Oiselle Flight Friday ~ Set A Goal

Oiselle Flight Fridays!



First, the basics:

Who is Oiselle?
From their website:
Oiselle is a Seattle-based women's athletic apparel company that believes in the transformative power of sport and its ability to inspire strength, courage, and sisterhood. We live and breathe the sport of running, and we live and breathe the art of apparel design. In both, we seek quality and innovation. And to know that everything we do supports women who want to move, run, and fly.

I'm a recent joinee to the flock, running for the Oiselle Volee Team. This is a team made up of runners from all over the country, from your Average Jill like me all the way up to Olympians like Kara Goucher. Oiselle (pronounced Wa-Zell) is an athletic apparel company specializing in women's running gear that is designed by and for women. This stuff is the real deal and the company is not only committed to providing the best gear on the market: they are all about growing a culture of strong women. My kind of company! In my new series Oiselle Flight Fridays, I'll be bringing you one of the seven Principles of Flight from the Oiselle Volee Flight Manual each Friday. I'll also be reviewing a piece of Oiselle gear with each of the seven principles.

Oiselle Flight Manual. 

Last week was all about the first principle: Build The Sisterhood. You can read my overview of that one by CLICKING HERE, but I also wanted to share this little image that my Mother-In-Law had on Facebook this past week. I think it really fits with the message of building the sisterhood!


This week, I'm going over the 2nd Principle of Flight from the Flight Manual: Set A Goal, and also telling you all about my Embossed Roga Shorts!

So, without further ado, here's what the Flight Manual states:

2. Set A Goal
Athletic, personal, realistic, or wild and dreamy. We seek big accomplishments on significant stages and we define what those are for ourselves. No matter the speed or goal, the effort is marked by a willingness to see what's possible--to go fast, take chances. 

Photo taken of the Set A Goal page from the Oiselle Flight Manual.

I'll be honest and say that goal-setting is not the easiest thing for me. I have a history of not giving myself enough credit or not believing in myself enough to set very challenging goals. My goals tend to be centered on small measures of progress and are often only very loosely defined, maybe not even measurable. Typically, I have goals like: "I will be better in this race than my last race." Better how? Faster? Feel better? Have more fun? Wha...? 

Or, I'll make a quantifiable goal that's probably too easy for me to fail at. Like-- I will build up to being able to hold a plank for one minute. Ok. Nailed it. On like, day two of the thirty-day challenge. Did that really feel like something worth celebrating?

Last winter before the running and racing season really got going for me, my husband asked me what my goals were for my running and fitness for the summer. I think I said something vague like, "I don't know... I just want to do a lot of races." He said, "I think you should do a triathlon," which is something I've always had in the back of my mind to do, but instead of agreeing with him, I found reasons why I couldn't train for a tri. "We don't live near a pool..." and "I don't have a road bike..." Again, I let self-doubt get in the way of setting goals for myself. Others believe in me, but why do I struggle sometimes to believe in myself?

That is why it is so huge for me that I set a goal in the middle of February to hold 5K On the Farm. I made it official at our annual Montana Farmers Union Women's Conference by telling a room full of women that I would do it. Even as the words came out of my mouth, I wasn't sure if I believed myself. But, I kept it in my mind, and talked it over with Jeff several times. Then, in June we decided on a date and made it really, REALLY official.

We are now less than two weeks away from Race Day. We have 40 registrations for the race, as of this morning. You can sign up by clicking here: https://runsignup.com/Race/MT/Inverness/5KOnTheFarm
My goal is to have at least 50 people and I think we'll hit that. I waffle back and forth between-- "Wow! I'm DOING this and it's REALLY HAPPENING!" and thoughts of... "Holy shit! What if something goes horribly wrong? Can I really do this?" Yes, there are A LOT of last-minute details to work out, and not everything has gone as planned already, but I already feel like we've accomplished a lot. I made a big goal of planning and holding this race with the secondary goal of a minimum of 50 sign-ups, and I know we're going to achieve it.

The thing is, I feel like goal-setting is one area where success breeds success. Once you set a good goal and achieve it, it gives you the confidence to set more goals and achieve them. One of my new goals is to set better goals that give myself the credit I deserve! Goals that are measurable, challenging, yet achievable with hard work. It does no good to say, "I will do better in my next 5K," when what I really want is to be under 25 minutes in a 5K. What I should say is, "My goal is to run under 25:00 in a 5K. I would like to do that within the year of 2015, and these are the steps I'm going to take to reach that goal." And: "In 2016 I am going to register for and complete a sprint-distance triathlon. The challenges I need to overcome to do this are ____" and go from there.

When I saw this post on the Oiselle Facebook page about not giving yourself a Plan B, I thought it tied in really well with goal-setting. Read it here: Run Like There's No Plan B . Yeah, it's about allowing yourself to run professionally if that's what you want, but I think the underlying theme is good for EVERYONE. Don't give yourself a Plan B or an easy out when it comes to reaching your goals or striving for your dreams. Do what you love and let that be your only plan. Live like there is no Plan B.

