Army Ten Miler Oct.20, 2013

I rarely "repeat" races. I prefer to try new ones. The Army Ten Miler race is different. This was the 3rd time I have run this race.  I ran it in 2009 with my best friend, Michele, and I also ran it last year. Check out my eventful account here. 
 This year I was asked to run on a Masters Mixed team for Carlisle Barracks.  My husband was also running, so I thought it would be fun.  One of the runners on our team felt that we could possible place in the top 5 if we had a good running day. We had 8 people on our team, 5 men and 3 women.  The top 4 times count toward the team score.  I originally hoped to run somewhere between 1:20-1:25.   Unfortunately, after my last long training run for a marathon I am training for,  on Oct.12, I developed tightness and pain in my left hip and piriformis.  After that run, I had to take a few days off and try to get the leg loosened up before the race.  I endured a deep tissue massage on Wednesday to try to loosen things up.  During the massage, I also realized that my hip flexors and quads were also quite tight.  All the hill running of Ragnar and just the training for a marathon have taken a toll.  I also had been rushing my recovery time after the long runs, needing to get my kids to activities on Saturday afternoons.  Sometimes I would spend 5 minutes stretching, then showering and eating on the way out the door. No foam rolling post run, no ice baths. Not the best plan. I think I paid for it.
  The two days before the 10 mile race, I actually contemplated dropping out completely.  What was the point in running if it would cause further problems, and I wouldn't be able to run very fast anyway? What if I couldn't even finish the race? On Thursday I ran for 30 minutes, but the run was not comfortable. I felt a pulling sensation in my left leg with every step.  We travelled to Centreville, VA on Saturday afternoon to stay with friends overnight, and I was still debating whether or not I should run the race. Not the best feeling just a few hours before a race!! 
  My husband, his friend who was also running on our team, and I went to the race expo at the Armory on Saturday afternoon.  It was easy to find parking, and we were in and out in just a few minutes.  We did stop by the Nuun booth to chat with Robert, who had run the Ragnar Relay NWP with me.  Nice to see him again, and to fill my water bottle with some orange Nuun! I also was able to donate 2 pairs of running shoes to a veterans charity.  It was a good feeling knowing that someone would benefit from one pair of gently used ones that I was done with, and with a pair that I had bought because they were going to be "extinct" and then realizing a few months later that I needed to size up to the next size, and change the type of shoe I was wearing after a gait analysis! They were never worn, so I hope there is a runner out there that will benefit from them.
  Saturday evening was spent with our friends at their home, eating spaghetti and Italian bread. I did indulge in one beer, hoping it would "relax" me and allow me to get some sleep.  I was very nervous about attempting to run the next day.  I had decided by then that I would go to the race, start and see how it went. If I was in too much pain half way through, I would find a way to get to the finish and link up with my husband.  I put aside my ID, $20 and my cell phone to bring to the race.  Cell phones and any electronics are not allowed on the course, but I could fit the phone the back pocket of my Oiselle Roga shorts and I wanted to make sure I had a way of reaching my husband if I had problems on the run.  He also planned on carrying his phone. Luckily, they again did not enforce this "rule" that is supposed to discourage people from having electronics on the course.  As I have seen every year, people ignore the rule, listen to music, chat on their phones, and take photos while running.  I have always carried a phone, but do not take it out of the pocket until I need to reach someone at the end. This is a very large race, with approx. 30,000 runners and it can be difficult to maneuver around people that are not paying attention, stopping to take pictures, etc.
  Anyway, back to the evening before the race.  The friend that we were staying with is a chiropractor, and she graciously offered to give us adjustments and treatments for our ailments. As a "masters" team, it seems that most of us had aches and pains that we had been dealing with in the weeks before the race. I was not alone in that.  My husband was having knee pain, and his left calf had been cramping up in the days before the race.  His friend, her husband, had injured one of his oblique muscles playing softball.  We lined up for treatments, she pulled out her treatment table, ultrasound and KT tape. 
 She helped me by applying ultrasound to my piriformis, and helping me stretch out some of the tightness.  She then applied some biofreeze, and I went off to bed.  I was still nervous, but hopeful that I would be able to run the race.
