Oh, race day. An entangled combination of excitement, nerves, and expectations. Racing is an opportunity to show off your preparation and push your body to new limits. However, breaking personal boundaries is never easy. So, race day is accompanied, for most of us, with doubts and anxiety. Here are our favorite stories providing race day wisdom to help you silence your inner critic and toe the line with confidence.

DO NOT OPEN UNTIL RACE DAY
One of the most intimidating aspects of racing, is embracing the great unknown. In this race day letter, Kara talks openly and honestly about pre-race emotions. We all have them, we all have to face them. Through this letter, Kara inspires us to leave the starting line ready to seize the moment. 

LET'S REDEFINE SUCCESS AND FAILURE
Part of approaching a race with composure, is not placing excessive emphasis on a narrow view of your success, whether it’s a time or placement. Kelly Roberts explains her experience running the London Marathon, and her realization that success was not solely defined by her achieving her goal of getting a BQ. Instead, success is comprised of the time dedicated for preparation, approaching the starting line, and the choice to take a risk.

ON THE EVE OF BOSTON WITH BETH GILLESPIE
Mental preparation is the best defense you can practice prior to racing. Arming yourself with positive self-talk, will help you combat inevitable negative thoughts that will come your way during a race. Beth Gillespie talks about her mental preparation for Boston and how she planned to race with joy. 

We are a brand who's passionate about the sport and committed to our community. We also make clothes for runners of all paces and places. Subscribe to stay connected to who we are, what we make, and the incredible things we do with our community.

Christine Babcock is a running legend (I mean check out her Wikipedia page!). I first watched her race in Eugene at the '08 Olympic Trials, one of a rare breed of high schoolers competing at the pro level. She held the national high school 1600m record (4:33.82) from 2008 to 2014 when Alexa Ephraimson broke it. I followed CB a bit through college at UW, and knew that along with her successes (leading her Dawgs team to an NCAA XC victory!) she experienced the challenges of injury. But it was Kristin Metcalf who in her wisdom got CB together with Oiselle. That woman knows her running, and her people. Oiselle sponsored Christine in 2013, and brought her on at the Nest in 2015 coming off of her foot surgery (navicular fx).

Photo: photorun.net

Christine lived with my family for a bit as she was recuperating from her surgery and I saw her progress from crutches to boot to limping, and then back to running. I also saw her teach my youngest dude how to make the best cookies, saw her nurture all of her relationships with close-knit family and friends, and witnessed her work through a difficult time of self-definition. She gets a gold star for all of it.

We were not surprised she ran 1:15:21 last month for her first half marathon, and we won't be surprised if she decides to put herself on the start line at the 2020 Olympic Trials. Although we will miss her daily presence at the Nest, CB will be an absolutely fantastic occupational therapist. Thank you for being a permanent part of our #runfamily, Christine, and a legendary Nest-er! So much love!

BY: CHRISTINE BABCOCK

The last year has been a year of taking chances. Of trying new things, letting the excitement of what could be outweigh the doubts and fear of failure. As I began reflecting on what sparked this change in me, I know it has everything to do with being surrounded by community.

Watching other people go after their dreams ignited the realization within me that I too should go after mine. The experience of seeing people walk through the emotions of going after a dream and the appreciation they carried for the opportunity to do so, no matter what the outcome, inspired me. The dreams I had been entertaining as “probably not” slowly transitioned into “why not” and “when”. I found myself convinced I should try things I have never tried before, knowing that it might not be perfect and it could go disastrously (or surprisingly well), but that that was part of the process and the fun of it.

I tried road racing. I moved back to Bend. I started trying line-dancing lessons. I decided to run a half marathon. With each decision to take a chance, I gained a little more confidence to step out the next time a “probably not” dream occupied space in my mind.

One of those “probably not” dreams was a dream I have held since 7th grade, the dream of becoming an Occupational Therapist. From 7th grade until college, I said I wanted to be an Occupational Therapist. Then the weight of more schooling, the financial burden of grad school, and the reality of how “adult” that decision felt sank in. My childhood dream became a “probably not” and I threw myself into other opportunities that arose.

