Oakley Women Laguna Retreat - Oakley Headquarters

Perhaps you don't expect a metal spike to drop directly on your eye, but how many times have you been hit by a small object when running, biking, walking or driving? You only have two eyes and although accidents happen (to some people more than others), there's absolutely no reason that any active individual should be saying the following "Sunglasses are too expensive". More so, if you find yourself spending money on glasses that are not Oakley, I highly encourage you to do some research as to how the company spends their money in terms of design, product development, testing and customer service.

Testimonial: Karel has crashed many times in cycling and mountain biking races and never has he broken a pair of Oakley's. Karel has been wearing Oakley glasses and gear for over 12 years. Sadly, back in Czech Republic, Karel had a major surgery when he was a teenager when he was riding his bike, showing off his skills on a bike ramp. Karel overshot the ramp and ended up in the hospital with his eye, ear and side of his face in need of major surgery. Now a day, Karel and myself never leave home without our glasses.

When I took my first trip to Napa Valley, with Oakley Women, I had the opportunity to tour the Rolling O lab. If you ever get a chance to tour the O lab, I HIGHLY recommend this life-changing tour...well, life-changing in terms of what glasses you choose for both lifestyle and athletic wear.



Having had the opportunity to learn a wealth of information from Oakley, specifically in terms of anti-bacterial clothing (beyond just "wicking), UV-A, UV-B and UV-C protection in gear, purpose of polarized vs non polarized glasses, quality of glasses to avoid slipping, headaches and to provide total clarity and comfort when wearing them, I have also had the opportunity to wear many different types of glasses on a daily basis. What's great about being an Oakley Women ambassador is that the Oakley Women line of active and stylish clothing is new, so they want our feedback. In terms of the glasses, we all know that one size doesn't fit all so for someone like me who is seeks a more sporty pair of glasses on my small face, will differ from someone who wants a more stylish pair of glasses. But the idea is that no matter what style of glasses, article of clothing or gender (male or female), Oakley is more than just a brand..it's a lifestyle.

I will be blogging more often on my feedback/testimonials with the

Oakley Women line of clothing and sunglasses so for the ladies, if you have any questions on specific glasses or clothing, please let me know. For the guys, if you have any questions, please let me know and I will do my best to answer or I can relay your message to my contacts at Oakley.

I can't say it enough but Oakley is a family and it is amazing to feel the energy around other like-minded individuals.

On the last day of our retreat, the time FINALLY came and all of us 10 ambassadors were grinning like little kids, excited to head to the Oakley headquarters in Orange County, California.

According to the Oakley website:

Based in Orange County, California, our 600,000-square-foot headquarters is a statement for all things innovative. Everything we produce, we design here. Most innovations we produce are manufactured here. Our headquarters is home to creative people who find equal time for work and play. Sports and Mad Science define our culture, and our employees live both every day. We open our doors to people who embrace work and life with equal passion.


Entering the Oakley headquarters....
(I wasn't allowed to take pics in the testing rooms or manufacturing section. However, I can say that these places were amazing and HUGE! I also didn't take pics of the dogs that are allowed to go to work with their owners, as well as the cubicles that look like a high schooler's locker...covered in everything "athletic". The dress is casual and several dozen employees have been with Oakley for over 20 years. I guess it's hard to leave a company that treats its employees like family)

Life is About Creating Yourself

Thanks Francesca for sharing! Check out the other motivating quotes and share with others! Everyone needs a little inspiration.
Life is About Creating Yourself

Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Work Out Routine

Ready to take your training to the next level? Train smart with my top 10 tips.
Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Work Out Routine

Oakley Women Laguna retreat - Day 2 in pics

Marni Sumbal, Triathlete & Coach from Mark Woods on Vimeo.

The term addiction is often applied to activities that are non-substance related, particularly referring to individuals who "engage in some specific activity, despite harmful consequences, as deemed by the user themselves to their individual health, mental state, or social life. There may be biological and psychological factors contributing to these addictions." (Source: Wikipedia)

Life presents many opportunites to feel as sense of accomplishment. Whether it is crossing your first running or triathlon finishing line, turning in a proposal, giving a presentation, passing an exam or putting together a community or volunteer-related event, I believe this quote says it the best:
"The person determined to achieve maximum success learns the principle that progress is made one step at a time. A house is built one brick at a time. Football games are won a play at a time. A department store grows bigger one customer at a time. Every big accomplishment is a series of little accomplishments.” -David Joseph Schwartz

Far too often in life, we (health conscious individuals) overlook the importance of progress and consistency and become obsessed (or addicted) with our actions and strive for immediate results. For at one time, you felt accomplished at the end of your long journey but when desiring more (which is completely normal) you proceeded to forget about the initial journey that required multiple and multiple actions to trigger a positive end result. Ultimately, many athletes and fitness enthusiasts lose focus of the importance of balance in order to achieve long-lasting results.

I can't tell you how many times I have heard "I'm too busy to work on my nutrition," "this isn't the best time to start an exercise routine" or "I'll start working on myself in a few weeks when life becomes a little less hectic". Tomorrow is never a good time to start on changing habits for if you expect too much out of yourself when life appears "easy", you have missed vital opportunities to develop positive behaviors when life is a bit too tough to handle.

As a triathlete, there are times when the waves in the ocean are choppy, the wind is in my face on the bike and for every downhill on a hilly run, there appears to be double or triple the uphills.


My addiction to triathlons, running and competitions is fueled by my desire of feeling accomplished at what I set my sights on and what I become during the process. For without balance, it is easy to continue doing the same things, all while experiencing the same results. As athletes, most of us are always teetering on the edge of injury, burnout, illness or fatigue. If we weren't, well perhaps we'd just be "exercising" and not pushing our limits.

Although life presents many opportunties for accomplishment, as well as to feel addicted to the process, it is only through a balanced lifestyle that one can truely recognize what it feels like to live life and enjoy all the tiny moments that make up the bigger picture.

Sure, you've heard it over and over again that you should find balance in your life....but it is only up to you, to make the decision NOW as to how you will work on your life, in order to feel what it is like to live a life of balance.

As I share my pics from Day 2 of the Oakley Women Perform Beautifully retreat, I can't help but reflect on how it felt to surround myself with the other 9 ambassadors who all inspire me on a daily basis to perform beautifully. Each one performing beautifully in their own way on a daily basis, I can't help but be reminded that calling yourself a "triathlete" or "runner" or "cyclist" is only a title. Ultimately, your sport of choice is your lifestyle and like anything in life, you may be training for an upcoming event or have your eyes set on qualifying for an upcoming race but at the end of the day, your love for x-sport or activity is your passion and something you want to continue for a lifetime.

Take a moment today (or a few) and reflect on the many opportunities in your life to find balance and be sure to recognize what it feels like, once you find "it".



























Stay tuned....the pics you have been waiting for are coming soon!
Inside the Oakley Headquarters!