  I slept horribly.  I just tossed and turned the entire night.  Before I knew it, my alarm went off at 5am.  I ate a bagel with peanut butter, drank some orange juice, and a cup of coffee and then we were off to the Metro station.  We arrived at the Pentagon shortly before 7am.  It was cold, probably in the 40's. I had worn old running pants that I planned on tossing at the start and an old race t-shirt.  We found the porta potties, checked our bags and headed to the corrals.  It wasn't crowded yet, and we were able to easily find our way to our starting corrals.  My husband and his friend were in the faster corrals, so I let them go ahead, and I found a position in the front of the red corral.  I had opted to not wear my watch. This was the first time I had ever done this in a race.  I was feeling pretty discouraged and worried, so I was going to just run by feel and "see how it goes".  Waiting in the cold was the hardest part. I was shivering even before I took off my throw away clothes.  I chatted with a few people around me.  We were positioned right before an underpass.  We were astonished by the number people  that were going just above the underpass on the hill and relieving themselves on the stone bridge.  At first it was just a couple of guys, then before you knew it, they were lined up to do it, just like in a porta potty line!!  I felt like yelling "We can see you! Just because you turn your back to us, doesn't mean we can't see you peeing!!!" But I didn't. I just found it ridiculous.  There were enough port o potties at the race. This was unnecessary.  There were even a few ladies that went to the other side of the underpass and I saw them squatting.  Come on!! Even the Army guys that were monitoring the corrals were shaking their heads. I heard one guy behind me, apparently from another country say "You only see Americans doing things like this. Disgraceful". Wow...
  Next, we heard the announcer introduce the singer of the national anthem.  The singer sounded like he had a nice voice, but there was such an echo, that it sounded like he was singing over his voice.  Then, with the sound of a cannon, the Wounded Warriors were off first, 10 minutes before the first corral.  I was in the second corral, so once the first went, I took off my throw away clothes and we moved ahead to our start.  At 8:05 we were off!
  At first my legs felt quite tight.  I just told myself to take it easy, try to find a good pace and that my legs would feel better after a few minutes.  Several people passed me, but I just let them. I was going to run my own pace, my own race.  I just wanted to enjoy the experience as much as possible.  This race is always so inspiring, seeing all the Army units running together, the Wounded Warriors, the charity runners and the whole Army community.  I passed a few Wounded Warriors with prosthetic devices for legs, and I told myself "If they can keep going, so can I. I have NOTHING to complain about".
  Sure enough, 20-30 minutes into the race I started to feel better. I could still feel some tightness in my leg, but I was finding my stride and feeling okay.  The course runs by several monuments, including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Kennedy center and Jefferson Memorial.  I took the time this year to enjoy the views.  It can be difficult, since you are continually trying not to trip on your own feet, or someone else's.  You have runners around you for the entire course.  Some people can be pretty aggressive and pushy.  I got elbowed a couple of times by a couple of guys trying to get around me.  That was pretty annoying.  I was running an appropriate pace for the corral I had started with, so I just let them go past me. I stopped for sips of water at the 4 mile water stop.  At the 6 mile water stop, I took a Gu gel with some water.  I was still feeling good, and went over the 10K mat in about 54 minutes.  There was a race clock there, and I subtracted 5 minutes off that time for my time.  I was running better than I expected, so I decided to speed up my pace a bit.  I was feeling okay, and I knew that I was going to be able to finish.  Miles 8-9 were the toughest. It is the only part that is  "hill".  It is actually a long bridge that you go over, the George Mason Memorial Bridge.  Many people slowed down, and I was able to pass several runners here.  Without having a watch, it was difficult to judge how far away the finish was once we got off the bridge. I could hear the finish line, but couldn't see it for the longest time.
 Finally, I spotted the black and gold balloons over the finish line. I sprinted the to the end, and was happy to see the time as 1:31, which means I ran approx. 1:26.  I wasn't sure what my PR was for 10 miles.  I had not checked before I left home.  It wasn't until I arrived home that I realized my previous PR was 1:27:16 at the Cherry Blossom in April.  I PR'ed when I wasn't even trying!! That means I did a negative split, running the last 3.8 miles in 32 minutes, 8:25 pace! Awesome.
  Walking through the finish chute took a long time. It was very crowded. I grabbed some water that was being handed out, and finally made it to the place where they handed out the finish coins. 

