So excited to write this post! I was recently selected to be an ambassador for Esprit de She.
What is Esprit de She you ask? Until a few months ago, I hadn't heard the name either.
Esprit de She means "Spirit of Her", and what a perfect name for this incredible new women's race series. Now you know from all my Disney Princess Half Marathon excitement - I do love a girly themed run. Esprit de She delivers this, and more.
Not only are there running events, they offer cycling, duathlon, and triathlon events also. The environment is fun and welcoming to a beginner athlete, yet competitive for those that want to push themselves to a PR. While I do have my eyes on the tri-s, those are down the road. Right now, I'm really interested in the participating in one of their runs.
Happy hour begins with a fun 5K or 10K run and ends with a post-race night market of festive proportions! Salute your success with a drink at our bubbly bar and enjoy tasty tapas and energetic tunes while browsing our bustling, community night market showcasing fresh produce, local artisans, creative projects and more! (from espritdeshe.com)Bubbly bar! Tapas! Tunes! Night market! Sign me up!
And not all events are created equal: the cycling, duathlon, and triathlon races will be set up differently. All duathletes and triathletes do receive finisher medals. I do love me some race bling, and this may just give me the push to bump up to a duathlon event.
These are some highlights from the most recent Esprit de She event: the May 4th duathlon and triathlon in Tempa, AZ.
That really looked like a fantastic day, and what a unique medal!
Something I really like is the support you get to prepare for one of their events. The website can refer you to coaches if you need them. Having worked with a running coach myself to prepare for my first half marathon, I can say the experience was worth every penny. Additionally, the parent company, Life Time (not the cable channel) will offer training programs for free to registered participants. Runners lucky enough to live in a city hosting one of these events can join a 5K/10K class. The classes are eight weeks long, and are scheduled to end with the Esprit de She event. I've been enviously reading tweets from women enjoying their weekly training group, meeting new friends and motivating each other. Sounds like so much fun!
Unfortunately for me, I do not have an Esprit de She race in my city of Tallahassee. So, for my event I will travel to Atlanta, Georgia for the 10K this November 7, 2013. There is also a 5K race that evening. Yes, I said evening. This particular race is a nighttime event. Pretty cool, huh?
And there is more.
The race shirt is a fantastic racerback tank, and the super cute race bag will make an awesome shopping tote for the night market.
Last but not least, Athleta Espirt de She is partnered with the very worthy charity: Girls on the Run. This great organization is all about empowering and motivating young ladies aged 8-13. More info can be found here.
It is clear that organizers have worked hard to design a race series tailored towards women's likes and interests. I for one can't wait until November.So to sum up:
- Fantastic women's only events
- For runners, cyclists, duathletes, and triathletes
- Excellent training support
- Partnered with Girls on the Run
- Cool swag
- Post-race Night Market
Also, as part of my ambassador duties, there will be Esprit de She updates and giveaways coming up on the blog in the months ahead. Anyone want to join me in Atlanta for a girls weekend?