Healthy Chicks

As you know, last week I officially Reached the Beach on New Balance’s media team #NBGirlsRunBeta. I couldn’t be more proud of myself doing something that scares me, and really stepping (well, running!) outside my comfort zone.

You can check out this super-sweet video to get an idea what it was like to spend 48 hours in a van running 200 miles with my teammates. It was pretty freakin’ fabulous if you ask me!

Here’s a full recap of the action-packed, energizing 3 days I spent with my team:

Tours of New Balance HQ + Factory {all day Thursday}

I woke up bright & early Thursday to kick off the incredible weekend of go-go-go! First stop: New Balance’s brand new Headquarters in Brighton.The team recently moved down the street, and their new office is absolutely stunning (it’s part of the brand-new Boston Landing Development.)

Their offices are fully equipped with a show-room, cafe, coffee shop and everything you could ask for! After munching on some egg sandwiches & organic cold-brew coffee, it was time to set out to to our next step.

We squeezed into our van, and set out to tour the NB factory in Lawrence!

While there, we got to see the entire process of how the sneakers are made — from start to finish. It was wild to see how a little bit of fabric and leather transforms into a beautiful sneaker. It was super impressive to see how quick & efficient the employees worked — you could tell everyone really loves what they do (that’s oh so important)!

Our group got to see a sneak peek into some future innovations, and learn about the technology that goes into the creative process. We were even taken into the “Smash Room” where they test to see the type of resistance a shoe can withhold on all sorts of surfaces from a mock basketball court to real turf. Super cool indeed!

After a yummy lunch (I had salad from Panera), we climbed back into the van to get on the road!

Our Beautiful (but Haunted!) Hotel {5:00PM Thursday night}

First stop: Market Basket! We stocked up on all the essentials from wipies and car fresheners to bananas and peanut butter. We also snuck in a few not-so-healthy items like cheez-its, chips and even gummy bears. Hey, you never know what crazy, over-tired runners may crave!

After our very intense grocery trip (our van went a little overboard!) we set off to the Omni Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods.

While on our way there, one of our teammates Karla let us know that the hotel is haunted, as she just saw it featured on one of those ghost-hunter shows. We did a little research, and found out that the haunted room was 314. (It belonged to the woman who owned the hotel.) All of us were giggling, but I was dead serious: I did not want that room!

Once we got to the hotel, we were given our room assignments and crazy enough, our teammate Jess was given room #314! WHAT?! She ended up bunking up with another runner, and we decided to throw our video guy Ian in the haunted room. Turns out not too much went down, although he did say when he checked in, the TV and lights were all on — creepy!

After the haunted shenanigans, we had some much-needed down time, where I explored the hotel grounds which were absolutely gorgeous! I ended up hunkering down on a comfy chair with a gorgeous view of the mountains. Not too shabby!

Team Dinner {7:30 PM Thursday night}

After some R & R, it was time to fuel up for the big race! We were invited to a lovely buffet-style family dinner at The Lodge at Bretton Woods with all the other New Balance teams. I enjoyed a tiny glass of red wine, and filled my plate up with chicken, veggies, mashed potatoes, salad and a little bitt of pasta. I also drank lotssss of water. Gotta get that H2O!

The New Balance team played a video from last year’s race, and got everyone amped up for this year’s! Each team was even given specially made tees based on their team name. What a sweet surprise!

While lots of folks were ready to party, team #NBGirlsRunBeta wanted to hit the hay so we head home to get some sleep for our early-morning wakeup call.

Van 1 Takes Off! {6:30AM Friday}

We woke up bright & early to cheer on our first runner — Karla — at the start! I loved all the energy going on, even at such an early point in the day. I knew we were in for a long day of lots of excitement!

{Let’s go Karla!}

Karla pretty much had to run straight up a mountain (no joke!) and our team was super proud of her for rockin’ it.

My 3 Legs {8:30AM Friday, 8:30PM Friday, 8:30AM Saturday}

Karla was followed by Kylie and Carrie, and then I was up as runner #4! I was a bit nervous since I was warned my run would be straight down-hill and I didn’t want to hurt myself early on, but it ended up being much better than I anticipated.

I crushed the easy 2.9 miler with a 8.5 minute/mi pace, and soaked in the beautiful views along the way!