I was so happy to have finished.  I linked up with my husband and some of my other team members at the Hooah West Point tent after grabbing some food (bagel, muffin, granola bars) from the food tents.  We were able to link up with most of our team members and took a team photo.

Here I am with the 5 guys on the team. My husband is to my right, with the orange visor.  The "C" on our singlet stands for Carlisle.  If you are not familiar with Jim Thorpe and his history in running, find it here. This is a similar uniform that Jim Thorpe wore when he was an athlete for the "Carlisle Indian School" which much later became Carlisle Barracks. It was our way of honoring him.  There were 2 other ladies on the team, but unfortunately, we did not link up with them for this photo. 
 We did find out later that our team place 4th in the "Masters Mixed" category.  The top 4 times counted for our team score. My time actually counted, with the 3 fastest guys.  I'm glad I was able to run as well as I did.
  I was able to link up with a few Army friends at the race, including my best friend, Michele, who had travelled from North Carolina for the race.  After spending some time with her, I was starting to shiver, and it was time to head to the bag check to retrieve some warm clothes!
 We saw the long line for the shuttle buses, and decided to walk the mile instead to the bag check.  My legs were tired and sore, but it was good to be moving.  Getting our bags was quick and easy and I was "happy" to put on my Oiselle Happy Hoodie- pun intended! We made our way to the Metro and worked through the crowds before finally getting on a train. 
  We made it back to Centreville, and met our friend with our kids and hers at Tropical Smoothie.  We enjoyed yummy smoothies and wraps before headed back to their home for warm showers. 
  After a quick foam rolling session and packing our things up, we were on the road to home. It was a great weekend, and turned out much better than I expected! This a race that I enjoy every year. I hope to be able run it for many more!
 Hooah!!

The Ultimate Mother Runner Showdown: Ragnar DC

Where to begin this post? I had the most amazing experience last weekend, and it is difficult to summarize my experience with words. I was selected to be part of this relay team back in June. 22 mother runners (+2 alternates) were selected to join Sarah Bowen-Shea and Dimity McDowell in Cumberland, MD to run 199 miles all the way to Washington, D.C. I was selected to be a member of Team Sarah (later named Badass Mother Runners), and I became runner #5.
  During the last 4 months, these Mother Runners have been getting to know each other on our own BAMR Facebook page, discussing training, logistics, costumes and packing lists.
  I decided not to do a full recap of the relay, but at the bottom of my blog, I will share some of the recaps of some of my team-mates. There are some fun tales in there. I instead decided to share on here my poem that I wrote for the  Another Mother Runner  website. We were asked to write a short recap for the website, and keep it under 200 words. Since I had applied for the relay with a poem, I felt this was appropriate. Here is my poem, based on Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "How Do I Love Thee?"

How Do I Love Thee  Mother Runners? Let me count the ways…

How do I love thee Mother Runners? Let me count the ways.

I love thee with all my heart, you my sisters in sport

As far as my legs can run on dusty roads while white vans rumble by

For the laughter, support and passion that comes with running

In the dark of night with red blinking lights and Christmas lights on tutus.

I love thee as much as Cherry Limeade Nuun and tabouli salad made with c are.

Most quiet need, by sun and headlamps.

I love thee freely, as tightly as my compression socks squeeze my calves.

I love thee purely, as much as that communal shower cleansed me.

I love thee as I pass that sweaty slap bracelet

And as my quads ache from tearing down those hills.

I love thee with a love and an appreciation for the generosity of spirit

That is shared among us as we ventured together,

Smiles, dance parties at the finish---and if our paths should cross again,

I shall but love thee better as an Ultra Team in Ragnars to come!





