500 Down, 2000 To Go On Our #Journey2aMillion

September 10, 2015 by Jennifer

YOU GUYYYYS. I cannot even. I seriously Can.Not Even. We are barely 9 days into September and we’ve reached 20% of our #Journey2aMillion mileage AND fundraising goals. So yeah, I cannot even begin to tell you how amazingly, wonderfully, fantastically, stupendous you all are!

Of course numbers are great. Goals are great. Meeting goals is even better. But the best part about our 425 miles and $500 is that we’re doing it together. Nothing is better than that. That’s why we’re giving out a few pretty prizes this week just (and every week this month) for being a part of the team!

Every year, we ask you to join our team and donate your miles to support Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Every year, we are awed and inspired by your generosity and commitment. All the kiddos fighting the good fight are grateful for you, and so are we.

There’s always time to join the team (if you haven’t already).

Thanks to Racedots and KatieK Active for their kickin’ prize donations!

Let’s ROCK Our #Journey2aMillion, Team Scootadoot!

September 1, 2015 by Jennifer

Today is the BIG DAY, Team Scootadoot! What’s the occasion, you ask? We’re so glad you asked! Today kicks off our #journey2aMillion miles together! Starting today, we’re pooling our miles and our fundraising efforts to tell cancer to SUCK IT. Our team has certainly grown over the last week, and we’re SO HAPPY to have all of you join us on this journey! We’re doing good things here, folks.

For the last two years, our team has come together to support Alex’s Lemonade Stand, and it’s not too late to join this year’s team! You can join us anytime this month, but everyone who joins the team by midnight tonight will be entered to win a pack of Racedots!

Today at 3:00 pm eastern (noon Pacific), we will take our first steps in our journey together in the First Mile kick-off event. Let’s go out there and get in our first miles knowing that we’re united in our intention to do good, feel good, and make an impact.

Gooooooooo, Team Scootadoot!

The First Mile is the Sweetest (On Our #Journey2aMillion )

August 28, 2015 by Jennifer

Every year since our blog started we have hosted a team for the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation Million Mile month. During the month of September we get together, all over the country, and log miles to raise awareness while telling pediatric cancer to SUCK IT. Over the last two years, our team has logged a total of 3,413 miles and raised over $4,100.00 for pediatric cancer research. Not too shabby at all, we thinks!

We would love for you to join us! You can join the team now, or anytime in September. There’s no fundraising required (unless you would LIKE to) and it’s a great way to join in a community driven campaign! We have A LOT of fun supporting this important cause, it’s super easy to log your miles, and we’ll be giving away some fun prizes! This year, we’re mixing it up by giving away prizes randomly throughout the month, and everyone will have an equal chance of winning any of the prizes! After all, we’re a team!

A peek at some of the treasures in the #Journey2aMillion Giveaway Kitty

Once you join the team, you can log your miles using your FitBit, the MapMyFitness App, or you can track your miles manually like always. You can read more about that here. We love that we can use our FitBit to track our mileage, it means every step we take will count toward the Million Mile goal!

The month long event kicks off on Tuesday with the First Mile. Imagine people all over the country (and the world), raising awareness and fighting cancer by walking, running, or biking their first mile at the same time. YES. We’re talking POWERFUL, people! At 3:00 PM ET we’re walking together in spirit and in cause, our hearts untied and our legs in unison! You’ll need to register for the First Mile, but it’s a snap! And we’re a fun bunch, we promise!

No #lemonfacechallenge is required of course, but there *might* be a giveaway for anyone who does it. Maybe. Possibly. Probably. Yes.

Race Recap: Skirt Sports 13er

July 6, 2015 by Jennifer

Hi all! Today I’m recapping the Skirt Sports 13er that took place on June 14^th at Davidson Mesa in Louisville, Colorado. I know it’s a little late, but trust me when I say the lateness of this post doesn’t mean the race wasn’t fantastic, because it totally was. And not because there was cake at the finish, but that didn’t hurt, either.