Last fall the “probably not” OT dream resurfaced. I found myself entertaining the thought of applying, slightly scared off by the very real potential of rejection, but also intrigued by the possibility of it. Starting this fall, I will be enrolled in the University of Washington’s Master’s of Occupational Therapy program.

With the start of new chapter, comes the close of another chapter. In the summer of 2015, Oiselle embraced me with open arms after foot surgery. They welcomed me in as a member of the Nest and for the last 2 years have entertained my love for baking, supported my running dreams, and cheered me along every step of the way. With bittersweet excitement, today I fly away from the Nest, carrying with me new friendships, an abundance of memories, and immense gratitude.

Head up wings out, 

Runners, even when we're not running, we love to move. And intramural antics aren’t reserved for elementary school recess - the opportunity of adventure can show up anywhere + anytime, and summer is filled with sun-soaked invitations. Can clothes inspire movement? Think about every time you’ve been worried about sweat showing through a shirt, or a piece of clothing not holding up to the spontaneous activity before you. All the times you didn’t jump in that lake, didn't hop that fence, or didn’t up the ante on a walk with your dog from a walk to a jog. Woman, nothing should stop you! Here are our best style tips for the hyper-active.

MIX AND MATCH YOUR FAVORITE TANKS + SUMMER STAPLES

Tank and boyfriend jeans, mini skirt and graphics, technical running shorts and a drapey blouse... endless combos for sweat-friendly summer adventuring!

Shop these looks: Layer Love Tank + Ziggy Tank

START WITH A BASE THEN... ACCESSORIZE *JAZZ HANDS*

Reach for what you want to wear and build from there. Dude, rock the Manifesto Bandana. Rock the backwards Runner Trucker. Rock it hard. 

Shop these looks: Roga Skirt With Shorts, Manifesto Bandana, Denim Lori Shorts, Baseball Cap (available in-store, stop by!)

LAYER LIKE A MF PRO

Add that pop of color (Snap, duh)! Double knot those Go Tanks! Mix those prints with solids! Annnnd pretty much throw a jean jacket over anything. Slay. Slay all day. 

Shop these looks: Two-Timing Tank, Go Tanks, New Portman Shorts, Manifesto Bandana, Summer Roga Shorts, Runner Trucker

Movement looks good on you.

Happy adventuring!

Birds on Fire!

USA’s!!! You never disappoint. Every year is different. The theme for Sacramento this year? Blazes hot! Hot stifling air when we landed on Wednesday, and hot on the track. We were so honored to have 13 of our elites competing, plus one super badass masters 400m runner! 

Six of our 7 amazing steeplers (Mel, Marisa, Megan, Alexina, Emily, Jamie, and Collier) made it to the final… so thrilling hearing one after another announced as they entered the track. Steepling is hard, dangerous, beautiful, and requires the athletes to call on reserves of strength…perfect metaphor for us as a business, and for life. 

Steph Bruce battled the brutal conditions, stayed engaged, and finished 8th in a super strong 10k field. 

Maria will be representing the USA at Worlds in London, after taking the 20k racewalk victory. Sweet reward after a challenging spring for her. 

Brit made the hammer fly to her season’s best of 68.37m, putting all of her hard work on display. 

Our 800m ladies Dom and Alisha, and Megan in the pole vault showed guts. Conditions are never perfect, but there is victory in showing up and doing what you can. 

And Erika Pierce showed that age does not dictate fierceness. 

Saturday evening we had the opportunity to gather with friends across the sport. Runfamily is strong. Thank you for sharing this Nationals with us, and here’s to many more! 

XO

Photos by: Heather McWhirter & Jess Barnard

What a day! Alisha Brown and Dom Jackson kicked off the weekend in the 800, our #SteeplePeople put on a show with 6 women advancing to the final on Saturday at 2:24pm, and Steph Bruce wrapped up the night with a gutsy race in the 10K finishing 8th with a time of 32:45.43! Check out some of the shots from the day. 

Make sure to follow @oiselle_team + @oiselle on Twitter for day to day live updates! 

#GoFastTakeChances,

Six women. 340 miles. 1 incredible adventure. This is the story of the first female team to win The Speed Project. Meet Birdstrike.

We are a brand who's passionate about the sport and committed to our community. We also make clothes for runners of all paces and places. Subscribe to stay connected to who we are, what we make, and the incredible things we do with our community.

