Seattle is no different from any other major city, there’s the must-see spots that everyone flocks to, and for good reason - they are quirky, unique, places and activities that really capture  the essence of the city (i.e. Pike Place Market and fish flying through the air, the Fremont Troll tucked away under the Aurora Bridge, and of course the Ducks…) But Seattle certainly wouldn’t be the place it is without its hidden gems on the fringes. From the amazing music scene (props to KEXP for cultivating a  space for up and coming artists) food scene (yes, the seafood and oysters are as good as proclaimed) hiking, skiing, mountain biking, and rock climbing, all within an hour drive (and of course trail running). There are endless places to be explored.

Naturally we want to celebrate Seattle, but we also want to celebrate the places less traveled. The spots we find ourselves running to on the long sunny days of Spring and Summer.

Because with summer comes adventure, and with adventure comes new secret spots to discover. Here are some of our favorites.

Frankie & Jo’s - Ballard
In a city full of vegan options, this one actually tastes like Ice-cream. Not to mention it beats out a good portion of classic ice cream options. This is coming from someone who will gladly take dairy in her ice-cream. I could dedicate a whole separate blog just to their waffle cone and the immense amount of joy it brings me.

Magnuson Park Docks 
Not only does Magnuson have awesome running trails, a dirt track perfect for 800m repeats, and an epic dog park, it’s also water front. Doing a hard workout on the track and the jumping off the docks into Lake Washington it a summer run must.

Ballard’s (Real) Secret Beach
Before getting to the very popular Golden Gardens Beach, you can turn off a little early and find a tiny sand path sandwiched in between two boat houses and restaurants. Walk down that unsuspecting path and voilà! you are at a beach overlooking the sound with just two other people. Not to be confused with the actual Secret Beach that’s a little past Golden Gardens.

Fremont Canal and Fremont Bridge
Out of all the bike trail sections in Seattle this is one is by far one of my favorites. There’s a dirt side path that's perfect for running right along the edge of the canal. You can let your mind easily wander by watching the boats passing through, or rowers if it’s early in the morning. The Fremont Bridge built which can be seen from the path was built in 1917 and is one of the most-drawn bridges in America - fun fact for tourists, and a terrible reality for locals, as it can easily add 20 extra unplanned minutes to a commute.

The Ballard Locks
Obviously the locks at the Ballard locks are the main attraction, as everyone loves to huddle around and watch the boats transition from salt water to fresh water. But, the park around the locks is also worthy of exploring with its beautiful gardens and walking paths.

Capitol Hill Rainbow Crosswalk 
11 of these crosswalks are scattered throughout the neighborhood of Capitol Hill to celebrate LGBTQ Pride. These spots were actually chosen by community members who pinpointed them as sites where assaults based on sexual orientation had taken place.

Sonic Boom Records – Ballard
You may have heard of Easy Street Records in West Seattle (also worth checking out) but local record shops are a staple throughout Seattle. Each neighborhood has one, if not two or three just for good measure. One time an artist I was going to see perform at Neptune did a record signing and acoustic show at Sonic Boom in the afternoon before his evening performance - now that's a sign of a good record store.

Theo Cholocate - Fremont
A local chocolatier that makes insanely rich and delicious chocolate, and also responsibly sources their Cacao. You can even tour the chocolate factory for $10 or walk into the shop and snag some free samples (a post-run tradition for SPU XC the Monday following qualifying for nationals).

We want to see the secret spots of your city! Give us the inside scoop on your go-to places using #secretcityspots. 

“we all move forward when

we recognize how resilient

and striking the women

around us are”

-rupi kaur

The journey from Chicago to Madison began about as rocky as any team captain wouldn’t want to start a Ragnar. Showing up Friday morning to find that our rental van agency hadn’t bothered to communicate a lack of vans was less than amusing...and just a smidge stressful. All the pre-planning, organizing, endless communications were briefly overshadowed as I pulled out all the grittiness I had in my runner soul to ‘work the problem. BirdMachineCHI was going to conquer Ragnar Chicago one way or another...it was just a matter of how.

Every member of the team flew into action, calling every van rental place within an hour of Chicago. I haggled with the site manager, demanding his help to rectify this oversight... I would not let my birds down! We still had plenty of time to make it to the start... if only we could find vans!

As the clock was ticking down, miracle of miracles… two large transit vans were found at the other airport agency and BirdMachineCHI was back in business! Everyone scrambled to our new meet-up location and loaded up the vans before heading to the Ragnar Chicago start line.  