Photo Credit: Skirt Sports Website

I ran the 10k, mostly because I know the area very well, and let’s just say that there was no way I was running the last hill in the half marathon course. No way. It’s classified as a cat 5 climb, but, yeah, my eyes say it’s more like a cat 2. It’s a brutal hill, man, and I knew my butt was not ready for that action. So I skipped the half in favor of the 10k. I swung by the Sport Skirts headquarters to pick up my packet the Friday before the race. One of my favorite things about this race was the bib! I loved how they incorporated the elevation map in the design!

See the “get over bad relationship” hill? Yeah…I’m OUT.

The 10k course suited me just fine, nice and flat after the first long hill, and the views can’t be beat. I’ve run/written about this trail before, and it is one of my favorites along the Front Range. As usual, I ran the race without a partner. No matter! The weather was GORGEOUS, and I was looking forward to getting some sunshine and fresh air.

So much inspiration!

I know it says finish, but it’s really the start.

The only real hill on the 10k course is still no joke; it’s long and slow, and most of the 338 feet of elevation on the course is gained on that hill. It was less than fun, but I pushed myself to jog as much of it as I could. I didn’t even put my earbuds in. Instead I focused the birds chirping and the beautiful day.

I ran alone for the first two miles until I stopped to take a photo and a nice lady named Rachel Taylor stopped too, and offered to take a photo of me if I’d return the favor. Runner code, right!? Of course I was down, and she snapped this shot of me with Boulder in the valley behind me.

Rachel and I ran intervals the rest of the race and I told her the names of the mountains in our view as we ran. She was from Texas, and had driven up for the race. We talked about running, races, and how the running culture is so different between Texas and Colorado. The rest of the gravel trail was flat as we ran along the top of the mesa. Then, we ran through a paved business district to the finish at a local Home Depot. The course was easy and breezy, and Rachel made the race a lot of fun. Before I knew it, we were crossing the finish line! I even PR’d by 6 minutes!

I had completely forgotten about the cake! Luckily Rachel reminded me, and we made our way over to the cake tent. The cakes were all gluten free and there were so many to choose from! Rachel grabbed a slice red velvet, and after hemming and hawing between the carrot cake and the chocolate, the chocolate won out. IT WAS SO GOOD! I never knew gluten free cake could be so divine!

SO delish!

Unfortunately I didn’t get any photos of Rachel, mainly because I suck at remembering to do that kind of stuff, but she is awesome. And so was this race. I am in love, and if they do it again, I’m all over it. There was such a great supportive vibe throughout the entire experience. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll do the half. Let’s face it, there’s CAKE at the end, and half finishers get a cute running skirt! Done and DONE! I highly recommend this one, folks!

Let’s run Rock ‘n’ Roll!

December 24, 2014 by vfreile

I’m excited to announce that I will be part of the Rock ‘n” Roll Marathon Series’ 2015 blogger team!

I discovered RnR races back in 2010 and have run one each year since – New Orleans, St. Pete and Washington DC to name a few. I love the atmosphere of each race – and how each course is as unique as the cities they races are held in. I love to travel, to race in unfamiliar cities and to jam to live bands as I run along a course. And who can say no to a complimentary post-race beer?

After 13.1 miles in DC earlier this year

And this news comes with a perk for all of you! Soon I will have a discount code to share with you all on entries for the 2015 Rock ‘n’ Roll races. The series offers 5K races, 1/2 and full marathons and challenges that include a combination of several running events.

As I look toward 2015 and my race schedule, I already planned to run the RnR race in Washington DC, again with my friend Traci. We’re both excited to return to DC for another fun event, But I’m not sure what other races to tackle – Chicago, Philly and San Diego are my front runners. But Vegas, Savannah and Portland are also woo-ing me.

I’d love to hear which RnR races are your favorites and why! Which races shouldn’t I miss? Which RnR race is on your running bucket list?

The Not Very Cold ColderBolder

December 12, 2014 by Jennifer

Sometimes, the Universe aligns and graces you with experiences that surpasses your expectations. Sometimes, those experiences lead you to learn new things about yourself. And sometimes, if you’re really lucky, the Universe will throw in a few giant jogging chipmunks and penguins for perspective. And when the experience is over, you swear that you’re happier, and that the world would be happier, too, if there were more giant jogging penguins. Personally, I vote for giant jogging koala bears. Such was the blast I had at last weekend’s ColderBolder, the companion 5k race to the BolderBoulder10k.