BY: ROBYN HEFNER AND MEGHAN MANAOIS

Having crewed exactly one insane ultra, I’m not sure we’re the leading experts on the topic, but I can say we learned a few valuable lessons along the way.  

First off - relay life is predictably unpredictable and doesn’t that always make for the most amazing adventures? The journey may be of more importance than the final destination and if not, I can assure you it was at a minimum, a wild ride. So here we go. What you need to know about crewing an ultra-relay…

SCHEDULING

The team shared a Google Doc (our Handy Dandy Notebook) with relay legs and estimated times. One of the most challenging things was estimating pace. We had two pace plans giving us an idea of what time the runners would each be running and resting. This gives you a gauge of where your runner will likely be on the course so you can navigate safety, barking dogs in the dark night, food, sleep, gas etc.

It’s important to know which runner will be running and which crew will be crewing for each leg. For instance, we hit some of the more complicated trails in at night. These trails required an experienced mountain biker for runner support. You’ll also want to mark major team/crew exchanges (more on that below), gas stops, food stops, and supplies (including ice).

Note: many of teams kept their support vehicle with the RV but we opted to drive the RV ahead and keep runners that were “on” in the SUV. This allowed runners to stay in a racing rhythm while “on” and resting when “off”.  

RUNNER PATTERN

Our 6 runners were split in 2 groups of 3.  Each runner would run 12 miles total while “on”.  The first group of 3 opted for shorter legs so they each ran 6 miles twice (runner 1, runner 2, runner 3, runner 1, runner 2, runner 3).  Once they were done they hopped in the RV to rest. The second group wanted longer mileage so they ran one 12 mile leg each.  Once they were done a quick exchange and 1-3 were “on” again.  

CREW PATTERN

Clearly, it’s important to have a schedule for your runners, but it’s just as important to have a schedule for your crew. Our 6 woman crew was split into 3 teams of 2. Two with the suburban, two driving/supporting in the RV, and 2 “off”/resting in the RV. The later legs were most difficult because all you want to do is help and be in the mix, but with 44 hours of relaying ahead it’s important to remember that the crew also needs to get rest to be able to best assist the team.

WHAT TO DO WHEN THINGS DON’T GO AS PLANNED

Now, this all worked beautifully… until it didn’t. And then we adapted. It’s not if something will go off plan but WHEN it will.  For us, it was losing a runner and crew member and realizing that no one wanted to run 12 miles in the heat of Death Valley. So we adapted.

The RV only went a mile at a time to keep runners cool and hydrated. We took all the rags that came in the RV and soaked them with ice water for each runner when we checked in that the mile mark.

We asked each runner what they wanted to run, what support they wanted and made changes on the fly.  Some wanted a biker with them, some a runner, some a mile at a time, we just adapted and most importantly put one foot in front of the other.

Nightfall came, temps dropped, mileage increased, and we kept adapting based on the runner’s needs. 

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT

When I first thought about emotionally supporting the team I thought it would be all pep talks and smiles. And while keeping positive is important, I think one of the most valuable ways to support your team is just meet your teammate where they are at and to be present in the moment.  

It’s also not staying stuck in the moment… it’s a tricky balance. You want to help your runners keep their eyes on the horizon which can be challenging when you are all tired and more tired and yes, more tired. It’s easy to get myopic vision on hot desert highways and maybe that’s why it’s so important to have such a big crew, there’s always some to say “well, what about this?” Someone to point out what you can’t see and isn’t that the beauty in team?

And, let’s not forget the value of a little fun. Midnight dance sessions, Jungle Chicken’s non-stop party, celebrating small victories like missing the fact that you are now in Nevada and clearly must celebrate albeit delayed.

NUTRITION

Most runners know what they need to eat so it’s important to pack what they want. But you also want to think more than just van/RV food. A stop at real restaurant after the first group of 3 was done running, an In & Out stop after the second group, and a Subway delivery from the film crew were all essential to keep our runners fueled.

Always be sure to pack water, ice, electrolytes, simple salty carbs but also real food. La Croix was clearly the star of the team’s hydration strategy; those little cans of sparkly gold were money in the desert.

