BIRDMACHINE CAPE COD:MEET THE TEAM

Tomorrow, sixteen of us will be headed to Hull, MA for the start of the Ragnar Cape Cod Reach the Beach Relay.  Our team, also known as Birdmachine Cape Cod, was one of the 6 Oiselle teams chosen to be a part of their Podium Project, a crazy, elaborate scheme that the company dreamed up this past year.  Our goal?  To win.  Or, at least, to make it to the podium.  But, hopefully, to win.  And we have some really fast women coming in from all over the country to make it happen.  I am both honored and ecstatic to be a member of this crew.  I'm guessing many of you know what the relay entails, but just in case you're not familiar with it, here's the low down.  All of us, 12 runners and 4 crew members, will be meeting out in Milton, MA where we will hop into our two rented vans and drive to the start of the race.  The race, which starts in Hull and ends in Provincetown, is about 200 miles total and has been divided up into twelve legs.  Each of the runners will take on one leg which consists of three runs total of varied distances and degrees of difficulty.  The whole thing will be run straight through from Friday to Saturday until we are done.  Sleep?  Maybe.  Sweat?  Lots.  Showers?  Nope.  Coffee?  Duh.  To most, it probably sounds like a total nightmare.  To us, it's the ultimate girls weekend and we are all chomping at the bit to get started.  Below, you'll meet the runners on our team and get to know a little bit about them before we take to the streets.  Feel free to follow along on Instagram where we'll posting with #BirdMachineCC.  I have no doubt that it's going to be a wild and crazy ride.  Stay tuned.

BIRDMACHINE CAPE COD

Name: Megan Foster

Age: 40

Favorite race distance: I love all distances, even the ones I hate! But really 26.2!!!!!

Favorite ice cream flavor: All of them!

Favorite movie: Running movie-Saint Ralph 

Favorite season: Summer

Go-to coffee order: Early Grey Tea

Favorite dance move: The Lawnmower

Current favorite running song: All the Way Up by Fat Joe Remy Ma

Today I feel like....(fill in the blank): I’m on autopilot…(super busy this month!!!)

Name: Nicole Freeman (aka Freebird) 

Age: 29

Favorite race distance: Mile or sprint triathlons

Favorite ice cream flavor: Mango sorbet

Favorite Movie: Oh this is hard. I don’t have a favorite movie— more like a top ten. But I'd say, Joy (David O Russell) 

Favorite season: Summer or fall 

Go-to coffee order: Black hot coffee. French press preferred. 

Favorite dance move: Sitting back down— no one needs to see that

Current fav running song: (a throwback to high school) I slept with someone from fall out boy and all I got was this stupid song about me by Fall Out Boy  

Today I feel like...(fill in the blank): I’m super jazzed about everything. I’m going to get a massage and watch Gilmore girls. I start a new job on Monday and I took this whole week off. After months of misery I’m really going in on #treatyoself 

Name: Colleen Moorman

Age: 32

Favorite race distance: Half marathon or marathon

Favorite ice cream: Ooh, tough question because this changes constantly.  Anything with chocolate is a good bet.  Maybe Ben & Jerry’s “The Tonight Dough” or just Cookie Dough in general.

Favorite movie: Depends on my mood, but “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Love Actually” never get old.

Favorite season: Spring and Fall - I love the crisp cool mornings, perfect for a run.

Go-to coffee order: Latte when it’s cold; Iced/cold brew/nitro coffee or iced latte when it’s hot.  And iced mocha as a special treat.

Favorite dance move: Hmm, I love dancing salsa and merengue, so anything with lots of spins.

Current favorite running song: Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons

Today I feel like... (fill in the blank): a bad ass, pumped and excited for this race.  But I can always go for more sleep!

Name: Ania Kozlowska

Age: 33

Favorite race distance: 10K

Favorite ice cream: Sweet cream

Favorite movie: Alien

Favorite season: Fall

Go-to coffee order: Oat milk latte

Favorite dance move: The Carlton

Current favorite running song: Get By by Talib Kweli

Today I feel like... (fill in the blank): I need a few more hours in the day. ALSO SO EXCITED FOR BIRDMACHINE!!

Name: Faye Hellman

Age: 34

Favorite race distance: Mile/5K

Favorite ice cream: Mint chocolate chip

Favorite movie: Just one?  Something Mel Brooks to feed my love for his comedic style such as Blazing Saddles, History of the World Part I, or Spaceballs.

Favorite season: Fall

Go-to coffee order: Wawa. 100% Colombian

Favorite dance move: I do a move with my shoulders that looks cool in my head but not in the eyes of anyone who witnesses said move.

Current favorite running song: Anything that makes me what to dance.  Currently Body by Loud Luxury

Today I feel like... (fill in the blank): Hopeful that the running gods will help me overcome a weird injury I've had this past week so I can race this weekend!

Name: Cait Campbell

Age: 29

Favorite race distance: 5k

Favorite ice cream: Cappuccino Crunch (with chocolate sprinkles!)