This year, the ColderBolder turned out to be…not very cold. Well, “not very cold” as Colorado would define it anyway. Last year’s race temp was a balmy -5˚. For the record, it is highly likely I would have wussed out if it had been THAT cold this year. Fortunately the temperature at race time was 42˚, and although walking to the start was a bit chilly, the view made it worth it. The course takes runners through the University of Colorado’s beautiful Boulder campus, which has a front and center view of the Flatirons.

It’s sooo purrrdy.

Woot Woot, 2014CB5K!

After the epic fail at my company Turkey Trot a few weeks back, I was determined to make this race count. I’d planned carefully, made sure I had all my gear, and was eager to try out my first pair of compression socks. We arrived forty-five minutes before my start time and had some time to check out the expo. I’d already picked up my packet so we bypassed that long, but fast-moving, line.

Organized Chaos

Look y’all, chipmunk runners!

The crowd was cheerful and energized, and not nearly as big as the BolderBoulder (BB10K) even though the race had sold out. We headed toward Blach Field House to see the finish line and check out the vendors. There weren’t many booths, but I totally spied the beer booth despite it being 9:30 in the morning.

The Old Chub has scotch in it. #I’llpass

Expo Vendors

We bumped into my aunt Sandra and my soon-to-be-new-uncle Bill who is an avid runner. After chatting for a few minutes, Bill and I left to head to the start, while my husband and aunt found a place to cheer. Indoors. Where it was warm.

Bill and I lined up with our wave and I assured him that I was as slow as molasses, and to please not wait for me. He assured me he wouldn’t. And he didn’t either! We heard the gun shot and he was off! Go, Uncle Bill, go!

Just keep waiting, just keep waiting…

Here we go!

The first mile was great; my legs felt strong and my new shoes that I’m still getting used to felt like springy pillows on my feet. My asthma combined with the cold air, however, didn’t make for a happy Jenn. I wasn’t far into that first mile before I had to start alternating jogging with walking. I tried to walk as little as possible, and when I did run I tried to be conscious of my form and pace. I’ve been working on following the Chi Running Technique, and I do feel as though it helped my speed and enhanced my comfort while running this race.

Miles two and three were fun! I was feeling determined despite my difficulty breathing. When I was running, I felt like I was flying past everyone! I can honestly say I’ve never felt that free running, and I think I caught an inkling of that running addiction thing. Plus, I could NOT STOP giggling at the running penguins and their bobbing tails. Clearly, I was suffering from runner’s joy.

Running Penguins!!

What a view for mile two!

I powered though as much as I could and puffed on my inhaler more than I would have liked, but still felt strong at the finish. The third mile marker gave me the push I needed and I picked up my pace. The course support and volunteers were great, and there were quite a few spectators cheering us on for that last half mile. It’s really amazing what a little love from the crowd and positive race energy can do for you! As I turned the corner to the finish line, I spotted my husband , aunt, and Bill cheering for me. It was nice to have some friendly faces and a bit of love at the race. I think that made this race my happiest finish yet!

Happiest Jenn!

BOOM, DONE!

When it was all said and done, I was pretty darn pleased with myself. My official time was 38:29 and pace was 12:23. I will so take that action. This race was a blast and it taught me that I may not perform at my best in the winter cold, but I can still have fun and get out there. Favorite perks of this race were the cute pink and blue hat, and of course, beer. I am officially one of the cold and the bold.

Cute warm hat + beer = content

What winter races are you looking forward to this season? DO YOU LIKE HATS TOO?

Tis the Season for Doing Good

December 1, 2014 by Jennifer

How many of you participated in the runner’s version of food guilt therapy last week, also known as the Turkey Trot? Before I ran, I never gave my local Gobble Hobble a second thought. However, I’ve recently decided that running prior to the Thanksgiving chow down is THE BEST tradition hands down. Why pray tell? It’s because we need to justify allowing ourselves a second slice of pumpkin pie. Maybe we can even splurge on a heaping dollop teaspoon of whipped cream on said pie.

Moment on the lips, forever on the hips be damned because I turkey trotted today.

