Big News: I'm going to England with Team inov-8

I've been sitting on some big news for a little while... and now it's time to spill the beans. I won a competition/giveaway with inov-8 and will be joining 6 other runners from across the globe to form "Team Get a Grip". We will be going on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure to the Lake District in Keswick, England.

First off--I regularly run in my inov-8s often and love them! They have great shoes perfect for trail running, for OCR athletes, cross fitters, even the average road runner.

So, you may have seen this competition/giveaway floating around from inov-8.  Winners receive an all expenses paid trip to ion-8 HQ, an inov-8 kit, attend a trail running masterclass, and participate in the Skiddaw Fell Race.

Of course I entered but never thought I'd be chosen. Well turns out I DID win... and it's happening!! What was my reaction when I got the news? I'll let these SpongeBob gifs explain my emotions.

Your next question is probably "When do you leave?" Well, NEXT WEEK! I leave for Manchester on June 29th and return on July 4th. I know, it's coming up so fast! (cue more SpongeBob..)

I've known for a little while but wanted to wait until I knew more details before I made my "official" announcement. I've been sitting on my excitement trying to stay calm. Today, I received our itinerary and now it's getting real folks! I'm so F*ing EXCITED! 

Town Center. OMG!

I want to go run there RIGHT NOW!

On this trip, we'll be meeting some awesome athletes and employees from Team inov-8. We'll tour their HQ then take a master class about "fell running" (fell running is the sport of running off road over upland country where the gradient climbed is a significant component of difficulty--think technical trail running. The name comes from the English sport on the fells of northern Britain, especially those in the Lake District).

We'll also meet the Skiddaw Fell Race record holder and fell running legend Kenny Stuart, and participate in the Skiddaw Fell Race.

Photo I found from a previous year's Skiddaw Fell Race

There will also be touring of the local pubs (for sure!), hiking, and hanging out with the fellow Team Get a Grip winners and Team inov-8. Of those who won, I am one of three from the US. The others are from the UK, Germany, Amsterdam, and Canada. Pretty cool! To read more about the other competition winners as well as the weekend line-up from inov-8, check this post out.

This is also an extra special trip for me because I have never been outside of the country! I've only ever been to Canada besides traveling around the US. So I've got so many reasons to celebrate and enjoy myself.

I will most definitely be taking ALL THE PHOTOS and documenting every step of the way on Instagram and Twitter. So be sure you follow along for this amazing adventure! And of course, I will blog all about it when I return.

For those who are avid travelers.. any tips on going out of country? Ever been to the UK? Suggestions and advice are welcome. :-D

I'm so ready for the pure awesomeness ahead. Happy Running my friends!