Here's a few photos from my epic weekend. As they say, pictures are worth a thousand words. Enjoy!



 

Hot Mamas in Tough Girl Tutus Team Sarah

 

This about sums it up for me. Pure joy!! Special thanks to Sarah and Dimity for selecting me to be part of such a great event that I will never forget. Thanks to all the mother runners that I now have the pleasure of calling my friends. Thanks especially to my van mates, the ultimate Bad Ass Mother Runners: Bethany, Schuy, Terri, Jill and Sarah. You have all RETURNED WITH HONOR!

For more recaps from some of my team-mates, please check out these links:



http://seejainrun.wordpress.com/

http://www.runwifeyrun.com/ragnar-dc-recap-5-things-you-need-to-know-to-run-the-race/

http://michiganrunnergirl.com/my-michigan-running-story-jill-plamondon-tackles-ultras-an-epic-ragnar-relay-this-weekends-lighthouse-half-marathon-in-traverse-city/

http://anothermotherrunner.com/2013/10/09/ragnar-d-c-running-relay-races-recap-team-sarah/

http://anothermotherrunner.com/2013/10/07/ragnar-relay-d-c-race-report/

Charity Miles

In January of this year, I discovered the Smartphone app Charity Miles.  It seemed simple enough:upload the app on my phone, pick a charity to run for, turn it on when I start, turn it off when I'm done.  Each mile I run, 25 cents is donated to the charity of my choice.  It has become a regular habit of mine to use the app on my daily runs. 
  My charity of choice is almost always the Wounded Warrior Project. This charity is close to my heart, being an Army wife.  This charity helps Wounded Warriors and their families.  It is an easy way to give back to an organization that is helping so many people affected by the recent deployments. 
  What I like most about Charity Miles, other than the simplicity of using it, is that you have so many charities to choose from, including Every Mother Counts, Do Something.org, Habitat for Humanity, Ironman Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, ASPCA, Feeding America, Pencils for Promise, Partnership for a Healthier America, Achilles Int'l, WFP, Stand up 2 Cancer, (Red)to Benefit The Global Fund and Autism Speaks.  Everyone can find a charity that is close to their heart. 
  I recently watched this video which features Gene the founder of Charity Miles with his grandfather, who suffers from Parkinson's Disease.  Gene started this company in order to gain support from corporate sponsorships that will contribute to these charities.  I love their slogan #EveryMileMatters. Because it does. As a runner, I'm out there running anyway. Why not benefit a charity at the same time?
  Right now Charity Miles has the chance to have the opportunity of being chosen to have a commercial during the Super Bowl.  Click here to vote for them to get to the next round. 
I also hope you will be inspired to upload the app, and start earning your own Charity Miles.

Preparing for Ragnar DC

I am heading to Maryland in just a few days for an epic adventure:The Ultimate Mother Runner Showdown.  As I am starting to pack and prepare for my journey, I thought I would review a couple of products that the sponsors of this adventure had sent me recently.  So, of course, the obligatory disclaimer: Yes, these products were sent to me for free. I was not asked to promote these products, and all my opinions are my own.
  Two of the most recent products I received were the Ultimate Direction Hand-Held Fast-Draw Bottle and 110% Flat-Out Sox. 
  I was very happy to receive the Hand Held bottle because just recently I had lost my Amphipod one.  This sounds strange, but I think it went out with the recycling by accident.  I had received as a gift for my birthday, and I stored in our pantry, right above the recycling bin. Just a couple of months ago, it went missing! To tell you the truth, I wasn't a big fan of it because it always leaked while I was running. I had been looking for a replacement, and lucky me, I got it!
 The Ultimate Direction Bottle does not leak.  It holds 20 oz of fluid, has a "kicker valve" which takes a little practice to get used to. It involves squeezing, biting and sucking to get the liquid out. That sounds very suggestive, but I have no other way to describe it! I have gotten the hang of it, and the fact that it doesn't leak makes it all worth it. I like the tension-lock hand strap. I can adjust it so that it is tight and after a few minutes, you can forget it is even there.  There is a zippered pocket which has just enough room for my car key and a Gel.  And I love the color I received- Pink! That means there will be no "borrowing" of it by my boys and husband. Bonus!!
 