Or in Cam’s case, amazing cakes that she makes!

Of course, there are other reasons to participate in a Thanksgiving race. We runners are philanthropists at heart and every race has a great cause behind it. This time of year, the spirit of gratitude runs high and we may think more about those who are less fortunate that us, those who are unable to run for fun. The Turkey Trot I ran was no different in that respect, but it was different in many other ways. By sharing it with you guys, I thought it might inspire you (and your coworkers, hint, hint) for next Thanksgiving.

On the Saturday before turkey day, the company I work for held their 32nd annual employee 5k turkey trot. It was open to family and friends of the human and canine variety. The registration fee was a mere fifteen dollars, and best of all, it would go to a few selected employees who had faced hardships in 2014. It’s a great event that gets participation from all levels of the company and all levels of running and walking. Employees can participate by running, walking, volunteering to work the race, or by sending in a donation.

Volunteers bravely braved the morning chill.

The course took runners through the company campus that spans three city blocks. Three loops and you’ve got yourself a 5k. This information will come in handy on my lunch runs! The race was organized very professionally by the volunteer team and included pro bibs, accurate timing and goodies for all after the finish.

The course map I didn’t read. This was my first mistake.

Someone needed more coffee.

And the best hat award goes to…

We get incentives for creating teams for the race. The largest team gets a trophy plaque, and the fastest team members each get a frozen turkey. Teams can be as small as four people and the largest team this year had 128 members! They make up silly names for themselves, like “Alpacas in Space”. (I don’t even know. I work for an aerospace company. In Boulder. I guess the reference to alpacas is obligatory?) There are age groups which are divided by gender, and same goes for kids. The fastest three adults in each age group get a frozen turkey, and the fastest boy and girl in each age group get one, too. The fastest male in my age group (30 – 39) was 18:36, and the fastest female was 20:24. Amazing! Also, I must accept the fact that I will likely never win a turkey at this race because these people are fast!

I’m following this guy home.

The free spread.

There were approximately 450 participants which means we raised just under seven thousand dollars for the recipients. One-sixth of the company was involved in a meaningful, healthy activity that built team spirit and goodwill across the campus. It was a warm way to begin the holiday season with mindfulness of how blessed we are. The CEO was there passing out turkeys to the winners of the race and the raffle, and people entered their dogs in the race to help contribute. I hear these guys are returning champions.

Hi. I’m a Tibetan Mastiff.

So there ya have it! Seems easy enough, right? If you get yourself a fancy timing clock, some muffins, a few turkeys, and some company merch to raffle off, you too can help your fellow employees with turkey trot proceeds. Seriously though, folks, this is a great idea with pretty minimal output of effort and labor. Now, go forth on this after-holiday-weekend Monday morning when everyone is grumpily facing their food guilt and dazzle your boss with this fabulous idea! They’ll be like:

Make it so.

As for my personal turkey trot success? Ummm, yeah…about that. Here is where I have to confess that I was so full of fail that morning. SO FAIL. I missed the start of the race by 3 minutes (stupid traffic), and I didn’t really read the course map, therefore, I didn’t really know where the finish line was. I missed the “spiel” and just jumped in and followed the other runners as they started their second lap. Safe bet, right? Yeah. Not so much. I never crossed the finish line, instead I made a beeline for the muffins.

Baked goods are my religion.

But no matter! No matter at all that I was wearing too many layers. No matter that the cold air and my asthmatic lungs don’t play nicely together. No matter that I missed the finish line and had no clue what I was doing! I had fun, and this was a great cold weather test run for the ColderBolder coming up next Saturday.

Just keep running, just keep running, doesn’t matter where you’re going!

A special thanks goes out to my husband who is always my personal race photog. He’s the bestest.

Heart this guy.

What Turkey Trot did you run this Thanksgiving? What’s your favorite Thanksgiving tradition? Have you ever totally flubbed up a finish? Console me in the comments!

Biggest Loser Run Walk recap: Six Flags Great Adventure New Jersey

November 5, 2014 by Meridith

Also known as: that time I fell.

So, spoiler alert, I fell during this race. It was bound to happen; I’ve watched other people fall during races (wincing on their behalf) and knew it was only a matter of time before I was the one going BOOM.