Now, this is where a crafty writing segue would be nice as I'm going to change subjects to review some of my favorite running shorts: Oiselle Embossed Roga Shorts! 

The Embossed Roga Shorts are the first and only thing I have paid full price for that I bought from Oiselle. This is not because I'm receiving anything from them, but because I'm a cheapskate and while I love running clothes, I do not have an unlimited budget. I almost always wait until things go on sale. But not for these! I wanted a pair of comfortable, neutral colored shorts I could wear with my Team Beef Jersey for racing. I surfed the Oiselle website for a while and weighed my different options. Ultimately, it was Jessie at The Right Fits and her constant praises of her Rogas that swayed me toward these. I went with the Embossed version because they're just a little jazzier than the plain ones.

Here they are on the Oiselle website: Oiselle Embossed Roga Shorts

They are $50 and they come in three colors: Deep Rose, Money, and Charcola. When I got mine, only Charcola and Money were available. I may have been very tempted to get the Deep Rose! Alas, I got the gray because I thought it would go with the most other items I already had.

Oiselle Embossed Roga Shorts in Charcola.

I wear these shorts A TON and they are in heavy rotation with my other running bottoms. I like the length- they have a 4" inseam. It's short enough that they still feel like running shorts, but long enough to have a little modesty. They don't have any extra poof in the crotch area like other brands do, which I also really love. Best of all, the inseam doesn't ride up and get stuck when I run, which is something else that happens to me a lot with other brands, and obviously leads to uncomfortable chafing. The leg openings stay where they are supposed to be, and ensure mile after mile is as comfortable as the first. 

Harvey and I are showing off the embossed fabric of these shorts.

These shorts also have a super comfy yoga-style waistband, which means no muffin top. Ever. And, they have an internal drawstring to ensure a perfect fit. This is great for girls like me who rock an athletic bubble butt. I can cinch up the drawstring to make sure the top of the waistband doesn't gape. 

The dogs were clearly very excited to help me model my shorts!

One thing that's important to note is that general consensus is that the Oiselle Distance Shorts run about a size smaller than the Rogas. For example, I buy a 6 in Distance but an 8 in Roga. The reason is that the leg opening of the Roga is a little more trim than in the Distance. For me, I size up to make sure I have enough material to comfortably cover my strong thighs. In the past, I made the mistake of ordering a 6 in the Rogas and they were just a little too tight through the leg to comfortably wear for me, even though the waistband was fine. Here's a photo collage of those too-small Rogas:

Oiselle Roga Shorts, which I sold on eBay for good money!

Because the original Roga short was so popular, Oiselle now offers many styles in the Roga spirit, using all types of fabrics embossed or regular, including the following:

• Mac Roga - Shorter inseam
• Long Roga- Longer inseam
• Toolbelt Roga - pockets galore!
• Roga Pant - it's a pant. Hence the name. ;)

There is definitely a Roga for every runner! 

Oiselle Roga Pants, image from www.Oiselle.com.

I think the Roga Pants might be a good item for me for Track Practice next season. They *may* be on my wishlist! Perhaps I should Set A Goal to own these pants? ;)

That's it for this week's installment of Oiselle Flight Fridays, this time brought to you on a Sunday! Ha! Maybe this next one will actually be posted on Friday??? Stay tuned for next week's post, when I'll be writing about the 3rd Principle of Flight: Own The Journey. 

In the meantime, please consider signing up for 5K On The Farm! We have a Virtual Run option, too! :)

Oiselle Flight Friday~ Build The Sisterhood

Oiselle Flight Fridays!
**Ok, so it's actually Saturday... but you'll forgive me, right? I started this yesterday but just didn't have time to finish it!**



First, the basics:

Who is Oiselle?
From their website:
Oiselle is a Seattle-based women's athletic apparel company that believes in the transformative power of sport and its ability to inspire strength, courage, and sisterhood. We live and breathe the sport of running, and we live and breathe the art of apparel design. In both, we seek quality and innovation. And to know that everything we do supports women who want to move, run, and fly.

I'm a recent joinee to the flock, running for the Oiselle Volee Team. This is a team made up of runners from all over the country, from your Average Jill like me all the way up to Olympians like Kara Goucher. Oiselle (pronounced Wa-Zell) is an athletic apparel company specializing in women's running gear that is designed by and for women. This stuff is the real deal and the company is not only committed to providing the best gear on the market: they are all about growing a culture of strong women. My kind of company! In my new series Oiselle Flight Fridays, I'll be bringing you one of the seven Principles of Flight from the Oiselle Volee Flight Manual each Friday. I'll also be reviewing a piece of Oiselle gear with each of the seven principles.

Oiselle Flight Manual. 