The hard part was done. All we had left to do was run 200ish miles really damn fast to keep the Podium Project streak alive! Pressure is indeed a privilege.

Looking back, it all is a whirlwind blur of roller-coaster emotions, slap-happy late night jokes and dancing punctured with intense handoffs, super speedy paces, and just under 22 hours of epic womaning-up.

Some of the highlights:

"I think my favorite moment was walking into the Mattress Firm 30 mins before close for our “rest” and the manager being totally cool with it - even suggesting a king size bed for us! Becki Spellman you can spoon me in public any day..". - Jeannie

"My take away, like others have said, is that the power of a team is so much greater than the sum of all its parts. Nothing can stand between a strong group of determined women and their goals!" - Elizabeth

"I’m personally proud of pulling through on my first leg that I ran. Throwing up 3 times (and pulling a back muscle in the process) and still continuing on. Very humbling experience and definitely walked away a stronger person!" - Betsy

"I stood at the exchange, intentionally struck the Power Pose and started breathing to convince myself that I could dig deep even though I was already dehydrated before starting. Even though it wasn’t as fast as I hoped and planned, I picked up 40 kills and never gave up, and I did keep it under 7 min pace! I finished and felt inside that I truly was "good enough" to be on this team." - Kristina

"Walking into the bar in the middle of Wisconsin at 5:00 am to use the facilities - to see a group of men pay no attention to the haggard women walking in because they were fixated on the Royal Wedding." - Laura

"The support I had throughout the race and especially from van 2 was amazing! We all worked hard, supported one another, made sure the next on runner had everything they needed and was ready. Everyone was completely tuned into the moment and what was going on. It was a really neat to experience and being on the giving and receiving end." - Ashlyn

After spending almost 24 hours in a van with complete strangers, there are bound to be some nuggets we carry away with us... from feeling complete freedom to get naked in the van because you are too hot and wet from the last leg to changing your mindset from “I can’t” to “Dang, I got this!” Also that Spandos are amazing. And those Limber track suits are as intimidating AF to the competition... and the McDonalds crew who thought a gang of ninjas had just walked in.

"Take away- we’re strong in our best and at our worst. Having people pulling and pushing for you is powerful! - Becki

There is indeed a badass inside of all of us." - Jenna

"My take away from this experience is that a team of supportive women are a force to be reckoned with, #BirdMachineCHI! We celebrated the finish of each leg as a victory and moved forward together as one!" - Nicole

"As far as modesty goes, I think I was in the wrong van. After each of my first two legs, I stripped off my wet sports bra and just sat there to cool off. After the second leg, I completely stripped down and sat naked when I got in the van a little before 2am after a very windy rainy 5+ miles. Jenna said something about how she’s barely known me and she’s already seen my Ta-Tas! (Jenna has all the euphemisms for body parts! She cracked me up.)" - Kristina

"Also I’ve never been very comfortable with short shorts before. I wore the flyte and Spandos shorts for the first time and I’m a whole new woman now!" - Maeluen

"I think a takeaway is to believe in the power of the team! I did things that weekend I never would have been brave enough or confident enough to do on my own (hello, running faster than I thought possible on zero sleep in the middle of nowhere) Another lesson -- excuses are crap! I think how often I've complained I "can't" do something because of circumstance x,y,z (not enough sleep, stomach issues, weather, etc.). But how amazing is it to learn that you CAN!" - Laura

So after 21:37:11, BirdMachineCHI roared across the Ragnar finish line in Madison, taking first place overall in the Open Women’s Category. We edged out second place by more than half an hour!  

We wouldn’t have been able to do this without our amaze-balls crew: Van 1 with Christine & Lisa; Van 2 with Andrea & Molly. They drove as fierce as the runner ran, expertly executing GPS navigation, pit stops, and towel duties.  Ladies, we would not have been on the podium without your love and support...and late night sing alongs and yeti dance moves.

Becki, Maeluen, Jeannie, Betsy, Laura, Kristina, Nicole, Jenna, Elizabeth, Amy, Ashlyn, Lisa, Christine, Andrea & Molly…

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for volunteering to join me on this crazy Ragnar journey. For trusting me to get us to the start and through to the finish. For truly believing in yourselves and each other. A better team could not have won this Ragnar. As Kristina said, “We all have strengths and weaknesses. That is why we need a whole team. We filled in the gaps, called one another up, iron sharpened iron, and I know I finished a better woman than I started. The sisterhood in this sport is incredible!

