when i received the invitation to attend the endurance live awards with team refuel, the “academy of endurance sports,” i was practically giddy, & may have shouted for joy.
who wouldn’t want to receive the red carpet treatment, dine with some of the most successful athletes & have access to an unlimited supply of chocolate milk?
of course the first order of business was deciding what to wear. after digging thru my closet & scouring nearly every store, i settled on a cute little coral number that i paired with some cheetah pumps for a red-carpet worthy showstopper.
once the outfit was planned i was ready to walk the red carpet – but not before attending the team refuel press conference. elise, janae, skinny runner, monica & i were invited to the unveiling of the new REFUEL | got chocolate milk “my After” ad campaign.
picture via hungry runner girl
REFUEL | got chocolate milk: my After
would you believe this is the first time in over 17 years that the ads are “mustache free?” instead, the new ads feature athletes refueling with chocolate milk, showing that chocolate milk is an important part of many athlete’s after-workout ritual.
& let me tell you from experience – chocolate milk really is the BEST recovery drink. it’s simple. it’s effective. it’s scientifically proven to help refuel your body so you can perform at its best! plus, how often do you get to eat/ drink something that tastes great & is actually good for you?!
featuring carmelo anthony of the new york knicks
featuring the members of usa swimming including chloe sutton & ricky berens
featuring miranda carfrae a professional triathlete
honestly, if have to admit, i had to keep pinching myself to make sure i wasn’t dreaming.
it was pretty exciting… sitting in a room, taking pictures, with & having one-on-one coversations with some of the greatest athletes in the world…
dr. andy baldwin (us navy doctor, ironman triathlete, although you probably know him best from season 10 of the bachelor?), chris lieto (a top ranked world class triathlete, 3 time ironman champ, rockstar dad & down-to-earth guy), sarah reinsertsen (ironman athlete – she was the first woman with a prosthetic leg to finish the ironman world champs, author & former amazing race contestant), apolo anton ohno (8-time olympic medalist & dancing with the stars champion), chloe sutton (olympic swimmer, 5-time US national champion & my soon-to-be personal swim coach), ricky berens (olympic gold medalist & my other soon-to-be personal swim coach), & dara torres (5-time olympian, mom with abs of steel).
don’t tell my hubby – but i have a total crush on all the male members of team refuel – they’re hot. actually, i don’t mind admitting that i have girl-crushes on the girls too – they are all so amazing!
if you haven’t already, you NEED to check out dara torres training video – you can’t help but be inspired. when i grow up, i want to be like dara (& i wouldn’t mind having abs like hers either).
2012 endurance live awards
& just as exciting as the press conference was, the actual endurance live awards gala was amazing! we got to walk the red carpet ourselves, but the best part was sitting on the sidelines watching all the athletes strut their stuff, all the while knowing that we were able (& even encouraged) to stop each & everyone of them – whether it was to take pictures, or interview the athletes.
janae even broke out the official team refuel microphone for some on-the-spot questions.
once we were finished playing paparazzi – it was time to head inside the nokia theater (home to the emmy’s & the american idol finals), for dinner & the main event – the 20th annual endurance live awards.
seeing that the awards were presented by REFUEL | Got Chocolate Milk, it seemed only fitting that each table had chocolate milk “on ice.”
trust me when i say i took full advantage of the unlimited supply of chocolate milk, i just couldn’t help myself!
the 2012 endurance live awards honored 9 amazing athletes for the incredible accomplishments & dedication to the their “sport”…
photo by scott draper via triathlete
andre kajlich (challenge athlete of the year), jenny simpson (female runner of the year), apolo anton ohno (celebrity athlete of the year), meb keflezighi (competitor of the year), chrissie wellington (female triathlete of the year), ned overend (cycling legend), lukas verzbicas (male runner of the year – he can run a sub 4 minute mile!). not in pictured because they were unable to attend were, craig alexander (male triathlete of the year) & danny hart (performance of the year).
after watching all of the athletes amazing stories & inspirational videos we headed to the after party where we were greeted with shots of chocolate milk & miniautre chocolate chip cookies.
i went home that night, feeling inspired to run, bike, swim – although, i have to admit, i’m most excited to refuel on lots of chocolate milk.
thanks so much team refuel for letting me join the team, even if it was for one night only – the endurance live awards was an evening i’ll never forget!