This week, I bring you the First Principle of Flight: Build the Sisterhood. And, I'm reviewing the Cable Knit Arm Warmers.

Cable Knit Arm Warmers from Oiselle.

First, here's the excerpt straight from the Flight Manual:

Build the Sisterhood
We are only as strong as the bonds we build. We work hard to raise the bar in terms of how women support other women, fostering strength and leadership--not just through healthy competition, but in daily actions big and small.

So what does that mean to me? What I think of first is simply having a positive attitude about running with everyone you meet. When you have enthusiasm for something, it catches. I talk about running all the time to just about everyone, mostly about how much I love it. When people see how excited you are about running, or anything, they want to be part of it, too.

Growing the sisterhood is also about encouraging others. Highlight others' accomplishments before you talk about your own. Get together for runs, even if others aren't the same pace as you, and have a good time. I've been on both ends of the stick as a running budy- I've been the pace-setter, and I've definitely been the "dead weight." But being "dead weight" was only in my own mind! Never, ever has anyone ever said, "Man, Katie, I wish you would have stayed home!" And that's because I try to keep a positive attitude, and DON'T APOLOGIZE for being the pace that I'm at!!! I am what I am. In the end, people remember the good times you have and the great conversation that happens before, during, and after the run more than the pace that you ran.

Here's some easy ways, in a nutshell, that I believe will help encourage anyone in their running:

• Ask about the races they are training for and be genuine when you wish them good luck!
• Tell anyone and everyone that if they need a running buddy, you're game! 
• Highlight others' successes. HUGE!
• Invite others to come along with you on runs or to races, or to cheer for other runners.

Even if you're not a runner, I think you could apply any of those to just about anything you are enthusiastic about!

This Principle of Flight is one of the things that I really love about Oiselle. Yeah, they have a good number of elite sponsored runners in their flock, but they also open it up to regular people. And what I've found from following this company for several years now is that even the elite runners are very normal and down to earth, and sometimes the "regular people" are the one who inspire us the most! I just love that they are all about supporting EVERYONE! That's what Growing the Sisterhood is really all about! 

Me with three other awesome lady runners after this morning's Maroon and Gold Fun Run events!
Now here's a group of strong sisters who run! (And one dude photobombing in the background.)
Photo by Melissa K (in pink)-- Thanks Melissa!

Speaking of enthusiasm, I am very enthusiastic about these Cable Knit Arm Warmers from Oiselle! But first, a secret confession: this product is no longer available! It was a past-season style I bought earlier this summer on clearance. Keep reading, though, and I'll tell you what they ARE offering for arm warmers/running sleeves right now!

Cable Knit Running Sleeves from Oiselle.

Have you ever tried arm warmers or running sleeves? When I first saw people wearing them, I was like, "Why wouldn't you just wear a long sleeve shirt?" I didn't see the point. Alas, my friends, my eyes have been opened! 

I bought these arm warmers at the Expo before Governor's Cup back in June. I wanted to wear my Team Beef jersey but found out that it would be in the low 50's at the start of the race. For me, that's too cold to be sleeveless. But, I didn't want to have to hassle with pulling off a longsleeve shirt during the race! Solution: Arm Warmers! 

Cable Knit Running Sleeves from Oiselle.

These things are great! They were perfect for the chilly morning warm-up and I did wear them all through the race, even as it got warmer and I began to sweat profusely. And you know what? The sweat-wicking properties are beyond legit! Even as the temperature rose, I stayed comfortable. And they dry super fast, too, so that sticky sweat doesn't stay in the fabric and make you feel cold and wet. These babies are toasty when you want it and dry when you need it!

Cable Knit Running Sleeves from Oiselle.

I also love that they have thumb holes. Something about the thumb hole makes them extra comfy! My only complaint about these is that because they have the thumb hole, I can't see my watch. Maybe they need a little slit so one could access their watch or GPS easier? 

I've used them several more times on chilly morning runs and I know I'll use them a lot in the fall. Now, as I said, the Cable Knit arm warmers are no longer available, but you CAN snag a pair of the Herringbone Arm Warmers by clicking HERE. I love the orange color! BONUS: They're on sale!! Currently selling at $28 on the Oiselle website. Can't beat that. 

Herringbone Running Sleeves from Oiselle.
Photo credit: www.oiselle.com

That's a wrap for the first week of Oiselle Flight Fridays! I hope you enjoyed learning about Growing the Sisterhood and Cable Knit Running Sleeves! Next Friday I'll be back with the next Principle of Flight and another product review! I'll try to get it done and posted on Friday next time, too! Until then, happy running!

Here's a few questions to hopefully inspire some comments...

What does Grow the Sisterhood mean to you? How do you do it?

Have you ever tried running sleeves? What is your opinion of them?

Disclaimer: While I do run for the Oiselle Volee running team, I am not compensated in any way. Nor am I required or even asked to post about their company or their product. I just do it because I love them--what they do and what they have to offer. All opinions are my own.