COURTNEY HANSON

Yep, my favorite time of the year is here. Personal paparrazi to our super star Haute Volée athletes. Enjoy the recap + photo essay! 

ALISHA BROWN 800m, 2:05.64

"I felt pretty good. Almost missed my race! Ha! I felt a lot stronger than I have been feeling this season, so that’s a huge step forward. Pretty excited about that! I needed some kind of breakthrough today. It was incremental, but it was something… it was a step forward.”

MEL LAWRENCE 3000M Steeplechase, 9:44.80

“Race went pretty well! I was hoping for a faster time in the end, but that’s about the time I opened up in last year… so as long as it’s not slower, I am happy with that! I had a strong close, but I think I probably could have started from a little further out. But that’s what racing is for! To get experience and apply learned lessons to the next one."

REBECCA MEHRA 1500M

“Unfortunately, it was not my day. But I am looking forward to putting in some more miles and track workouts and coming back stronger than ever."

Excited to see what the rest of the season holds for these fierce women! Stay updated on all team events + results by following @oiselle_team on twitter!

Head up. Wings out. 

Prelude (nod to Dr. Seuss)

My socks are tall
I sing a song
Rogas for days
This can’t be wrong

My legs are fast
My shorts are long
My skin gets loose
This bird is strong

#LeskoLegs Ode (to my Long Rogas)

My long rogas take me to the best places:
to Rio, to Yale, to the top of Saddle Rock,
To twinning with our president.

My long rogas sit my butt in the stands,
They propel me out of my seat, yelling and crying,
They accommodate a little pee when K8 wins the Trials.

My long rogas perfectly accessorize my long leg hair
when I’m too lazy to shave
for 6 grey Seattle months.

My long rogas help me coach middle school
And still let me demonstrate hurdle technique
(but they can’t make my tendons young).

These #LeskoLegs may never run in buns again.
Buns schmuns.
Long rogas are my powersuit. 

Oiselle was thrilled to welcome triple jumper Tori Franklin to the Oiselle family in the fall of 2017. She is a sunburst of positive energy, and a multi-faceted, multi-talented woman. Tori slayed at the Runway Slam: "You get up!" Tori is a writer, poet, chef, and as of May 12th, 2018, the AMERICAN RECORD HOLDER in the triple jump! Tori wrote this "Ode to Legs" before her break out jump series in Guadeloupe. I think we can all agree, we want to join Tori in thanking her legs. We love you, Tori! 

To my legs, first and foremost, I’m sorry. I’m sure when we were being pulled out of our mothers’ womb we didn’t expect my life to turn out like this. Yes, a couple of cuts and bruises during adolescence as we climbed trees and swung on jungle gyms is to be expected. A scratch or two in our teenage years wrestling with brothers or goofing off during basketball practice could be anticipated. Maybe even some fatigue from practice in college is normal. But who knew we’d come this far. Who knew the endless jump sessions and repeat 200s would continue after college. I’m sure you are exhausted, which is why I am, first and foremost, sorry.  How could I have known we would make something of this competitiveness and energy I store within. How could I have known that your power is what gives us the opportunity to travel all over the world.

And although this journey hasn’t been easy, I wouldn’t trade a single day of booty lock. I wouldn’t trade my scarred-up legs for perfect Barbie doll ones. I instead just want to say thank you. Thank you for pushing me through workouts in the rain, through the aches and the pain. Thank you for being stronger than my mind on some days and listening when my mind says “just one more” on others. We’ve limped, ran, and crawled through ups and downs and you have yet to fail me when I’ve asked the most of you. To my legs I say, yes, we’ve been through much, but the days of “just one more” are far from over. Still, I am worried not, you’ll carry me through like you always have. This I’m sure. 

TORI

Birdmachine Chicago is carrying on the Ragnar Relay torch as the second team in our Podium Project Series. After talking to this crew of poised, yet determined women, I gathered extensive data and present to you some (almost) scientific findings.

Graphs are included because this team means business, and everyone knows businesses love graphs. 

