Oakley 2012 Ambassador Trip

When I received a call a couple of months ago telling me that I had won a spot on the Oakley 2012 ambassador team, I was excited. Sweet – a trip to Napa, some gear and probably a few things here and there throughout the year. But little did I know that this role would actually be described in two words: supremely epic.

It all started Friday afternoon when I was told that a car would be picking me up and taking me to Napa. You could imagine my surprise when a town car rolled up and I had that plush ride all to myself.

An hour and fifteen minutes later, I arrived at what would be our home base for the weekend: the Silverado hotel. Pulling into the circular driveway, being toted around on golf carts and entering my own suite complete with a sitting area, kitchen, huge bedroom and view of the driving range, I knew that I was in for something unreal.

Friday evening, a group of 10 women met while sipping champagne and sharing pieces of their story. You could instantly tell that Oakley had done their fair share of hard work in selecting the 10 women. They didn’t just pick popular bloggers with a big following, but instead, they chose women that each represented something unique as we are each performing beautifully in our own way.

Some of the 2011 & 2012 ambassadors

Marni, Fitz, Carly, Charlotte, Amanda, Cari, Maria, AJ, Christine, Me,
Lacey, Natalia, & Emily (not pictured)

From skiing studs, runners, triathletes, personal trainers and even highline walkers, this group of women was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Throughout the weekend, we were able to grow into this amazing little family, each respecting the passions of the group while simultaneously merging into each other’s biggest cheerleaders. Can you feel the ambassador love yet? *MUSH*MUSH*MUSH*

As for the weekend, I can honestly say that it was one of the greatest weekends ever. We termed it a “net zero” weekend as it was packed with so many physical activities, coupled with copious amounts of wine tasting. Rather than detail the entire weekend (that would be an eight page post), I’ll highlight it in my favorite way: photos!

Insanely spoiled – thank you Oakley, Garmin (yes, that’s a new watch in there), Asics, Tone It Up, Zico, Toyota, and Kind Bars!

(P.S. Watch out Nike Tempos – you have some new competition in town.)

BLAM!

Beach babes from Tone It Up, Amanda and I.

Stretching session with Deena and Andrew Kastor, and the Asics team. Can I just say that they are literally the nicest people EVER. No exaggeration….

You need sunscreen? No problem. Olympian Deena Kastor will graciously spray you down.

We checked out Oakley’s Rolling O lab to get all the details on what makes Oakley so special. After this tour, I now know why cheap glasses are cheap – they’ll shatter into a million pieces and you’ll shoot your eye out, kid. (Bonus points if you know the movie reference.)

We also ran a 5k through the Trefethen vineyards! Carly and I snagged first and second place, well, that’s only because Andrew Kastor and pro triathlete Jenny Fletcher stopped at the end and let us pass them. Whatevs, they were good sports and pros.

Pacing the 5k with my new Garmin watch and my new favorite accessories: these Oakley hair ties that double as bracelets. I’m going to try and snag some more for you guys because they’re awesome.

Oh heeeeey Jenny, I kind of want your life. K, thanks, bai.

Post 5k, we were treated to a reception, massages, and a three stop winery bike tour complete with personal Trek bikes. It just kept getting better…

Pour some more, Jeeves.

Can we talk about this dinner venue for a second? Inside a winery – nicer than my wedding reception venue!

Sunday kicked off with a boot camp led by the Tone It Up girls in Yountville. Again, another stunning location that knocked my socks off.

Followed by cooking demos at this castle, err, I mean The Culinary Institute of America, Greystone.

This one is for you, Chicken Face!

Post demo, we hiked (no photos – whoops), and came back to another amazing surprise from Fitness Magazine. I no longer have any excuses for not having any hair ties.

We ended the night with another amazing dinner and dance party that proved to be quite the dance off. So much in fact, that I probably shouldn’t post photos on here (it would be too incriminating).

Not only was this trip lavish and an absolute blast, but it was a great entry into who Oakley is as a brand and where they are going with their women’s line – all of which I’m excited to share with you. However, I am promising to you that I will never push their products on you, nor will I ever blab on with fake opinions. Everything that I discuss on my blog always has been, and always will be, my 100% authentic opinion. I’ll share with you my favorites and please let me know if you have any questions at all.

So to close out the first step in the journey, I wanted to share the video recap of the weekend. TOP KNOTS FOR LIFE!

Happy Running!