I know I’m leaving a ton of things out, but the one thing to keep in mind is that no matter how well you plan this thing… you are going to have to adapt on the fly.  The ultra-relay life isn’t about carefully calculating mileage with water stops every 2.3 miles.  It’s about adventure, risk and reward. It’s not just about the run: it is raced with sweat, heart, soul, grit, determination, perseverance and that little thing we call family (aka team).  

So when’s the next adventure? We’ll just RSVP “yes” now.

Robyn + Meghan

Watch the Birdstrike trailer + sign up to watch the digital premier here! 

I'm sure that after team Birdstrike got back from our total domination of the Speed Project 341-mile relay from the Santa Monica Pier to the Welcome to Las Vegas sign, many Oiselle fans expected some sort of wild re-cap of the event from the mouth of (well, hand of, as I'm typing this) Jungle Chicken. I didn't write anything for a couple of reasons, both legitimate and lazy. First and most importantly, several of the other runners and crew members wrote beautiful, moving, emotional and eloquent accounts of the event, so there was nothing much left for me to add. But there was also another reason... no one would have believed the real story.

I wrote a short quip afterwards about "What happens in Vegas... doesn't even happen in Vegas" about how totally exhausted we were after the event. All talk of tattoos and wild parties and weddings in Elvis chapels went by the wayside in favor of twelve hours of restorative sleep and a couple of day-old donuts (it was all one long day since we didn't sleep, so "day-old" may be a relative phrase). I implied that nothing much happened other than a long, arduous trek across Death Valley. That isn't exactly true, but I was sworn to secrecy as to the true events of those miles... until now. Everyone has her price, and Oiselle just paid mine. Just so we're clear on this... what happened between Santa Montica and Vegas no longer needs to stay there. It's here, and I'll let you in on just a little bit of it, woman by woman, secret by juicy, ugly secret...

CATHLEEN KNUTSON

Cathleen is a quiet, stoic type. She didn't reveal any weakness either psychologically or physically. But around noon on the second day, I realized what made her so tough. I was running alongside her, trying to help by carrying her water bottle and regaling her with my hysterical stories of alien abduction (foreshadowing!), when I decided that I myself was a tad parched. So I took a little sip of her "water" bottle--have you guessed where I'm going with this? Straight vodka. Dang. This girl really is tough. And oblivious to the pain or fatigue of running or of the pain or fatigue of my stories. The secret apparently is to just stay a little drunk all of the time. But she could run that painted straight line down the median of the road for miles and miles like she passed sobriety tests for a living. Maybe she does.

DEVON YANKO

Look, Devon's story is that she entered the event already suffering from some sort of injury, and then she also managed to become dehyrated from her first and only leg of the relay. But did anyone really believe that story? Devon runs 100-milers in her sleep; she knows how to run on injuries and to prevent the common maladies of the ultrarunner! No, sorry folks, if you bought that story then you were a little gullible, weren't you? In fact, Devon suffered her injury as a result of a pre-race cage fighting match with Jungle Chicken. You've heard of cock fighting, right? That horrible, sadistic backwoods or nasty basement fighting of two roosters. It's abhorrent--those birds have no choice in the matter. Well, Devon and Jungle Chicken were looking to make a little extra money in Los Angeles before the event got started, so they fully willingly agreed to face off in a cage prior to the relay. Odds makers had Devon at 50:1 over me. Devon is taller and stronger and a far better athlete, but Jungle is scrappy and has a a surprising amount of rage, so... you do the math. Both fighters left the cage apparently unscathed, but Devon had that one nagging injury, and Jungle must have had some significant head trauma, because she later made some very bad choices of her own....

SARAH BARD

Bard looked perfect for the entire 341 miles. She showed no outward signs of distress, her hair stayed perfectly curled and was in some sort of fancy bride-like up-do, complete with a flower at times, and she didn't seem to sweat. I thought, "How can this woman keep up this image after all of these miles, this extreme heat, these brutal conditions, this lack of sleep?" The answer, my friends, is that Sarah Bard is actually a robot. She is, sadly, not a real human. I snuck up behind her in the 37th hour of the relay when she was least expecting it and stuck a knife into her perfectly sculpted bicep. Just under what appeared to be her "skin," I hit metal. So I guess that disqualifies our team. Sorry. Oh, wait--there were no "rules" for this unsanctioned event. Only "opportunities." Well, then, our "opportunity" meant that Oiselle sent a robot in one woman's place. Fair enough.