It was my time and it was a spectacular fall. But man, I am so grateful because it could have been so much worse.

As always, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Let me set the stage: it was a cold, blustery day here in New Jersey on Sunday. The rain was non-stop the day prior and everything was still wet from the storm. And it was cold. So cold. Even though it was low 40s, the wind was relentless, making it feel much colder than that.

Dude, Pooks and I piled on the layers and traveled the half hour from my parents house to Six Flags Great Adventure (fun fact: most other Six Flags parks are called “Six Flags” but we Jersey folk like to refer to ours as Great Adventure). I’d registered for the 10k and Pooks was doing the Kids Mile Fun Run!

We’d driven up from our house the day prior to do packet pick-up and spent the evening in central Jersey. Once we arrived at the race site, we found that people were still registering and doing packet pick-up. I wish I had known that was an option, as I would have definitely done the morning of the race. Ah well, there’s always next time.

The race village was fairly small and looking around, it seemed like most people there were participating in the 5k, with a smattering of 10kers. We didn’t see many kids at first, but there were about 20 who participated in the Kids Fun Run when the time rolled around.

Dan and Jackie Evans, Biggest Loser season 5, were the event hosts and made everyone feel welcome. I heard them introduce Jenn Widder, also from season 5 and she discussed having a baby and weight loss after pregnancy. It sounds like she’s doing great!

At the 8am, when the race was supposed to begin, many people were still getting their packets; in fact, the race start was pushed back 15 minutes to allow everyone to start at the same time. While I appreciate the sentiment of that, it was C-O-L-D and I was looking forward to moving.

Thankfully I had the company of Kim from Barking Mad About Running and her friend, Shannon, and that made the time pass more quickly! I’m so grateful that I was able to hook up with them at the start line – we stayed together throughout the race.

There were no official corrals. They asked that runners line up in the front, run/walkers in the middle, and walkers toward the back. It wasn’t an exact science but for the size of the race, it worked out well.

Huddle together for warmth!

Dan, (whom you might remember is a musician) sang the Star Spangled Banner and then we were off!

Jackie and Pam Geil, Biggest Loser season 14, sent us on our way with high fives and cheers. I believe that Jay Jacobs was also there, but I missed seeing him because he was running the 5k. Good on ya, Jay!

Pam and Jackie were so motivational!

My husband said that once everyone started the race, there were maybe 25 people hanging around, waiting for us to work our way through the park. Which just goes to show that people were doing this run/walk for themselves, which is always a wonderful thing to see.

The course wound its way through the Great Adventure parking lot and then into the park. A little less than a mile in, we found ourselves at a trail portion, which lead us past a lake and into the surrounding wooded area before wrapping us back around into the park and out to the village once more. The 10k race was a double loop of the 5k.

via the Biggest Loser Run Walk site

I have to admit that I didn’t really know too much about the course going into the race. I’d look at the map a day or two before, but other than seeing the names of a few of the coasters, I didn’t realize we’d be going off-road at all. Add the leaves and mud puddles (thanks to the rain) to the mix and it was definitely a slippery situation.

We started off running through the parking lot, chatting along the way. I grew up going to Great Adventure, but it’s bigger and even more coaster filled now!

We entered the park near the carnival games and it was still “dressed up” for Halloween, complete with a fountain that sprayed RED water. Spooky!

The first mile past quickly and soon we were on the trail portion. It was gorgeous scenery and I was pleasantly surprised; this was not what I expected at all.

At mile two there was a water and Gatorade station, along with a few HUGE muddy puddles. We squished a bit on the mud but I managed to stay upright there. I marveled over that fact… obviously that was a wee bit premature.

We were near the mile 5 marker (for the double loop). I’m not even sure what happened, exactly. All I know is that one minute, I was running and the next, my ankle was twisting and I was on the ground! I’m so glad that I didn’t take anyone else down with me because I came down HARD. It wasn’t a little fall. It was a heavy impact fall. There was no stopping or bracing myself. Timber!

