We came, we saw, we conquered

Where to begin after a three day adventure with the most energized and amusing group ‘o birds Texas has ever seen. It was my first time in Texas, my first time attending The Running Event (TRE), and the best part of it all… I can proudly say it was my first inflight biz trip I’ve ever been on (yeeehaww to that).

This adventure topped off 2012 and came dangerously close to rivaling all the Trials Party shenanigans from Eugene back in June. A neck and neck tie of hysterical commentary, moments of awe and excitement, and a full scrapbook of memories.

Quick recap and highlights of our 3 day excursion.

Night number uno.

Monday night we landed in Austin around 5:30 pm and made our way through the airport in attempt to find transportation to the Swanky Condo. After twenty minutes waiting for the bus, it finally arrived and we headed towards home, conveniently close to the Convention Center where The Running Event (TRE) was taking place. Getting off the bus we pulled out an ever so reliable GPS iPhone…and you can only imagine what came next. 

What looked like a quarter mile walk turned into a hysterical scene of utterly lost travelers. Just picture six out of town folks with luggage up to their elbows, off-roading through dirt roads, while playing frogger across 2 freeways and taking a “slight” detour which turned into over a mile long journey…in the pitch dark. It was epic and totally laughable after the tired feelings of misery and hunger pains from a long a** flight.

That night was a reunion slash meet ‘n greet with sales reps and teammates who I finally got to meet IRL. After all, a virtual friendship over email and twitter can only last so long. We caught up and hung out on the rooftop terrace grubbing on a Texas style bbq buffet still in awe of the Austin heat and sitting outside in summer clothes.

And eventually got to sleep that night in our slumber party bungalow, clearly another highlight of the trip. Took us all back to elementary school sleep overs and pillow fights, of course without the truth or dare or 10 fingers games. Totally kidding. Or am I. 

The Running Event

My first time experiencing TRE and I would say it was a huge success that will be hard to beat next year. Dozens upon dozens of booths were set up in the Convention Center for brands big and small to share their excitement and newest additions for the upcoming year.

I was blown away walking in because it was literally a fish bowl of runnerds from all over the country geeking out over the sport we all know and love.

Without going crazy into detail, the best part of the event for me was walking around to as many booths as I could and seeing new running products on the market with the ability/privilege to converse with reps and learn about their swag. While each brand and biz has their unique aspects, seeing the “behind the scenes” passion for the sport from a totally different view was pretty motivating to be a part of. 

I saw some great companies, many of which I had never heard of and I got to talk one on one about new innovations and design. I felt honored to be a part of the Oiselle crew. Having great people commend us on our booth/strides we’ve made in the past year was a heartwarming validation yet again of knowing I am in the right spot in life.

A few notable companies that had terrific people working their booths: Swiftwick, Win Detergent, BIC Bands, Honey Stinger, Nuun, SmartWool, and SpiderTech - all extremely friendly and knowledgable.

Birds ‘N Boots

Words and pictures cannot do this party justice. I'll just say it was hands down the highlight of the trip. From tons of mingling boots, a delish free taco truck, an incredible venue, an array of fab Oiselle peeps and friends, THE best D.J. in Austin, and a dance party so outrageous we arguably might have been able to skip that morning workout and still get a good sweat in, if you catch my drift. So, so, SO much fun. Ready for 2013!