Soaring with The Flock

A little over a year ago, I started following (stalking?) a running apparel company out of Seattle named Oiselle.  "A French word for bird, it alludes to that feeling of weightlessness that most runners know and love. That sense of flight – when the legs go fast and the heart goes free." (About Us)  These people make some darn cute and functional clothes.  See for example the distance short with 2 (!!) zip pockets!

The more I followed, I came to find that they're not just about the products but also about fostering a community.  They're about supporting women's running whether they're elite athletes at the top of their sport, like Kara Goucher, or whether they're just normal people that share #RunLove while also holding down a career and/or raising a family.

In June they launched something called "The Flock".  On the outside looking in, I saw a bunch of "birds" connecting with each other through Twitter and Instagram.  I saw them meeting up at various races, like the Magnificent Mile Half, flying in formation with Lauren Fleshman (also a large part of their team and a downright inspiration!).  Wish though I may, The Flock sold out soon after it launched.  

Until they opened up a handful of more slots last week.  So I signed up.  I was lucky --it sold out in 30 minutes!.  Did you catch that?  Not "qualified".  Not "selected".  Just "signed up".

What happened next probably won't be justified by my summary that follows. Strava and Facebook group invites for the team and listed as part of The Flock Twitter list.  I'm not overly active on Twitter or Strava.  But the Facebook group alone is pretty incredible.  100 women from the Midwest instantly posting introductions, target races, injuries they're fighting.  Also instantly being met with "oh so I am!  We should meetup before" and various forms of encouragement that heal the wounded  runner's heart.  Some have known each other for a while through Oiselle's competitive team, many were just pulled together in June or with this most recent offering.  This outpouring of support for each other is beyond words.  And not a bit of that has been based on how much each person runs or how fast they run *insert distance here*.  Because that's not the point.  It's to support each other achieve our own goals and to have fun while doing it; the epitome of #RunLove.

I can't say I've ever joined a "virtual"  running group before.  I really haven't seen a place for it with the amazing people that I've met IRL.  But I don't think I'd consider this empowering group "virtual", rather "distributed". The fledgling community and love that's coming out it is way more than a line of clothing, it's a way of life!  And this is just the beginning.  I'm so very much looking forward to being part of this awesome team!

One thing's for certain, I'm looking forward to rocking this in two and a half weeks in Chicago along with a bunch of my newest friends, doing what we do best:  going fast, taking chances. <3