Bird Camp Recap .... FINALLY!

WOW!!!  I really do not think I can put into words what an amazing experience and opportunity going to Bend, Oregon  and being at Bird Camp with Oiselle was!  Life changing for sure!

First of all this was my very first time EVER flying/travelling alone!  I know I have lived a sheltered life...LOL.  Second,  this was my first time leaving my kids and hubby for that long.  Once I got to the airport and on the plane I was excited about this adventure!

Looks a lot different from Delaware!

There are so many reasons why I love Oiselle and everything that the company means/stands for ... The perfect word to express the bond that I immediately felt is .. Sisterhood!!  Here I am flying across the country by myself .. going to a unfamiliar place and meeting a group of women I have never met before in my life at the airport in Portland and yet they all welcomed me in and we immediately hit it off!   When we got to camp we were just in time for dinner and everyone was super friendly and inviting.  I LOVE that we all had special name tags!!

I expected to feel a little uncomfortable and nervous but honestly I NEVER once felt that way!!  I got to meet my amazing roommate Victoria :

She is such a fabulous woman and friend!  Instantly we bonded and I knew it was going to be a great match!  Oh yeah and this super ROCK STAR woman Lauren Fleshman!!!  Talk about a class act of a person .. She is a stellar athlete, an Olympian, amazing mother and instant friend ... She brought us into her home of Bend, OR and treated us all like family!  I cannot say enough about her and how much she inspires me to reach my goals and dreams!!  Here is a pic of Lauren showing us the trails:

Our second roomie Suzie B.  joined us on Thursday and I feel in love with her right away!  We definitely hit the roommate jackpot!

Okay this is so hard to condense into one post so I will give you my favorite memories!  Trails, TRAILS and more trails ... I am now completely addicted to trail running and definitely need to explore more areas.  There is something so freeing about running and being surrounded by nature and all of its beauty.  No cars, no horns, no red lights ... just you and the trail!

Whoa .. steps to help get up the hills

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Snow capped mountain

I was tempted by this rope swing into the river!!  I would never want to be inside if I lived here.  The air is crisp and fresh .. the river is clear and clean .. I am in love!

We all loaded up in 2 buses and went to run the Deschutes Brewery 5K!  As I have said before the 5K distance absolutely terrifies me .. I have a love for distance running and the speed of the 5K really intimidates me.  But with this amazing and supportive group my outlook was completely changed!  I had a blast and loved every step of the race ... and the beer afterward!

Strong, beautiful flock of birds!

Also going on in Bend was the Bend Brewfest!!  I know my hubby would have loved to be a part of this .. NOT so much the running!

After the race and cheering on my teammates .. Lauren took us on a quick shakeout/cool down run around the river!  GORGEOUS is all I can say!

Then we re-hydrated with a few brews!  Looking fly!

Saturday we went to Smith Rock ... Holy breath taking views!  I have never seen anything like this before in my life:

Smith Rock is a rock climbers dream and a runners play ground!

LF giving us the details about the variety of trails and varying levels of difficulty.

I went with a 6 mile run with breath taking scenery and even better company!

Thank goodness I had my Mizuno Wave Kazan trail shoes with me!!!  They really got a lot of mileage put on them in Oregon and they felt great .. light weight yet super supportive on the different terrain!

I seriously could have explored ALL day here in Smith Rock.  We even had lunch and I enjoyed chatting and getting to know more of my teammates!

Sunday we did a long run along the Deschutes River trail and I am soooo thankful for these two wonderful women:

Susie and Darnelle!!!  We ran to the Benham Falls ( which were absolutely amazing )and back for a total of 16 miles.  I am so grateful for having the time to bond and learn more about these two rock star runners!!

Fellow birds along the way who took a detour!

And I am so proud I only fell once on the trails!! Woohoo!

We jumped in the river post run for a nice cool down and modified ice bath on our legs!  This felt incredible!

LOVE this pic!

We NEVER went hungry at camp and they proved us with the most delicious, healthy and fresh foods!  We even had Brew Dr. Kombucha: 

I have been seriously craving this since I got back home and have not found a kombucha that stands up to it here in DE!