 

The second product I received were the Flat Sox from 110%PlayHarder.  I have been using the Compression Sleeves with Ice for at least a year now. They have helped my shin splints so much. I love putting these on when I get home from long runs. The fact that you can insert the ice sheets into the pockets of the calf sleeves is ingenious.  In the past, I have had to hold an ice pack to my shins, or tie a tea-towel around my leg to hold the ice.  I have loved these compression sleeves. Now I have the Compression socks and I have really liked the support they give for long runs.  I find the material very supportive and soft.  They are made of a wicking material, so sweating is kept to a minimum.  Not only do my shins feel supported, so do my feet and arches.  The only thing I think is missing from these socks is the ability to insert ice post-run.  It would be great to leave them on, put my feet up and insert ice right into the socks.  Instead, I have removed these, and then pulled on the compression sleeves with the ice pockets.  Not a big deal, they are a good compression sock.  I will definitely be wearing them for the Ragnar Relay during the runs and while waiting in the van. 

 Here's a photo of the socks I received:

You will be able to see me coming down the road with these reflective stripes!!

I will bringing both of these products with me to Ragnar.  Any body who is training for a long distance event would benefit from trying them out.  Now, it's time to start packing all my gear for the relay.  Cumberland, MD, here I come!!

 

Ultimate Mother Runner Showdown

One month from today, I will be in Cumberland, MD for an exciting adventure.  Back in June, I found out that I was selected to be on Sarah's Team from Another Mother Runner for the Ragnar DC Relay. I have been a fan of Sarah and Dimity's for years, starting when they were blogging for Runner's World about training for the Nike Women's Marathon in 2007.  I followed them along as they wrote about their training, and when poor Dimity developed a stress fracture that relegated her to cycling on her trainer in her basement to prepare for the race.  I could relate to these "mother runners" as they chronicled their daily struggles with balancing training with the demands of being a wife and mother.  When they wrote their first book "Run Like a Mother",

I was excited to read it and was not disappointed. Through their personal stories of running and training, I was able to commiserate and laugh along. The book offers really practical information about being a "mother runner"such as how to incorporate your running schedule in with your spouse, including a hilarious description of "Horizontal Sweat Sessions", which can ensure that your spouse will be more agreeable to you being gone for a 3 hour run on Saturday after "intimate cross-training" on Friday night. They also incorporated quotes from other mother runners that offered advice and also provided relatable tidbits of information.  They since have written another book "Train Like a Mother" which I have found very useful.  The book offers several training plans for beginner runners, all the way up to a "Own it Plan" for the marathon.  I have used the training plans for the half and full marathon, and found it to be very helpful.  They also offer advice about nutrition for runners, cross-training and strength training advice and setting realistic goals for racing.
  Sarah and Dimity also have a busy Facebook page, web site, and one of my favorites, weekly podcasts.  I look forward to having a new podcast every Monday morning as I head out for my run.  Most recently, they interviewed Lauren Fleshman. Lauren is a pro runner who also just happens to be a fellow Oiselle runner.  She is also a new mom, and it was interesting hearing her take on running while pregnant, and postpartum.  She also offered many great tips on staying motivated during tough workouts and when set backs happen. If you're looking for a great running podcast, check out AMR Radio! You will not be disappointed. And if you're looking for some motivational running tops, check out their AMR Store. One of my favorites is the lifestyle tee "It's All Good. I Ran Today". Pretty much sums it up for me.
  Anyway, back to the Relay.  I was thrilled and honored to be selected to run on Sarah's Team (which will be known as Badass Mother Runners at the race).  It will be the Ultimate Mother Runner Showdown with a friendly competition to see if Sarah or Dimity's team makes it first to the finish line in Washington, DC.  Some of the ladies selected have been very active on Facebook, and we have been getting to know each other in preparation for the race.  We are all "mother runners" and fans of Sarah and Dimity's, coming together to run, laugh and chat.  And optimistically, sleep a couple of hours in the 24-30 hours we spend in the vans! As I found out with the Ragnar Relay NWP, these relays can be quite a bonding experience.
 As well as the fun of running the Ragnar Relay with the ladies, there is some great swag involved as part of being selected to be part of the teams: (as taken from the AMR website)

