3rd Annual LUNA Summit

Just back from the 3rd Annual LUNA Summit in Mill Valley, CA. Being a part of Team LUNA Chix now has a whole new meaning and seems much more special.

5 of the 8 Team LUNA Chix DC tri team members were going to be attending. We all planned to meet at some café in SFO at 1:30pm on Friday. My flight went according to schedule and I arrived at the port at around 12:30pm. Julie followed shortly behind me and went to get the rental minivan while I waited for others. Bevin, who was coming from Japan, had no cell phone…so we were a little nervous about trying to connect with her. I wandered around and found the place I thought we were to meet. No Bevin. Julie came back and we met up with Laura about 3pm. Still no Bevin…so we decided to go to the hotel in Mill Valley to check in and head to Clif HQ in Berkley were the festivities were to begin.

We quickly got situated at the hotel and headed out to Clif. After my awesome navigational skills were noted, I was thrown in the back seat of the minivan for the rest of the trip. nice. Clif HQ was in a warehouse in the middle of some neighborhood. We went in and were greeted by some LUNA Chix, who gave us some hot looking name badges, and met and talked with some of the Denver tri team. Then the tours began. Shoot. Clif HQ is the business. Lets see…a gym, paid workout time, free personal trainers, 5$ massages, dry-clean service, organic food service, haircuts, all the clif samples you could want, a climbing wall, fun and games, a bar and band, and I can not remember but I know there was more. After the tour was over, Laura, Julie, and I hit up the open bar where they had there own Clif wine! HA. good stuff. Then Bevin showed up! Really great to see her again ☺ At about 7pm Inger came out and gave an opening speech. And introduced a leader from BCF, who gave a speech on what BCF was to her and who she dedicated her efforts too. Then Inger came back and talked about Team LUNA Chix, how it got started, how it has grown, and what it is. The whole thing was very inspiring. Also the owner of Clif Bar, Gary Erickson, came out and talked. Very cool to meet them. Then we ate. I was famished and the glass of wine was making me delerious. Yeah! GF friendly food (chicken, fish, vegetables, and rice)…all very yummy. After dinner, the LUNA pros and mechanics were introduced. They were hysterical, especially Marla Streb. What a character. Despite their separate sports (mtb, tri, xterra, etc), they all seemed like one big family who got along great. I think I want to be a LUNA pro! After the talks were over we were dismissed to pick up our team kits and head back to the hotel to sleep. Team kits! I went over to our box and first thing I noticed…swim caps! aaahahahaha.



KC arrived late on Friday night and met up with us in the morning. The weekend was set up with multiple clinics and group workouts were you could participate in whichever you wanted. Everything was run right from the hotel, where the Team LUNA Chix mobile thing was based. This mobile van and assistance vhicles were pretty awesome. LUNA everywhere. Julie, KC, and I started out with yoga at 7am. This was not the hot yoga I was used to but more of a wake up, stretching, movement preparation. After that we opted out of the swim clinic in 50 degree water and headed to a Jewish Community Center which had an outdoor pool. The weather was beautiful (sunny 70 degrees) for the whole weekend. So swimming outside was awesome. I got in a solid 4,000 yards…no toys. We busted back to the hotel in time for an 11am clinic on Sports Psychology, led by LUNA pro Danelle Kabush Then it was time for lunch. Sometimes GF is the absolute worst. Salad for me. After lunch a run clinic was held by Inger’s husband Darcy Norman. We learned and participated in numerous drills. I was starting to get a bit nervous about the afternoon group runs. I had been feeling my hip a bit the past day and not sure how running was going to feel. A trail run went at 2pm. Bevin, Julie, and Laura went while KC, who had been sick, and I decided to hang back for the local group run at 3pm. KC went to take a nap and I headed to the pool to mingle, get some sun, and make some new friends. At the pool I met the Atlanta tri team. They were great and we got to be friends. They were all going on the group run too. 3pm came and it was time to meet up for the group run, which was led by Scott Williams, one of the instructors. I had not run with a group or anyone since I can not remember. I have no idea how fast I have been running. Jenny, the leader from Atlanta tri, came over to me and said you look about my speed. Not so sure about that (she was a runner and me not so sure). hmmm haha. We got going and my competitive spirit was not going to follow, so got out in front with Jenny. I was feeling pretty good so stuck with her. I stayed with her for maybe 35 minutes…then as we passed the hotel again I decided I was done and should not overdo it. After being injured for 3 years I am very very cautious on pushing it too far. This was a huge confidence boost to my running. Even though I have been running (maybe 2/week…where the frequency bothers me more than the duration)…it still seems like it is too good to be true…I keep taking a few steps forward and then one back…but always progressing. But now…feel like maybe I could be a runner! I was so happy and I had made a new friend. 4pm was a Recovery and Regeneration clinic with Scott, who was a PT working with LUNA. The most important thing I learned here was some good recovery methods, including ice baths…sounds interesting…I am going to have to try this. After the clinic, I showered, swiped a bottle of Clif wine, and went back down to the pool to hang out. That day finished with dinner and Q&A with the pros.

Sunday was yoga and then Bevin, KC, Julie, and I headed back to the Jewish Community Center for some elliptical action and a swim in the salty pool (yea weird...the pool was salt water...making one feel more buoyant). Then back to the hotel for packing, and checking out. Then everyone met for the final words at the hotel pool. Leaders, including Julie Homan (in the picture with me above) from BCF were there and talked about the Foundation. Then LUNA Summit concluded and we were on the road in trusty minivan. We shuttled Bevin and KC to where they needed to be and then Julie, Laura, Krys (we kidnapped the West Palm Beach leader for the weekend since she had come solo) , and I went for dinner and were in bed early. I was wiped from the tremendous but exhausting weekend. I think I may have gotten 10 hours that night.

Overall the weekend was amazing. Emily, Cris, and Andie...missed you guys! Being a part of Team LUNA Chix has a new significance to me. I am honored to be a role model and inspire other women to Get Outside and Play, to promote the BCF, and to be a part of a real sisterhood.