SARAH OVERPECK

Sarah, like Cathleen, seemed at first to be fairly quiet, a go-about-your-business type of gal who simply ran, and ran fast. She didn't make waves on the actual relay, but once we got to Vegas things changed. Last we heard she had been hired by Cirque du Soleil and was one of those performers who gets dropped down from the rafters on a silk banner and does all sorts of weird acrobatics. We should have seen it coming when she was stealing and then tying everyone's compression socks together and attempting to attach them to the roof of the RV... but we just assumed that she was in a state of extreme fatigue and possibly a recovering kleptomaniac. We're an accepting, inclusive flock, so we let her do her thing. If we haven't seen her by this time next year, I'm personally going to Vegas to bust her out of that creepy circus life.

NORA BIRD

As much as I'd love to talk about what went down with Nora.... Look, if you watch the documentary you'll hear her talk about some woman who was trying to stay with her and then suddenly that other competitor was nowhere to be seen.... You will never get any of us to talk about what happened to that other woman from the rival team. We're birds of prey. Not everything that happened was as pretty as Sarah Bard's hair. Don't look back. Don't cry. Don't apologize. Trust no one.

COLLIER LAWRENCE

Did y'all know that Collier hails from Reno, Nevada? You know that Johnny Cash song "Folsom Prison Blues," when he sings, "I shot a man in Reno... just to watch him die." I don't know about the timeline concerning when those lyrics were written and when Collier entered this world, but I do know that it's not a coincidence. Collier didn't say a word the entire trip--I'm not sure if she speaks at all, or maybe she doesn't speak English--but I do know that when women are quiet, many people give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they're shy or unassuming. I'm not buying it. Collier is guarding a secret, and it's a big secret. And though she doesn't appear to speak, she sure can sing, and I think she may have been using the whole relay as a free way to get into Vegas without having to fly (becaue she wanted to avoid security). Much to our surprise, she now splits her time between working as a bouncer at a casino in Caesar's Palace and singing back-up for Celine Dion! She's so talented, I don't care if she did kill a man!

ERIN "JUNGLE CHICKEN" WARD

So back to the cage match with Devon. Erin fared better in the match than she had any right to expect, and everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief, because we really needed every helping hand and driver that we had. But after about 24 hours it became apparent that Erin wasn't entirely well.... First of all, she started singing to Chumbawamba's rock anthem "Tubthumping" very loudly. Secondly, she hopped up on the roof of the moving vehicle and danced like a madwoman. No one at this point had real concerns, however, because Jungle has been known to do these things and worse at every Oiselle party that she "attends" (and by that we mean "crashes"). I think it was maybe when she wandered off into the desert for what seemed like only a brief moment and returned with a large tribal facial tattoo (think Mike Tyson and "The Hangover") that the crew started to get actually concerned. And then she laid an egg...

LAUREN FLESHMAN

Though we all know by now that Lauren Fleshman is pregnant, what most of you don't know is how that pregnancy came about. Funny how Lauren didn't tell anyone that she was pregnant until after the Speed Project! You know how UFO sightings are always in the middle of some desert, serendipitously far from anyplace where anyone can corroborate the story or take a decent photo or discount the two eyewitnesses who were also hallucinating because they'd just spent forty-plus hours running a relay or driving an RV? This is the story that I feel the worst about breaking to the world, because there is an as-yet unborn and innocent child involved, but friends, do not be surprised when and not if that baby turns out to be an alien. I'm sure she'll be beautiful and perfect and smart and athletic and fast, just like her two perfect "parents," but I'm here to tell you that I'm not buying that story. That is an alien baby.

MEG MURRAY

Our Meg got in a little hot water this past week or so over something she posted/tweeted/hashtagged/InstaFacebooked, but it didn't surprise me one bit. Here are the things that she was either arrested for, acquitted of, jailed for, or just simply did without prior authorization and without regard to proper safety measures while on the trip:

1) Counting cards at a blackjack table.

2) Impersonating an Elvis impersonator.