THE OFFICIAL 2018 BIRDMACHINE CHICAGO ROSTER

BECKI SPELLMAN: speed demon – FOUR time Olympic Trials Qualifier – has the ability to make the most exhausted and sleep deprived runners smile.
MAELUEN GRUMAN: The energizer bunny of the relay team, she will keep going, and going, and going. Need actual proof of this profound ability? Her relay-without-sleep record is 40 hours.
JEANNIE SULLIVAN: Meet the team jokester, Jeannie. On deck for any moment the team needs a morale boost whether its via inappropriate jokes at the starting line, or turning the darkest moments of the race into a solid punchline.
BETSY NEUSTIFTER: The Queen of the night legs! Betsy claims to have natural night vision that will give her the ability to run the darkest sections with absolutely zero fear… and without a headlamp. Just kidding that would violate rules and we’re not about that. Definitely will test at a later date though.
LAURA JULIEN: Laura is a mother of an 18 month old who refuses to sleep through the night AND she works full time. Therefore, she can succeed without sleep. Meanwhile I’m tired just thinking about it.
COURTNEY HANSEN: Courtney calls herself the execution master. Gnarly uphill? Executed. Downhill? Executed. Morning leg? Executed. Night leg? STILL executing. This woman is relentless and an honorary captain of the Gritty Bitches Racing Team. 
KRISTINA TABOR: A super encourager, who is also super organized. Fun fact, Kristina possesses an internal GPS and will 100% find any item that may be lost or forgotten during the relay.
NICOLE FALVO: A Ragnar Relay veteran, Nicole is prepared to conquer any and all obstacles the race may throw her way.  
JENNA MUTZ: The team rock, Jenna is able to stay calm even in the most unexpected moments. Mountains into molehills? Ha! Try ant-hills. Teeny tiny ant hills. Also, look for Jenna and her varying Goodr glasses that will perfectly coordinate with each outfit.
ELIZABETH MILLER: A champion of others and their accomplishments! Elizabeth is ready to focus on one step at a time and find joy in her teammate’s successes.
AMY SCHLOTTHAUER: A consistent runner who has such an impeccable feel for pace she is basically a human Garmin.
ASHLYN HOWIE: Rounding out the runners for Birdmachine Chicago is Ashlyn! This is her first relay but she is more than ready to push herself outside of her comfort zone and go for the win, maybe even squeezing in some naps along the way. 
ANDREA GILLESPIE: Crew member and DJ master, Andrea is ready to keep the good tunes and good vibes rolling all weekend long.
LISA BROWN: Next on the crew team is hardcore cowbeller, Lisa. She will ruthlessly cheer on all teammates until they no longer want to hear her voice, further inspiring them to run faster.
MOLLY THOMAS: Documenter extraordinaire. Molly is ready to take pictures of everything. The good, the bad, the ugly. No team member, no moment, is safe from the camera.
CHRISTINE PEITER: Last but not least, is crew member Christine who will be drawing inspiration from Lionel Ritchie. Thus she is ready stay up all night long and make runners laugh even when they want to cry. Honorable work. 

The Birdmachine Hierarchy of Needs
When asked what item they would absolutely NOT forget the birdmachine team came forward with an array of answers. However, some items were frequent repeats, and therefore proven to be essential (hence the items at the bottom of the pyramid). Not essential to all, but a pillar to some, was their Yeti. Rumor has it a Yeti dance party may ensue mid-race pending current energy stores. Stay tuned. Glasses of all variety are packed in bags predominantly for safety reasons, such as seeing the road or speed signs. Tweezers were only mentioned once but could prove vital if a mid-race sliver unexpectedly cripples a runner. Findings: Birdmachine Chicago is very prepared. 

Team Talent
All twelve runners and four crew were asked to share their relay superpower. This elaborate graph shows this team has all of the ingredients for a sweet, sweet recipe of winning. 12/12 fasties, 4/4 organized crew. Bonuses included a comedian, a DJ, a photographer, a mother to an infant (read: performs great under pressure without sleep) and a master of Ragnar Relays. Findings: Birdmachine Chicago is a well-rounded elite Ragnar team.

I'm done dropping #BirdmachineCHI knowledge for now, but there will be more to come this Friday and Saturday! Follow our Oiselle Podium Project twitter and #BirdmachineCHi for race day updates.

All the legs who have come before us - have led the way.

Oh what a journey it's been.

In 1835, "gymnastics trousers"

Women's pants started emerging, but they were often worn under heavy skirts and other layers.

We'd say these are the "OG poofy shorts", worn by Fanny Blankers-Koen who won four gold medals at the 1948 Olympics in London. With a nickname like "The Flying Housewife" - did she also have to carry a frying pan?