My two other runs weren’t as smooth as the first; in fact they were labeled as “hard” in the RTB info book. My toughest run was my night run — super hilly 6.5 miler! Running in the dark (my initial fear) wasn’t the problem, but the hills definitely took a toll on my body and mindset. Once I hit the halfway point, my adrenaline kicked in and I kept telling myself, “I can do this! Only a 5K left!”

My team stopped a few miles in to see if I was OK, and I kept on trucking along! My dad’s team also came out and found me in the middle of one of the painful hills. Knowing they were close by and rooting me on definitely helped keep my spirits high.

{cheesing with our videographer Ian before my night run…all geared up!}

The last of my legs was a 5.7 miler the next morning. While it was still before 10:00am, the heat and humidity was super strong! My tummy also started feeling a bit funny, so this run was a tough start. After the first mile, my body was feeling good and I started to get in the groove. I can’t tell you how good it felt to turn my last corner and slap that bracelet onto Jess…I was officially finished with my legs!

My total mileage? 15.1, which is the most miles I’ve ever ran in a 24-hour period. GO ME! 🙂

Van Excursions + Everything in Between

When Van 1 finished their legs, we were able to relax for several hours before it was our turn to run again! During this time, we went out to breakfast to a super cute diner (Sunrise Bowl all the way!), ventured to a beautiful park with a lake that literally looked like Aruba, took a nap in a sleeping bag in the park, and visited New Balance’s Tent City for some much needed sleep at night.

But by far the coolest part about doing a relay race is that you have your whole team behind you, cheering you on and acting as your support system. When you spend two days in a van together, you get to know your team pretty well! I miss these girls already so much, and they each brought something unique to the table.

Carrie from New Balance is super sweet & she even brought homemade rice crispy peanut butter treats for our team to enjoy! Not to mention she was our designated “Van Mom” and driver. Seriously, what would we do without her? Jess took one for the team and traded (long) legs with the lovely Kylie because she had been training for her half marathon!  She also kept my nerves down since we’re Boston blogger pals! Karla was my #1 cheerleader — she not only led the van by being runner #1, but she was always there for me with a water bottle, a hug, or a high-five when I finished my runs. I loved her energy + positive attitude throughout the race!

Dani was a ray of sunshine, and also ran the most miles in our van…mind you in the HOT weather. But she kept it cool, ran in a sparkly skirt and made everyone laugh the whole way through. Not to mention she’s a speedster, and huge inspiration to all! Kylie was absolutely adorable, and also my main nap buddy. She’s super cool and works for Shape magazine, so it was fun hearing about her day-in-the-life in NYC.

And while we didn’t get to spend as much time with the Van 2 ladies as I’d like, it was a pleasure getting to know them along the journey. Ashley ran the most miles of us all — thanks for taking one for the team! She’s also a RTB graduate, so she filled us in on the ins & outs of the race so we knew what to expect. Marla was a major champ, as she rolled her ankle on her first run but charged through like a pro…girl’s unbelievable! Mary from New Balance was “Van Mom” #2, and took great care of our group all weekend. She’s such a badass and was so supportive of the whole crew (not to mention super organized)!

Sashea was our final runner, and such a sweet gal! We walked each other to our room’s at the hotel after we got spooked by the haunted stories 😉 Meg works for Self magazine a.k.a. my younger self’s dream job. I had a great time getting to know her and soaking up the mountain views together before dinner on Night 1! Last but not least Evann was such a sweetheart — she’s one of those girls you feel like you’ve known forever, and super easy to chat with. Lots of love for all you ladies!

Reaching the Beach! {3:00PM Saturday}

At 3ish on Saturday afternoon, it was finally time to REACH THE EFFIN BEACH! Our team gathered at Hampton Beach to cheer in our last runner Sashea as she brought it on home for #NBGirlsRunBeta. Once she got to her final stretch, us ladies joined in so we could cross the finish line just as we started: together. It was such a wonderful feeling, and it felt so good to be around such supportive, strong, positive women!

We reached the beach. We did it together.

Huge shout out to New Balance for giving me this incredible opportunity; it was truly a once in a lifetime experience I will never forget! Note: New Balance sponsored me to take part in Reach the Beach, however as always all opinions are my own.