All the Good Things

As you may have read on my Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook page, I have been traveling quite a bit over the past few weeks and I wanted to let you know of all the goodness that has been headed my way.

I've mentioned this before in a previous blogpost, but in case you've forgotten I recently became a Skirt Sports Ambassador captain, a global ambassador for Merrell (a subsidiary of Wolverine--you know, the parent company of Sebago, Sperry, Saucony, and CHACOS OMGGGGG), and a sponsored athlete for Swiftwick.

The fifteen months or so have been a whirlwind of opportunity, from TV appearances to a few really cool speaking engagements, to making a training video with Coach T. Mud for the Merrell Tough Mudder series and actually committing to doing one which will be on May 7. I am terrified.

But look at those legs tho...

In addition to being invited to run the the Shape/More Women's Half Marathon in NYC, I was also invited to run the NYC Marathon courtesy of CEO, Michael Capiraso in November (which I'll be doing the week after my FIFTH MARINE CORPS, BIOTCHES!)...I am so fortunate.

The third week of March found me in Grand Rapids, MI hunkering down (from the freezing lake effect snow) with professional mountaineers, climbers, an adventure racer who has his own TV show, a professional runner, a photographer and adventure leader who had just arrived from an epic trip to Chamonix, France where she shot footage and pics of two other ambassadors skiing and base-jumping. Then there was yours truly--someone who has had a little bit of media exposure for being a fat long-distance runner and whose longest run to date has been a 100K.
The energy was high, the immensity of outdoors and physical talent in the "brandroom" was overwhelming. We all had our feet professionally measured, learned the ins and outs of shoe design, development, and production, met with various leaders in the outdoor field, did a focus group, shared our goals and accomplishments, and enjoyed the company of like-minded folks.  I felt both energized and intimidated by these spectacular folk whose collective wisdom and experience in nature was something to be lauded.

Three weeks ago I was invited by Evans Clothing (based in the UK) to participate in a photo shoot highlighting several inspirational curvy women. I got to hang out with Callie Thorpe, blogger at From the Corners of the Curve and newly minted plus size columnist at Marie Claire UK. Also at the shoot were Brielle Cunningham, professional model, Hayley Hasselhoff--another pro model, Nadia Aboulhosn--model and designer who graced the latest cover of Women's Running Magazine (where my other blog resides), Jessica Clemmons--lead singer of the London-based contemporary country band, Jess and the Bandits, Alessandra Garcia Lorido--pro model, and Anna Shillinglaw--former model and founder of the modeling agency, Milk Management.

Nadia Aboulhosn, Women's Running Magazine Cover Model and me (in a bathrobe....) on set

If you know me, you know the only time I wear makeup is when I'm on stage performing--which as of late has not been very often. Mary Kay and I are occasional friends, and sometimes we let Covergirl join our circle. (BY THE WAY--HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT GABBY SIDIBE IS THE NEWEST COVERGIRL?????? WTG, Covergirl for striving to be more inclusive of all sizes and shades of body!)

SOOOO, Tuesday, April 26th launches the Evans body positivity campaign, #IAMME. Be prepared for some awesome photos, cool videos, and some other media coming from a pretty forward-looking company reinventing and revamping itself. I've already seen the 30 second video and CANNOT WAIT TO POST IT. I'm so excited. It was very cool to get all dolled up and step into the circle of professional models, if only briefly. Trust me--the trails were calling, but I ain't gonna lie, that shit was fun as hell.

Here is a sneak peak at my contoured face, complete with a non-unibrow(!) by unassuming and fantastically talented Natalia Bizinha, with hair by extraordinarily fabulous Kendall Dorsey.

Wow. Just wow. Will life become any more surreal? We'll see...