3) Swinging down from a silk banner from the rafters at a Cirque du Soleil performance without wearing a helmet.

4) Giving Jungle Chicken a facial tattoo without her permission, while JC was, in fact, asleep and/or passed out in a donut coma.

We were all fairly lenient with Meg about each of these behaviors individually, but as a body of work, it really is quite impressive. But at least she didn't bandit a race.... That, my friends, in an unforgivable sin punishable by death, by Collier--in Reno.

CLAIRE SMILEY

Oh, sweet Claire. At the beginning of the trip we took a little poll, and among other categories, we voted on "Most Likely to Become Licensed to Perform Weddings While Dressed as an Elvis Impersonator." That's our Claire. And so she did. So next time you're in Vegas and wake up next to someone you just met but with whom you nonetheless just got matching facial tattoos, take him/her on down to the Graceland Chapel and ask for Claire. Mention Birdstrike or the Speed Project or Oiselle or Polartec and you'll get 20% off of your soon-to-be-annulled wedding!

MEGHAN MANAOIS

Look, I know this isn't politically correct. I apologize. Meghan Manaois and Robyn Hefner were paired up as driving buddies (we all paired with another crew member for the rotation of drivers), and I just can't tell them apart. They are both so amazingly beautiful and fun and kind and perfect that I cannot for the life of me tell one from the other. I'm aging myself here, but do any of you readers remember the commercials for Doublemint Gum, featuring the Doublemint twins? That's all I could think of everytime I saw these two. Sparkling white teeth and tandem bikes and perfect hair blowing perfectly in the perfect breeze, while wearing matching red-and-white checked dresses and carrying adorably wiggling twin puppies... by the end of the relay I just gave up and called them either Regan or Mobyn. Or Thing Pretty and Thing Gorgeous. I hope I never see either one of them ever again in my life, because they make me feel like a troll. Except that I like them. It's a real problem. They're the kind of people who don't wake up with an unexplained facial tattoo or an alien baby. Sorry, I should retract that second statement: Lauren, it's not your fault. You were abducted. It's totally my fault about the facial tattoo--probably. I can't really remember. I blame the donuts.

ROBYN HEFNER (see MEGHAN MANAOIS)

Seriously. So damn pretty. I think she must have grown up on a dairy farm in Sweden. One night I swear I heard her (or Megan, whatever) yodeling, and one or the other of them also churned butter.

So there you have it, my friends. I wish I had made the documentary of the real, behind-the-scenes events of Birdstrike. It was pretty epic. For our encore performance we're either going to run the entire Tour de France course (we're waiting on some funding opportunites, which keep falling through) or see if we can actually fly. We are, after all, the Flock of Oiselle. Anything is possible. Especially on the way to Vegas.

Head up. Wings out. Stay safe.*

*Buy insurance against accidental alien impregnation. Facial tattoos you can live with.

JC

Watch the Birdstrike trailer + sign up to watch the digital premier here! 

It’s one of our favorite weeks of the year… USATF Track and Field National Championships! We are thrilled to be cheering on 13 of our elite athletes competing in the furnace of Sacramento. [Right now the forecast is for 109 degrees on Thursday! Ice vests ordered.] 

You can find the entire schedule here, and below is a cheat sheet of our Oiselle athlete events and other shenanigans. We are especially pumped for the #steeplepeople Oiselle takeover…what a squad!

THURSDAY, JUNE 22ND

4:25pm - 800 Women's 1st Round: Alisha Brown, Dom Jackson

7:13pm - 3K Steeplechase Women's 1st Round: Marisa Howard, Jamie Cheever, Mel Lawrence, Collier Lawrence, Alexina Wilson, Megan Rolland, Emily Oren

8:27pm - 10K Women's FINAL: Steph Bruce

FRIDAY, JUNE 23RD

8:28pm - 800 Women's Semi: TBD

9am - Group Run + Coffee at Chocolate Fish on Folsom

SATURDAY, JUNE 24TH

9am - #NationalSportsBraSquadDay Run! Meet on Sac State side of Guy West Bridge

2:24pm - 3K Steeplechase Women's FINAL: TBD

7pm-11pm - Oiselle Birds on Fire Party! Hit us up if you’d like an invite! 