In the 1960's, shorts or briefs became more form fitting - and fabrics began to improve, though most were still made from cottons or canvas. Bare shoulders also became more acceptable.

Wilma Rudolph, the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at a single Olympics, competing in high waisted short shorts, signature to the 1960’s.

Mary Rand, the first British woman to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field, Tokyo Games in 1964. 

In 1980, Marita Koch of East Germany, carries the baton. Synthetic materials, including polyester, came to rise in '80's - both on the track and in other exercises, such as aerobics and jazzercise

In 1984, the U.S. Olympic uniforms were made by the Italian company, Kappa. It's what Joan Benoit was wearing when she won that incredible first women's marathon in Los Angeles.

Today: Long shorts, short shorts, mid-shorts. Capris, long tights, loose pants, competition briefs. The options are infinite, as are the preferences.

What empowers you? Discover it. Wear it. Your legs know the way...

Since I have completed a single Ragnar - I pretty much know all there is to know about how to run and win a Ragnar. I am a professional Ragnar racer (team #BirdMachineCC represent), so take it from me. I even simplified it into 10 easy steps!

1. Build a badass team. Team captain/our fearless leader/fastie Nicole Freeman brought together quite the gaggle of speedsters + skilled crew members. 

2. Have a profesional calligrapher on the team. You may think this step is not neccesary. But, think again. It's all about the team van aesthetic. Bow down to queen Julia Bez. 

3. This one is super important: keep your van clean + organized AT ALL TIMES (examples below). Cannot emphasize this one enough.

4. No need to practice handoffs. It'll just make things complicated. Follow your intuition.

5. Fan girl the sh!t out of the woman who just finished her leg. Keep the hype train choo-choo'ing. 

6. Be Brave. Get Ugly. Like... really ugly. Tired, hangry, van stench, no showers, yesterday's mascara type of ugly. 

7. Be seen. Stay safe. Create jealousy amongst the other teams with your Lightning Layers. O reflective styles > everything else. #facts #notsorry

8. Wear Snap and Spandos to intimidate the competition. Can't explain this one... but 60% of the time, it works every time. 

9. TRY and run it in with your captain who just slayed an 8mi leg in 6:45 pace.

10. Celebrate your collective #womanup-ness. 

Boom. That's how you win. You're welcome. 

Signing off, 

#BirdMachineCC Member 

#PodiumProject is in full swing. 1 down, 5 to go! Follow along on twitter @oiselle_podium for all the fun! 

Last year, in the spirit of celebrating women’s achievement in sport, we published the 4:30 Poster: a list of all the U.S. women who had broken the incredible barrier of a sub 4:30 mile. We plan to update and re-publish that list every year in the fall. 

While we love the mile, we also look to the marathon. And with all due respect to Breaking2 and the energy around the possibility of a male runner breaking the 2:00 barrier for 26.2, we asked: what is the benchmark we can call out for women? What is a finish time considered exceptional for women in terms of performance and speed?

We present you with the new 2:30 marathon poster, including all the U.S. women who have broken the mark - including our very own Kara Goucher and Allie Kieffer. To them, and to every woman who takes on the marathon - at any pace or finish time - we salute you. And we salute the tradition of tradition.

Our limited edition 2:30 poster ships free with all web orders starting today! While supplies last.

Don't forget to check back! We will continue to update. 

The baby's rolls and dimples smile
Upon her juicy thighs.
Will she know their power
As the culture tells her lies?
Will she pinch them in the mirror
And wish a different size?
The strength of their squeeze,
The knobs of the knees,
The kicking them any which way that they please.
She's got legs.
She knows how to use them.

She takes them to the mountains
Feels the call of open spaces.
Will she let them carry her
To unexpected places?
Will she learn to love them
For their movement and their stasis?
The freckles and scars,
The prickles of hair,
The heat generated from slicing through air.
She's got legs.
She knows how to use them.

Will she strut up to the line,
And stand with her feet planted?
Will she jiggle them to feel alive,
Not taking them for granted?
Will she trust their trained resolve
Will rise to what's demanded?
The curve of the thigh,
The edge of the shin,
The strength and the softness
That shivers the skin.
She's got legs.
She knows how to use them.

Join us this week in celebrating the strength, beauty, and power of legs - and the places they take us. Please share your own #OdeToLegs (six words, six sentences or lines - it’s up to you!) this week on any and all social media platforms, and we’ll be reading and sharing along.