A rundown of what each relay runner will receive:
 Nuun: tasty hydration in non-sticky, super-convenient tablets (and sponsor of Ragnar)
 110% Flat Out Sox: squeezy gradient compression socks to keep your legs fresh and kicky
 Saucony: sampling of products from our fave running company
Sof Sole: custom-to-your-arch Fit insoles for cradle-like support
 AMR Top: to-be-determined (and designed) tank or shirt for our kickass teams
 Skinfare: organic, healing balms that soothe chafe, chapped lips and everything in between
 Ragnar: an entry to the mother runner version of the Amazing Race
NuttZo: delish organic nut- and seed-butters that are brimming with healthy, good stuff Hyland’s: Calms Forte, our must-have homeopathic sleep aid, and Muscle Therapy Gel with Arnica

As of today, I have received most of these prizes in the mail, and I have to tell you, it's been like Christmas. All these sponsors have been so generous, and it has been great sampling all these products.  I will have a more detailed post soon, with raves of some of my favorites. 
 For now, I continue to train for my second Ragnar Relay.  I have been assigned Runner #5, which means I run a total of 15.1 miles over the 3 legs.  There are some serious climbs in this relay, so I have been working on my hill repeats.  Luckily, living here in central PA, there are plenty of rolling hills.  No matter what, I know this weekend will be one to remember.

I am ready for a J-O-B! (Maybe)

So, I have been MIA in blogging lately. Last week I sat for my ACE Fitness Certified Personal Trainer Exam.  The 2 weeks prior, I studied like a maniac, trying to review everything I had studied since January.  Every spare minute was dedicated to studying whilst also having the kids home full-time. (School just started this Monday for 2/3 kids. Preschooler is home with me for another 2 weeks). I was pretty stressed, completely worried that I wouldn't pass the exam.  Failing was not an option as far as I was concerned. I had invested enough time and money into this that I didn't want to have to start over again.  So, that was my focus.  I am fortunate to have a husband who is completely supportive of me, and was able to help out as much as possible during the last couple weeks.  That included cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, and keeping the kids out of my hair as much as possible. That, on top of working full-time, was a challenge for him. But I so appreciated it, and I feel that I would not have been successful without all his help and support. I am truly blessed to have a supportive spouse.
  So, yes, I did pass!! I drove to Harrisburg to take the exam at a testing center.  It took me almost 3 hours to complete the multiple choice exam.  It was challenging, and covered much of what I had studied.  I was relieved to see several questions that were "easy" and I was able to answer without hesitation.  There were a few, though, that it was difficult to distinguish the "best answer".  I tried to go with my first instinct, but did backtrack a couple of times.  I will never know what the right answer is, since you don't get to see the answers to your test afterwards, and to tell you the truth, all the questions went right out of my head as soon as I clicked on "Submit" on the exam.  What a relief to see that I had passed!
  Now the question is, what do I do with my certification?  I have been pondering that since I left Harrisburg that day.  I am also a Registered Nurse, but have not practiced since I was pregnant with my second child (11 years ago).  Ideally, I would like to incorporate Nursing and Personal Training together.  That could include being a "Wellness Educator", or something along those lines.  Currently, I have a couple of opportunities lined up.  In September, I will start coaching a "Running 101" program through the local YMCA.  I will be a run coach, with beginner runners preparing for a 5K race on Thanksgiving.  I am also starting a running group with the local running store. We will meet on Saturday mornings to do long runs together. 
  Neither of these are permanent jobs, but they are a start.  They are two opportunities to give me some experience and will hopefully lead me to another job.  I am also going to a Job Fair tomorrow, hoping to find some more opportunities. 
  I am excited for this new opportunity.  I am thrilled to finally find out what I want to do, my "passion". I am looking forward to help and inspire others to live a healthy life.