And to wrap up camp Oiselle threw the best party complete with tacos, beer, a band and DONUTS!!! 

Other major camp experiences include Jasyoga ( taught me so much and helped me RESET and relax ), Jay Dicharry ( PT extraordinaire ), Stephanie Howe (  female winner of the Western States 100 mile race and Sports Nutritionist ),  Linsey Corbin ( Professional Triathlete), Kate Grace ( LOVE HER, she is a super star runner and amazing person ), form drills and activation exercises and PICKY BARS!!! ... So much talent, amazing advice and life lessons learned!!!!


I saved the best for last:

Kristin Metcalf .. LOVE her!  She is such a big part of Oiselle and to finally meet her in person and get to experience just how awesome she is was priceless!!!  THANK YOU for everything you do!

Dr. Sarah Lesko:  UMMM how the heck did I not get a picture with Lesko??  Epic fail on my part!  Anyway ... Lesko I another HUGE part of Oiselle and I am so honored to have had the chance to meet her, chat with her and learn from her!!!

Sally Bergesen:  Momma Bird herself!!!  She is my idol and I am so lucky to be a part of her dream!  She is the Founder and CEO of Oiselle and the most down to earth, friendly, supportive, positive woman you will ever meet!!!  Thank You for EVERYTHING!!!

I really cannot cover all the fabulous things that we did and experienced during this trip .. but I can tell you it was exactly what my life needed!!!

Happy Running!

Oiselle Bird Camp!!!

Hello there!!!  Our summer has been pretty amazing so far and tomorrow it get even better for me.  I will be leaving the East Coast and heading to the West Coast for camp.  Yup... this camp is going to be spectacular!  I will be with a ton of my Oiselle teammates and surrounded by amazing female athletes from all over the US.  This will be my first time flying by myself and being by myself EVER!  I am going to miss these boys so bad:

And this guy:

But I know I will have an amazing experience and I cannot wait!!

I am almost completely packed and I have all my Oiselle gear but my Marty Bikini top is missing!!!  What the heck ... in a house full of boys I doubt one of them borrowed it.  We all have been searching hi and low and fingers crossed we find it!

See y'all when I get back!!

Happy Running!

Base Miles and Beach Life!

I love summer running!  It may be HOT and HUMID but for me the past 2 months have been filled with stress free miles and just enjoying the distance.  I have kept my weekly mileage between 35-45 miles with some weight lifting and cross training mixed in there too.   I am lucky to have the chance to spend a lot of my time down the beach with my boys and getting in some awesome beach running.

My trusty Mizuno Wave Rider 17's are coming to see their final miles but I absolutely love them and will keep them for cross training!  We have had an amazing ride together!

MY FAV Oiselle running top!!

 I love summer running because you can just throw on a tank top and shorts, lace up and go!  This is by far my favorite running top EVER!

One of the many beautiful sights on my beach running adventures!  I get up early and run before my little ones are even awake so I can enjoy moments like this with them:

Future GQ!

 My little outdoor lover!  He is always looking for an adventure.

My oldest son LOVES the ocean and he will stay out in the water jumping waves and boogie boarding for hours!  He was a little worn out in the below picture:

LOVE these moments and staying active with my boys ... we have had some serious paddle ball, football, lacrosse, and sandcastle building happening on this beach!

Running and fitness are a huge part of my life but honestly I would not be who I am today without my family and friends ... When I am not in "training mode"  I am reminded of these facts!

Spending the 4th of July with my family and friends ... Relaxing, eating and drinking!

MY AMAZING PARENTS and Jen's dad George!  I wish I had more pictures from our intense kickball game but we had so much fun and look forward to next years game!

CRAZY KICKBALL KIDS

Fall marathon training will start for me in the next few weeks so I will be getting back into more purposeful miles and my intensity will kick into high gear but for now I am enjoy the break.

Happy Running!

SNEAK PEAK:

My feet have found a new love for trail running!!!  Mizuno Wave Kazan ....... #LOVE

Summer Snacks and Healthy Eats ...