I’m incredibly grateful for the woman who stopped to give me a hand up and for Kim and Shannon who walked with me until I reached the point where I felt comfortable running again. What I really loved about this race was the fellowship I felt with everyone else out there. People were friendly and supportive throughout the race. Like I said, it wasn’t a spectator type of event and everyone was doing this for themselves, but there was a family atmosphere from start to finish.

It would have probably been prettier had my ankle not been throbbing…

Now, I must admit, I went through a couple of trains of thought while I was evaluating my level of ability to continue the onto the 10k.

1. Got up, immediately knew I had messed up my ankle and possibly bruised my leg. Crap, I’ll just finish with the 5k. Thank goodness it’s a double loop.

2. No. No! I can run. I could TOTALLY do the 10k. “I’m doing the 10k!”

3. Just kidding. This really hurts. I need ice. Plus, I’ve run 3.1 miles today and I’ve got more races coming up. I’m finishing at the 5k.

A pic with my heroes!

After seeing monkeys in the safari area, we crossed the finish line. Pam welcomed everyone back with high fives and great spirit! That lady has spunk! Directly past the finish line we were handed our medals and there were tables set up with water, bagels and bananas for each person to grab.

I immediately sought out the medical tent to get ice. While doing that, I somehow lost Kim and Shannon but I know that I’ll being seeing them at races again in the future.

At the finish line, Dan was jamming out on his guitar and it was great to be able to relax and enjoy the music for a few moments.

Once I was all patched up (at least for the moment) I wandered around with Pooks and Dude because we had some time in between the my finish and the start for the Kids Run. At the Solutions tent I was able to meet Christina, who I’d been emailing with in regards to the event, and she was absolutely lovely! It’s always great to put a face to a name.

I also found Jackie and chatted with her for a couple of minutes about the chilly weather, the race series, and about how awesome our sons are. Of course, we needed to get a group shot. Dan was a bit busy but we made it work.

Pooks was a bit nervous leading up to the event but the day of, he was ready to go! At 9:45 the Kids Race was underway. The kids lined up at the start and took off. No timing chips, this was strictly FUN!

He’s off!

Originally we had planned for him to shed the outer layer but with the weather being so chilly, he decided to channel his inner Rocky and kept the gray theme going. My husband went about a tenth of a mile onto the course to cheer for him as he ran out and back.

The kids ran the opposite direction on the course so they were able to see the monkeys too!

And then, just like that, they were on their way back to the finish. Pooks hadn’t done a mile in awhile so he was happy to get out there and stretch his legs, especially after being sick all last week.

I was really grateful to be able to do this particular event with Pooks. We watch the Biggest Loser together and were so excited for the past month, leading up to the big day. While I wish we had warmer weather, and I certainly would have liked to have not fallen, I’m so glad that we got to experience this together!

Something that this race series does is provide FREE race pictures to participants. Um, how cool is that? They should be up on the website in a few days and I can’t wait to see them.

Have you ever participated in the Biggest Loser Run Walk Event? Which one? And have you ever fallen or injured yourself during a race? Thankfully, my ankle is feeling a lot better now! Thank you for the well-wishes via social media! xo

The Biggest Loser Run Walk Race Series compensated entry for both my son and myself. No other compensation was given. All opinions and any spectacular falls are my own.

Take me back to Oiselle #birdcamp

September 3, 2014 by vfreile

I spent my big vacation this year with nearly dozens of women I’d never met before.

Sure, I’d chatted with a few fellow campers via social media and text. I’d even had the pleasure of meeting several Oiselle team members at recent races – like the New York City Marathon and Nike Women’s half. And I KNEW one of the ladies – the lovely Jen Bigham!

The first-ever team retreat, dubbed “bird camp” early in the planning process, was held by Oiselle, a small Seattle-based women’s running clothing company founded in 2007. The women who lead and run for the company shared their knowledge, home and dreams with 96 women from across North America.

Oiselle team at the Deschutes Twilight 5K. Pic by Thomas and Velo Photography

We spent five days in Bend, Oregon, which sits at 3,623 feet near the Cascade mountains, about three hours southwest of Portland. Having never spent time in Oregon before, and having never attended an overnight camp as a kid, I had no clue what to expect.

I quickly fell in love with Bend and am already itching to go back.