Are you happy with your chosen profession?
Do you ever think about trying something new? What stops you?

J'aime beaucoup: Oiselle HQ

 While I was in Seattle post-Ragnar NWP, I had the privilege and honor to visit Oiselle headquarters.  Some of the Oiselle ladies in the area were meeting at Green Lake across the street to enjoy some post-Ragnar Jasyoga with Erin, yogi extraordinaire.  As it was a bit misty and chilly outdoors, we decided to move indoors.  Which led us to the headquarters of Oiselle. So exciting for me, since I have been a fan of this company for more than a year, and was selected to be part of their ambassador program (now called Oiselle Volée ) last October.  Before I headed to the West Coast, I had received an email from Kristin, the team manager, to let me know that I once again had been selected to continue on for another year. Yay me! And Yay Oiselle!
  It almost seemed surreal to me to enter the place that I had seen online so often since stalking following this company. Meeting some of the ladies was also a bit unreal to me.  You follow people through twitter and read their blogs, and start to feel like you know them is some strange, (maybe creepy?) way.  Meeting them in real life seems easier and seamless.  Sharing the bond of the Oiselle team definitely connects us. 
 As does doing yoga with a bunch of (virtual, now real) friends.  We chatted for a few minutes, then got set up for a great yoga session with Erin.  We worked on stretching glutes, hamstrings, hips and calves.  All the tight areas from sitting in a van for 30 plus hours and running many miles in between.  We ended the session with one of my personal favorites, legs up the wall.  The time just flew by, and by the end I was feeling very relaxed and felt like I had really worked out the kinks.  Just what I needed!
 But one of the greatest surprises to me was the appearance of Mama Bird herself, Sally Bergesen .  She is the Founder and CEO of Oiselle.  I was not expecting to see her appear on a Sunday morning, but there she was.  I was honored to meet her in person, and she agreed to take a photo with me.

What a nice way to cap off my visit to the PNW! Thanks Sally!
  And Sally also took this great picture of all the ladies at Yoga:

 

back row, left to right: Me, Morena, Sarah, Julie, Nolana

front row: Robyn, Erin and Jackie

 

And, to add to all the excitement, I also won the drawing for a free t-shirt from Jasyoga! How cool is that? 





So, now that I had a great yoga class, met a group of fantastic woman, and won a free t-shirt, what was next?  Sarah was nice enough to offer to drive me back downtown to where I was staying, and we decided to stop off for a coffee first.  We had a great conversation, getting to know each other better.  She then suggested we take a walk around Green Lake, since the weather had improved considerably. It was now warmer, and sunnier. So nice! (Sarah, and the weather)

 We took a nice stroll around Green Lake, talking about Oiselle, marathon training, our families, etc. She also gave me some great suggestions on how to spend my last afternoon in Seattle. After taking a couple of photos, she drove me back to my hotel. 

 How cute is Sarah? Such a sweet spirit, inside and out! So glad I got to meet her.
  Once arriving back at my hotel, and after arranging for my shuttle to the train which would take me to the airport later in the day, I headed to the waterfront and the market area of Seattle. It was a gorgeous, sunny day. I loved walking around, taking photos, riding the Ferris Wheel and eating lunch at Beecher's  and buying souvenirs to take home for my family.  I also stumbled upon Post Alley by accident and saw the The Gum Wall. Yeah, could have done without that, being the germaphobe that I am! Yuck!
  After a fun filled afternoon, it was time to head back to the hotel, and then to the airport. 
 This trip was better than even my best expectations.  I enjoyed the Ragnar Relay, meeting all the great Nuun people, other bloggers, the Oiselle team members, Erin from Jasyoga, and of course, Sally. Special thanks to Nuun Hydration and Oiselle for making my trip to the PNW so wonderful!