We have had some pretty awesome weather around here so far and have enjoyed going to the pool, beach and bay.  Since we are constantly on the go I have been trying to stock up on healthy snacks and treats for both myself and the boys.  It is definitely easy to just grab junk but then I feel like crap after eating it so I wanted to share with y'all some of the things I am loving right now!

1.  Almond Butter ... On EVERYTHING!!  I love the crunchy/raw kind and eat it on celery, apples, toast with honey, bananas or mix a spoon full in non-fat Greek yogurt!

2. Guacamole .... I am obsessed with avocados and also eat them plain but I love to make guacamole!!  I use carrots, cucumbers, celery or multi grain chips to scoop up the deliciousness!

3. Hummus ... Once again fresh veggies to scoop it up!

4.  Fresh fruit .. I love to freeze grapes, blueberries and mango to take on to the beach with me!  SOOOO refreshing and the kids love it too!

5.  Healthy snacks like this trail mix here .. or I will make my own sweet trail mix that the kids absolutely devour!

6.  Chia Squeeze!  So simple, easy and nutrient packed!

7.  Quick summer salads ... this one is a Quinoa, Wheat berry and Brown Rice Salad.

8.  Dried Fruit ... this helps with the sweet tooth and sugar craving that I get!

                           

9.  Kind Bars!!!  We are LOVING these right now!  So clean and natural ... there is no excuse to eat junk when you can grab on of these bars:

Most of the time I am literally finishing up a run/workout then throwing on a bathing suit and packing up to head out for the day with the kids:

So these are all simple and easy healthy options that we love plus I always make sure my boys have their sandwiches ( I use natural PB and honey or strawberry jam ) .. luckily they are not horribly picky eaters!
And of course we splurge on our beach treats also:

MMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Checkout Real Food Period for tons of healthy quick food!  Chef Debbie has a ton of yummy quick summer salads and meals waiting for you.

Hope you are enjoying your summer!

What are your favorite summer snacks??

Happy Running!

School's Out, REAL FOOD period, and Running Slump..

Summertime has officially started and we could not be more excited!!  We started off with a big Kindergarten Graduation on Thursday followed by the end of school for my oldest on Friday:

On Friday I was able to run with Dawn and FINALLY catch up with her and all her new beginnings!  We ran 10 miles of hills & more hills with a few fast paced miles.  This was a great run and even better company.  Dawn just opened an amazing store in Middletown with so many delicious and HEALTHY choices!  My dear friend Debbie is the chef there and let me tell ya she is uber talented!!  I got a quick sneak peak on Friday before the official opening on Saturday so I had to sneak a few pics to share!  PLEASE go check this amazing store out ... you will be hooked!

Look at all the choices!!!

Then we packed up and went to our favorite place:

Rere and Poppop's beach place!

There is something so relaxing and special about beach running!  I LOVE it ... We are so lucky to have our family all together and enjoy the beach.

My aunt and uncle came down and brought our cousin Aidan with them ..  He and my boys had a blast and of course had to show off their muscles!

I got up early and did a nice 10 mile run from Fenwick to Bethany and back ... It was the best weather for a run then a quick dip in the ocean:

Followed by some planking:  His and Hers style!

I have definitely been in a running slump lately since I am currently not training for anything right now.  I tend to overdue it when I am not following a training plan ... so I am trying to focus more on core work, weight training and speed training instead of high junk miles.  We shall see how it goes!!

This week I have done :
Sunday 10 miles in 72:04 .. core work!
Monday:  7.25 miles of speed work:  2 mile warm-up @ 8:12 pace followed by 1x1600m @ 6:38, 10x400m @ 1:27- 1:31 all with a 60 second recovery in between and a cool down!
Tuesday:  15 minutes on the stairmonster then BodyPump!
Wednesday:  9.2 miles with 4 mile steady pace of  7:50 then 4 miles quick pace 6:48 with a 1.2 mile cool down!

Now we are off to Real Food Period for some delicious food!


Happy Running!