We ran, (well duh) we hiked, we swam, we chatted, we ate, we drank, we raced, we meditated, we stretched. We experienced so much in such a few days.

Pro athletes Lauren Fleshman, Kate Grace, Stephanie Howe and (via skype) Kara Goucher shared advice, stories and fielded questions. They even hiked and worked out with us, along with the Oiselle’s CEO Sally Bergesen, team manager Kristin Metcalf and camp organizer/all around superwoman Sarah Lesko.

We talked about health, nutrition, training and goal setting. We spoke of our dreams – we admitted our challenges – and we leaned on each other for advice.

Stretching & meditating. Pic by Thomas and Velo Photography

We hiked at nearby Smith Rock State Park and played in the picturesque town of Bend. We ate, we drank, and we floated in tubes on the Deschutes River.

For me, the experiences and the people made the trip.

I was finally able to meet Kelly in person after we’d first chatted online last fall. Hands down, she’s among my favorite people. We ran off, skipping a yoga session one afternoon and swam laps at a nearby outdoor pool.

After the swim

It may not sound like much to others, but I loved our 3,200-meter workout. I hadn’t been in a pool in months and was thrilled to be able to hang in with Kelly for as long as I did. After more than a decade as a competitive swimmer, I loathe having to swim fast. (Been there, done that.) But its a whole different story when I want to do my best.

I’m also so thankful for my roommates Stacey and Suzie. I couldn’t have been with two more supportive, inspirational and fantastic women as you both.

Stacey, me and Suzie – a great trio!

And of course I loved spending time with my fun friends in our carpool van, dubbed the #vanbytheriver

The Oiselle bird, drawn by me

Decorating the van before our roadtrip

The whole gang: Front row (from left): Ashley, Kerry, Steph, Jessica. Back row: Becky, Kelly, me. Pic by Thomas and Velo Photography

I loved racing with such a large team at a smaller 5K race. We were literally about a fifth of the field of the evening 5K. I pushed myself a bit harder than I expected – especially since it was my second run of the day. I loved seen so many blue Oiselle singlets as I ran along the hilly course.

Even better was seeing a slew of ladies cheering one another on as I sprinted to the finish.

Cheering birds! Pic by Kelly Burns Gallagher

Me, Kelly and Stacey at the 5K. Pic by Thomas and Velo Photography

Hiking with new friends at Smith Rock State Park was amazing. I love to hike, though I remain terrified of getting too close to the edge of a mountain and tumbling off a cliff. Smith Rock is stunning and I implore anyone in Bend to check it out.

Stunning Smith Rock

Up we go!

Hiking Misery Ridge Trail at Smith Rock. Pic by Thomas and Velo Photography

Near the summit with Kate

Loved the views (but not the snake!)

Also LOVED relaxing as we floated on tubes on the crystal clear Deschutes River. If I could do that every week, life would be perfect.

With Jill and Kelly in Oiselle Rizzo before tubing

Much of what I loved about the experience was meeting so many incredible women, who find a way to balance work, their relationships, motherhood and running. These women reminded me that it’s good to dream big, and that it is possible to balance it all.

With Lauren at the closing party

At a midweek session, Lauren spoke of goal-setting, and reminded us that it’s ok to let a dream go and focus on reality. But she also stressed the importance of setting meaningful goals – ones that mean something to YOU personally over an obvious goal, like running a best time or a specific distance.

“The best gift you can give yourself is to disregard what other people see as success and name it for yourself,” Lauren said. “You have to set your own definition for success.”

She couldn’t be more right.

Team cheer Pic by Thomas and Velo Photography

Have you ever been to Oregon? A sports team camp (as a kid or an adult?) Where’s your favorite hiking spot? And fellow birds – what was your favorite part of camp? Tell me in the comments!

2014 Adrenaline 5k – PR Assist

March 17, 2014 by Meridith

Jay and I are quickly approaching 11 years of wedded bliss. There’s a lot we have in common, the core being that we are both nerds. We totally and completely geek out over things that we are passionate about. For example, we were both at the Veronica Mars movie Friday night, giggling and chair dancing. (Okay, maybe I was the only one chair dancing.)

