed her up, saying that much of New York depended on the money brought in from the event. It will go on.

So we went on. On Friday morning, in the dark of 4:30am, we left for SeaTac. We boarded the plane with a feeling of uncertainty. Both of what we’d be arriving to and how we felt about it. As outsiders to the NY region, we wanted to be respectful and empathetic, and with the mixed messages around the marathon and the anger building towards anyone with the ‘gall’ to still run it… it was feeling odd.

No more than two hours after our silver bird touched down at JFK, we heard the news.  The marathon was cancelled. In fact, we were meeting up with what was left of the 20+ runners in the Oiselle group (now down to 5). Just as Sally finished saying, “Well, at least the marathon is still on”, Lisa Alcorn cut her a look, “Um, you haven’t heard? It’s off.” 

Sure enough, we turned to the screens above the bar where the headline declared: Marathon Cancelled. Footage of a man disassembling marathon barriers looped over and over as the pronouncement stood. The one reason we were there was gone.

In the face of what the women around the table were going through, in the face of Sandy’s great wrath, in the face of the families who’d lost the ones they loved, in the face of business and lively hood strewn across the shore… it was minimal. But it was also a shred of light in darkness and it was gone.

What came next, you already know. The marathon was cancelled because of anger, and confusion. And you could see all of that on display on Twitter, Facebook and blogs. Runners were dubbed as selfish, pathetic and self-serving. There was outrage and disgust that we would consider running.

But on Sunday we woke to run anyway. We met our team, who over the past months had worked together to raise funds for a cause we believed in. We ran to respect and honor the donations people had given, and to honor those who believed that a marathon wasn’t a selfish act. That a marathon could be more than footsteps, it could be humanity coming together for a greater good.

We rounded the corner into the park…to magic.

People with their bibs on circled the park 4x to make the 26.2. They wore their charity singlets, tee shirts for lost loved ones, their faces determined and focused on this way to lift others up. There were so many languages, so many smiles I passed. All this energy of the marathon. People lined the park road, with Smarties, Gummy Bears, pretzels, water… whatever they had to give to the runners. They held signs, “Go Mommy!” “You Got This" "I thought they said 2.62"

It felt like Whoville after all their tinsel, trees and presents were gone their voices rose anyway. Strong and clear and joyful. Because the marathon comes anyway, without bibs, or timers, or powergel, or a generator… because maybe the marathon means just a little bit more.

Relief Efforts Marathon Weekend

Despite what was reported, many runners devoted what would have been their race weekend to relief efforts. They ran supplies along the route. They helped clean up Staten Island. There was even a Volunteerathon on Sunday.

How Oiselle is Helping

Oiselle will be donating 100 fleece jackets that are “factory seconds,” but which are still 100% perfect for warmth and protection. We will be sending them to our runner in the New York/New Jersey area, Kate Grace, who will donate them to the Jersey Cares Coat Drive.

How You Can Help

What we continually heard while in NYC is what communities need now is ongoing support, the clean up is wrapping up and as the cold and snow have arrived they need shelter, financial aid.

We were, in fact, turned away from several cleanups because they had too many volunteers. Often it’s best to donate money and goods and let those trained specifically for relief efforts like this to distribute it. This site has a great list of organizations to volunteer with or donate to: www.nycservice.org/

Also if you are in NYC area: give blood! It’s a tangible way to give, and it’s very needed.

If you are local NJ here is a great list of drop-off donation centers and what they need.