SUNDAY, JUNE 25TH

6:45am - 20K Race Walk Women's FINAL: Maria Michta

11:15am - Hammer Throw Women's FINAL: Brit Henry

12pm - Pole Vault Women's FINAL: Megan Clark

12:38pm - 400m Masters Women's Exhibition FINAL: Erika Pierce #fasterasamaster

2:06pm - 800 Women's FINAL: (TBD)

If you can’t make the trip to Sacramento, viewing/streaming options are listed here.

See you in sweaty Sac-town!

It's all about the pack you choose to run in.

I didn’t grow up running. I played recreational soccer and basketball in high school, but didn’t participate in any kind of organized, intentional running until much later. I’m not sure that I fully understood that running was something people did. Running isn’t really a team sport, why would anyone want to do that? 10 years ago, while completing my post graduate degree I overheard a group of classmates discussing a half-marathon they had all completed together that past weekend. Whoa, wait a minute, what? People my age…my actual peers, were out there running, further than the bus stop and not chasing a ball, for fun? It was decided. I was going to be a runner! Within the next few days I visited my local running specialty store and for $69.99, I was going to “Learn to Run.” What no one told me though, was before I could learn to run, I would have to learn to be comfortable with being the slowest – even if the group was made up of people who were all easily at least twice my age. Over the next eight weeks I learned something special about running: it’s ok to be slow(er).

After five years of running, I worked my way up to having run several half marathons (I know I make it sound easy, but trust me, it was NOT easy. Running is hard. Amazing, but hard.) and decided that I wanted to give triathlon a shot. I already had the running thing down and everyone knows how to ride a bike, right? So, what does that leave? Swimming. And where does that leave me? The slow lane. That’s right, after finally having made some (not much, but some) progress with running, I had decided to basically start up a brand-new sport that saw me, once again, at the back of the pack.

In the 10 years since I started running and five since I started triathlon (with a few marathons and Ironman 70.3's under my belt), I often still find myself at the back of the pack. It all depends on which pack I choose to run in. Sure, I could easily train and run with people my pace or slower, but where would that land me? Running my pace or slower. To run faster, you've got to run faster and one of the easiest ways to do that is to chase those faster than you.

Over time, I've developed the same outlook in my professional life as I have in my athletic life. I try to surround myself with those who are faster, stronger & smarter. While I am still very new here at the Nest, I have a feeling I have done just that - found a badass group of women who have speed, strength and wisdom to share. And I am very excited to learn from them.

As the countdown to the premier of the Birdstrike film begins, it seems like an ideal time to reflect on the journey of The Speed Project from start to finish. Here are the stories that covered the adventure.

BIRDSTRIKE VS. THE SPEED PROJECT 3.0
The blog that kicked it all off. On February 6^th, 2017 Birdstrike vs. The Speed Project was announced, and the crew was introduced. The backdrop was fully set with detailed race information, crew member facts, and most importantly, the stated goal of being the first all-female team to complete the race.

RACE READY - A Q&A ON RACE DAY STRATEGY WITH THE BIRDSTRIKE TEAM
For any rational person, a 340 miles unsanctioned race can be hard to wrap your mind around. Why would someone subject themselves to running over 56 miles, across the dessert, with minimal sleep? The crew answers the big questions including why they agreed to run in the Speed Project, why they chose to run with the Birdstrike team, and how they prepared both physically and mentally. As it turns out, the crew isn’t entirely rational…

WE'RE FLYING! A LETTER FROM BIRDSTRIKE
On Friday March 10th, as the Birdstrike crew set off on their first day of racing, the team reached out with a letter calling for words, miles, and messages of motivation – Because birds never fly alone.

THE STYLES OF THE SPEED PROJECT
In this blog, the crew explains their go-to wears for trekking from the Santa Monica Pier to Las Vegas. Knowing apparel can be a competitive advantage, so Oiselle tried piecing together a collection that would help the birds go the distance.

TOGETHER - HOW BIRDSTRIKE BEAT THE SPEED PROJECT
What follows setting an all-female team FKT? A race recap that shares the special journey. Here is a culminating piece capturing the planning, the teamwork, the trials, the small fleeting moments, the miles, and the emotions, that embodied the Speed Project. 

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