Some things he geeks out over, I just… I don’t understand. Like Lord of the Rings. Let’s not even talk about the fact that I didn’t see Star Wars until he forced me to watch it in my late twenties. Or his reaction when I fell asleep while we watched.

To be fair, the pendulum swings the other way as well. I geek out over running. And try as he might, he just isn’t at the same level of Running Geek as I am. Bless his heart! That’s why when he actually signs up for a race and seems slightly excited for it, it makes me even more stoked. Think puppy with peanut butter.

I’ve participated in the Haddonfield Adrenaline 5k for the past three years; the first year I was fairly new to racing and he was there for emotional support, last year he joined me on the course for his first ever 5k. This year we decided to stick together so that I could help him PR.

This race is in its 9th year and the reason why I think it’s an area favorite is because of one simple fact- it’s a race for runners, by runners. The Haddonfield (Moorestown/Mullica Hill) Running Company has been in business for 17 years and hosts the event; they know what runners want.

Close parking – CHECK
Packet pickup both prior to and on race day – CHECK
Fun/fast course – CHECK
Party after at the store – CHECK
Another party that evening at a bar – CHECK (not that we were there, but parties are always a good time!)

Since it’s a favorite among the area residents, we always see a good handful of people we know at this race. It’s not uncommon to post “Who’s going to be at the Adrenaline 5k?” on Facebook and have resounding YESES come back at’cha.

Hail, hail, the gang’s all here!

It was a bit rainy prior to the race which was a surprise and we all watched the clouds overhead to see what Mother Nature was going to throw at us. However, she was just playing around this time. Probably because she knew it was Megan’s 40th birthday!

Close to 9am, Jay and I moseyed on over to the starting line, waving to our fast friends and placing ourselves toward the back of the pack.

Just over 900 runners.

The game plan was pretty straight forward, we’d run the first straight away and then switch to 1:1 intervals for the remainder of the race. I decided to ditch my watch and just go with what Jay felt comfortable with, taking my cues off of him for pace.

Promptly at 9am, the race started and we crossed the mat around 1:06. From there, I followed Jay. The first half mile or so, I hung directly behind him so that he could weave and find a comfortable spot in the pack. The race is through the local town which is super cute, so I spent a good portion of the run checking out the houses and waving to the residents along the route.

We took advantage of the down hill (that comes before the uphill in this race) and Jay grabbed a quick drink of water around 1.8 miles. There’s one uphill and it comes just before the mile 2 mark. I wasn’t sure how Jay would approach it but when I tell you that he FLEW up that hill, I’m not exaggerating. He seriously pushed and it was crazy impressive!

As we wound our way back to the main road and the final stretch of the race, I could tell that he was ready to be done. During these times I tried to push the pace on the walking intervals so that he wouldn’t slow down too much.

There were adorable little girls giving high fives in the middle of the street that helped make that last stretch more fun (I was having fun the entire time but I was trying not to be too rah-rah cheerleader). You can see the finish line about a quarter mile down the road and it definitely helps the morale to know you’re nearly done.

Once we were about a tenth a mile away from the finish, Jay was ready to push hard and finish strong. Right around this time, our friends were along the route, cheering as we went by! We crossed the finish line, he stopped Runkeeper and realized he’d hit a personal record, cutting his time by nearly a minute.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Brandi and Sean found us and we got a couple of post-race snacks (they had an assortment of bagels, bananas, oranges and water) before heading over to the Running Company store for the post-race party!

Two of my favorite race buddies.

Why yes, those WOULD be Jersey cakes. Jersey pride!

The store hosts an ah-mazing party, with food from the local catering company, Apron. There was an incredible sweet potato salad that was called Born to Run salad that was so good, it would have made Bruce sing. We chatted with friends, snacked on food, and drank beer (yes, at 10am). And since we were there, Jay and I got our long overdue running shoes.

All in all, an incredible time, as expected! We’ll be back and maybe, just maybe, I’ll turn Jay into a full-fledged Running Geek.

What do you geek out about? Ever run with a friend (or a husband or a wife) and “help” them PR? Did you see Veronica Mars? (Because we should TOTALLY geek out together over that.)

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Tag Archives: 5k