Favorite movie: Return of the Jedi

Favorite season: Fall

Go-to coffee order: Venti iced coffee, unsweetened, with a splash of soy milk

Favorite dance move: dramatically dabbing while jumping up and down

Current favorite running song: Green Light by Lorde

Today I feel like... (fill in the blank): I need to pack for Ragnar!!

Name: Rebecca Stanfield McCown

Age: 36

Favorite race distance: 13.1

Favorite ice cream: Coffee with sprinkles

Favorite movie: Does Gilmore Girls count? I don’t think I have a favorite

Favorite season: Fall

Go-to coffee order: Black (but if I'm feeling feisty an almond milk latte)

Favorite dance move: Anything that can be done in a soul train dance line

Current favorite running song:  I don’t run with music but this pops into my head on a regular basis- Love Runs Out by One Republic

Today I feel like... (fill in the blank): I’m being held together by spit and duck tape. Need coffee.

Name: Alison Heslin

Age: 30

Favorite race distance: Half-marathon, ultra marathon, or anything on trails

Favorite ice cream: Vegan mint chocolate chip

Favorite movie: I'm a sucker for Jane Austen films (the 6-hour mini-series versions)

Favorite season: Fall

Go-to coffee order: Black coffee, lots of it

Favorite dance move: Not a big dancer

Current favorite running song:  I don't ever run with music. *gasp*

Today I feel like... (fill in the blank): I'm ready to be done with work and running to Cape Cod! 

Name: Cate Barrett

Age: 28

Favorite race distance: I just started marathoning this year and I’m hooked. Eek!

Favorite ice cream: Strawberry or cookie dough

Favorite movie: Fantastic Mr Fox

Favorite season: For running, winter. For life, summer.

Go-to coffee order: 12 oz drip in my yeti highball 

Favorite dance move: Favorite and only* move is the running man

Current favorite running song:  Here Come the Runts by AWOLNATION

Today I feel like... (fill in the blank): I took a nap after my morning run, so definitely “need more sleep!”

Name: Rebecca Trachsel (aka Trax)

Age: 43 (the grandma of the team)

Favorite race distance: Marathon & half marathon

Favorite ice cream: Blueberry oat crumble 

Favorite movie: Rushmore

Favorite season: Summer

Go-to coffee order: Latte (hot or iced depending on the weather)

Favorite dance move: White Man's overbite

Current favorite running song:  Runnin by David Dallas

Today I feel like... (fill in the blank): Anything is possible.

Name: Kathleen Michaud

Age: 34

Favorite race distance: Half Marathon

Favorite ice cream flavor: Cake Batter

Favorite movie: Neighbors

Favorite season: Fall

Go-to coffee order: Cold brew is my current go to! 

Favorite dance move: Twerk?

Current favorite running song: Havana by Camila Cabello

oday I feel like...(fill in the blank): Pumped up!

Name: Jess Barnard

Age: 27

Favorite race distance: 800m

Favorite ice cream flavor: Vegan rocky road

Favorite movie: Love Actually (obviously)

Favorite season: Track season. Oh, and fall

Go-to coffee order: Black (I don't mess around)

Favorite dance move: Anything to embarrass whoever I am with... but my go-to is the moonwalk. *smooth af*

Current favorite running song: That's It (I'm Crazy) by Sofi Tucker

oday I feel like...(fill in the blank):  I REALLY NEED TO START PACKING FOR CAPE COD! 

Name: Ashley Reasey

Age: 30 (this weekend!)

Favorite race distance: 5k pain train

Favorite ice cream flavor: Vanilla with rainbow jimmies

Favorite movie: Angels in the Outfield

Favorite season: Fall

Go-to coffee order: Black coffee

Favorite dance move: A-B skip

Current favorite running song: Anthem by Superchick

Today I feel like...(fill in the blank): Ready to cheer on some amazing women!

Name: Christine Horby

Age: 41

Favorite race distance: Half marathon

Favorite ice cream flavor: Mocha chip

Favorite movie: Don't have a favorite movie

Favorite season: Fall

Go-to coffee order: Vanilla latte

Favorite dance move: no answer

Current favorite running song: Say Something by Justin Timberlake & Chris Stapleton

Today I feel like...(fill in the blank): I need more sleep

Name: Joan Baker

Age: 35

Favorite race distance: 10k

Favorite ice cream flavor: My first job was scooping ice cream, so I hold a special place in my heart for Graeter's Chocolate Chip

Favorite movie:  The last movie I loved was Columbus

Favorite season: Fall

Go-to coffee order: I feel like a heathen for admitting this in your presence, but I don't drink coffee. I can't handle that much caffeine, so I usually have green tea or kombucha

Favorite dance move: Very uncoordinated moonwalk

Current favorite running song: River by PANGEA

Today I feel like...(fill in the blank): I'm ready to get this relay started!!

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