We were born to run.

We grow up free and barefoot and wild, with tangled hair and scraped knees - never asking for permission to move our bodies.

As we get older, what happens?

We start to get a different message. Namely, that in the school of life, exercise is an elective. The side gig. The take it or leave it… as in, maybe you’ll grow up and prefer art history instead.

BY: REBECCA MEHRA

Rabbiting at Payton Jordan last Thursday in one word… ouch!

To back up just a little bit, before the race I had run on the ground (for the first time in over 2 months) exactly 5 weeks and 1 day prior. Before I was set to race in Edinburgh, Scotland for team USA (woo!) back in January, I got an MRI on my shin, which had been acting up for nearly a month after I raced at USA Club Cross Country Nationals in Kentucky. Through the month of limping through runs and workouts, I knew something was wrong, but being the stubborn runner I am, I refused to believe it was anything worse than a perpetually tight calf. I opened my MRI results while sitting alone in my car, and stared blankly at the words “Grade 4 stress injury of the mid right tibia.” Upon scanning the page a second time, I realized this was written for my “distal right tibia” as well. I had two high grade stress fractures. I had been down this road many times before, but the immediate heart throbbing and gut wrenching feeling still overcame me once again.

I spent the next two months making big changes. I moved to Portland. I joined a new club team. I cross trained 90 minutes per day. I went to dozens of PT appointments hoping for the day my PT would clear me to run. It took exactly 60 days for the words “ok, you can try a 20 minute run today, but it needs to be EASY.” I obliged and was absolutely elated. FINALLY!

Though I was so excited to be back doing what I love, I think the hardest part of coming back from injury is not letting yourself do too much too quickly- aka being extremely patient. I so badly wanted to put my spikes on again and roll at 1500m pace on the track. But it took another few weeks of running before I finally got to touch that. My first sub-70 second 400m I ran at practice was exactly one week before Payton Jordan, and in my 3^rd “real” workout back. I remember thinking to myself “How the heck am I supposed to run 1000m at 66 seconds per lap when I felt like THAT for just a lap?”

For some context, a “rabbit” is sometimes contracted to pace elite level distance track races to keep the rest of the field on a certain pace. My job was to pace Heat 1 of the Payton Jordan women’s 1500m at 66 seconds per lap, for 2.5 laps, or 1000 meters.

Fast forward, and I am on the starting line at Payton, full of jitters and doubt in my ability to perform. Just a few minutes prior, I donned my spikes for the first time since January. Stanford is my alma mater, and stepping onto Cobb Track and Angel Field felt like fleeting comfort. To add to that, I was pacing 3 former teammates, and gosh I wanted to do a good job for them, but also had no idea where my physical limitations would be in pacing this race. They were depending on me, and I really dreaded messing up the pacing.

The gun went off, and I turned off my doubtful thinking as much as I could. I wore a watch, which I never normally do in races, but I did because I wanted to be able to check my pace every 200m, in case there wasn’t a clock I could reference on the track. I ran through the first 400m well ahead of the field, thinking to myself, wow, I must be fast if I am so far in front! Nope, it was 66.2, exactly on pace, and no one was running with me. At 600m into my 1000m of pacing, it hit me. My legs started to yell at me, and the negative thoughts seeped in as I tried to remain calm. My 2:45 1000m pacing job was actually going to be an all-out race. As I approached 800m (2:13) I knew my pain face was creeping up on me. Indeed, a photo later proved I was correct! At that point I was sprinting to stay out in front and on pace. I made it through 900m, only to be finally passed by the field. I jogged it in through the last 50m and watched the field blow by me. I was done! What a relief.

Some final rabbiting reflections… pacing when you are not in racing shape is ROUGH both physically and mentally, but so fun at the same time. I really did miss that leg-burning feeling you only get when you run races. I also totally felt the pressure of wanting to do a good job (even more so than a race), but also not being certain if I could even run the necessary pace for the field. And finally, I am proud that I threw myself back in the ring. It can be really intimidating spending months on a bike or in the pool while you see friends, teammates and competitors posting on social media about PR’s and winning races.

But at Payton Jordan I ripped off the proverbial band-aid and went for it! Last week was good practice of shutting out the negative self-talk and nerves, and running at 1500m race pace. For better or for worse, I expect with my minimal training this track season may be trying, but I am ready to be brave and go for it.

Despite the “ouch” feeling, rabbiting the 1500m at Payton was a big first step!