Ever since joining the Volee in 2014, I looked forward to going to Seattle and seeing where Oiselle was "born", so to speak. Then, they opened their flagship store and I knew that I definitely needed to trek out to the Pacific Northwest. So when Oiselle announced last November that they were doing a race called Tenacious 10 in Seattle on April 22nd, I knew I had to make it out there!

Tenacious 10 had a 10K or 10 Mile option. I figured since I was going all the way out there, I would go big and do the 10 Mile. There was also a VIP option that included special treats after the race, a Flyte Tank and a pair of Roga Shorts that was only $25 (I think?) more than the basic registration - SOLD!

The luggage tag says it all! (and matches my new Away suitcase!)

I shared a hotel room with Lauren, another Bird from MKE. We stayed at the Watertown Hotel, which was where packet pick-up was located. The room was beautiful and had a gorgeous view of the mountains, which could be seen on the days the skies were clear!

We really lucked out with the weather - while we did have intermittent rain, the day before the race as well as race day had clear skies for most of the day! It did pour rain the day we arrived and the day we left.

After we dropped our luggage off at the Watertown, we headed to the University Village shopping center to have pizza (Lauren suggested Elemental Pizza, which was AMAZING!) and to visit the Oiselle Flagship Store.

The store is so much fun! The ladies who work there are super friendly and helpful (they put up with us talking nonstop - pretty sure we were borderline delirious at that point), even grabbing our VIP bags for us!

Obligatory Head Up Wings Out wing-selfie!

Lauren and I each picked up a few things, including the Mio Mesh dress in slate (so gorgeous) and a beautiful bracelet made locally that benefits a local charity. The store also carries Stance socks, one style of Patagonia Black Hole backpacks, Sun Bum products, and the JasYoga Hit Reset book.

                 Packet Pick-Up at the hotel.              Lauren helped Lesko bring in this mirror.

Packet pick-up was in a conference room just off the lobby of the hotel. Race registration included a Tenacious 10 trucker hat and when registering, you had the option to order a t-shirt (thank god it wasn't a tech shirt, I have enough to have another shirt quilt made!). Some of the Oiselle employees also had set up a merchandise area with some exclusive shirts/designs that weren't on the website yet, including shirts that represented each of the parks in the Seattle area. I picked up one for myself and one for B.

                           So excited to be in SEA!                   Sally is admiring Lauren's sparkly Converse!

Packet pick-up was a breeze and after we grabbed our stuff (and spent some more money, because, DUH!) we headed out to find some delicious food. I was amazed that the wide variety of food that we could find pretty much anywhere we went.

I have a cousin who lives in Seattle and his sister was in town from Australia and his parents were in town from Colorado, so I went out to dinner with all of them and had such a great time catching up - it has beed years since I've seen any of them.

                               Shirt, bib, and trucker hat.            All registrants also got Get Tenacious temporary tats!

Race morning!

The race started and ended at GasWorks Park. It was easy to get to and relatively close to the hotel, although we did Uber to and from the park. 

Gear Check was very easy - they gave you a tag to fill out with your name and bib number on it, then put it inside a box truck and you could retrieve right after the race.

The ladies of Oiselle led a warm-up beforehand, but I was busy catching up with some people and honestly wasn't paying attention.

#OiselleWI ladies in the PNW! Sheila, myself, and Lauren.

The weather at the start was perfect - the sun was out but it was still in the high 50's/low 60's. I decided to wear my Pro Kit knickers and was comfortable, although during the 2-mile out and back, the sun was out in full force and it was a little warm. Then, I was wishing I would have worn shorts!

Mile 5/6, feeling good!

The course gave a beautiful tour of the city of Seattle, including running around Lake Union. There was a 2 mile out and back that was right next to some railroad tracks that was less than picturesque but what can ya do.

The aid stations were well-spaced out and full of happy, cheering volunteers In fact, I feel like most of the course had spectators and cheer stations, which was really awesome and motivational.

Finished!

1:40:40

The Finish Line was full of energy and I love that the medal is a cow bell (more cowbell, always!).

Since I've never run a 10-mile race before, love that my time was an automatic PR. Definitely going back next year to see if I can beat my time!

 

                       VIP Perk: Tenacious Ten donuts!                  Showing off my medal in front of Lake Union.

After the race, we hung out for a little while then headed back to the hotel. While Lauren and I started walking, we ended up ordering an Uber to take us back since both of us were a little sore. 

The two of us decided to take a nap before heading to The Nest for a tour and little hangout session.

It all started....

Being able to see The Nest and connect with some of these women who I've only had contact through social media with was so cool! I got to meet Jill, who is one of the Oiselle Muse ladies and flew all the way from Hawaii for this race. She is an inspiring and amazing person - more info on her here!

I didn't want to take tons of pictures (trying to be respectful of their space) but being in the place where all these ideas and camaraderie come to life was so inspiring.

Um, Unicorn beer?! YES!

In the evening, we went to Optimism Brewery for a Tenacious Ten After-Party that Oiselle hosted. The beer was awesome and the company was even better! Got to hang with Sally, Lesko, Feather, and Britney Henry as well as some of the Midwest O ladies who were in town.

There was also an awesome food truck outside that had AMAZING burgers and fries.

After the brewery, we hit up a club that was 1 block away and partied it up with Sally, Lesko, their BroBirds, and other respective ladies from The Nest! It was weird sitting in a VIP area and being served champagne, but I wasn't mad at it!

More cowbell. Always more cowbell.

I had such an amazing time exploring Seattle and connecting with more Oiselle ladies. This race is definitely on my list of races to do again next year!

Fore information on Tenacious 10, check out their website.

I'm absolutely loving my Away luggage so far! A review after I return from Ireland is in the works, but if you're interested in trying them out, you can save $20 with this link :)