The Oyster Race - 2011 Edition!

Mary, Tali, Lynn, and Hazel the littlest cupcake

Once again the folks at the Oyster Race put together an amazing race. Since there are still other races in progress I won't get too detailed as to not spoil anything. What I will say is we got wet, handled fish, got messy with finger paint, rocked some yoga poses, ate a donut, tried out our slingshot skills, square danced and solved some mysteries! We covered about 25 miles on foot and bike throught the Denver area.

Unfortunately I had two ribs out of place during the course of the race. It really slowed me down. Not only on race day but during training as well. I learned a valuable lesson not to tough it out through that kind of pain and to get help. The ribs are now back in place and training is on for the next two races in October. While I really wish I took better care of myself for my teammates sake I am also happy to have such amazing teammates that were supportive and happy just to finisht he race and have a great time.

In the process of preparing for the race we exceed our biggest goal and that was to raise $5,000 for the Colorado Chapter of Make a Wish Foundation. We in fact rasied $8,300 which is about the cost of two whole wishes. We were over the moon with all the support and help our friends and family gave us. I have to give a big mention to my teammate Lynn's knitting community. They really came through in a big way! Donors that were entered in the prize drawing have been notified if they won an item from the drawing. Special thanks to prAna and Made for Grace for their sponsorship for the drawing.

Thank you all again for your support. We can't wait to race again next year and to continue to support Make a Wish Foundation! If you want to continue to support Make a Wish you can purchase a Team Cupcake Mafia shirt here.

It's Time to Grant Some Wishes!

Last year Team Cupcake Mafia competed in the Merrell Denver Urban Oyster Race. It was an amazing day of racing  with two astounding women, Lynn and Mary! It was also such a great way to see my hometown in a different light.


In addition to being a day I will never forget we were also racing for a good cause. Each team is encouraged to raise at least $100 for the local chapter of the Make a Wish Foundation. Our team raised over $2,500!  With our donations and those of the other teams we were able to grant four wishes for local children facing life-threatening illnesses.


This year, we're doing it all again! On August 27, Team Cupcake Mafia will compete in the Women's Full Course race, last year we took fourth and our goal is to make it into the top three, however, we won't consider it a win unless we can beat our fundraising efforts for last year so we're offering some incentives.

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If you're a knitter you will love this one! My friend Lynn's friends with Laura from the Knit Girlls and she has designed the beautiful My Wish Shawl pattern. If you make a donation of $5 or more you will received this shawl pattern. Just include a note in the comment field of the donation form indicating you would like the pattern.

If knitting is not your thing, there is still another great incentive to donate, other than helping the kids out. For every donation of $20 or more, donors will be entered into a drawing to win one of two $25 Amazon Gift Cards. This is great for any of my readers and friends who love to read, do yoga, climb, or cycle. As you know you can get just about anything at Amazon.





To make a donation just click here visit the Denver Oyster donation site. 
Select City: Denver
Select Team: Cupcake Mafia
Team Member: Tali Koziol

Then complete the rest of the form with your donation amount and contact information. We are automatically notified and you will receive your pattern shortly and/or be entered for the drawing. 

If you would like to make a donation of physical item that could be placed in the prize drawing or gear that could be used for our team of three please email me at tali@mycupcakemafia.com and we will update and get the word out. All Sponsors not only receive recognition on our blogs but also signage at the event and recognition on our race day shirts. 

The Cupcake's Big Adventure: My First Merrell Oyster Urban Adventure Race!

About a year ago I completed in my first 5K and it was a lot of fun. Since then I haven't fallen in love with running but I have fallen in love with the motivation and excitement that comes with training for a race; It gives you direction and a goal. This year the goal was bigger and better! With my fellow team mates Lynn and Mary we registered as Team Cupcake Mafia for the Merrell Oyster Urban Adventure Race!

Prior to the actual race my team trained on their own, did a little reconnaissance and planning, and a lot of fundraising! We managed to raise $2600 for the local chapter of The Make a Wish Foundation. We were recognized as one of two top teams in fundraising and Lynn was recognized as one of two top individual fundraisers. Special thanks to all our donors!

Once race day arrived the fundraising efforts came in quite handy as we earned two course clues. I am not going to divulge the race details since there are still races happening all over the country but I will say the first clue was vital in me spending less time on a bus with a bag over my head.

Through out the course of the day I realized how important it is to pick a good team during your race. Luckily, Not only did I have a good team I had an AMAZING team. It is important to not only work with people you like but that have the same goals as you and are in similar physical shape (though I think my team mates exceeded me here). You don't want to be with someone who doesn't care if you finish the race if finishing is your main goal or to be pushed by someone who considers anything less than 1st place a failure if you're just happy to be there.

Out of 11 teams finishing our Women's Full Course Division we took fourth place. Not too shabby for our first year and for a course that veteran racers have considered their toughest yet. We had a lot of laughs, a lot of energy and awesome shirts! We covered about 34 miles throughout out Denver on foot, bike and using public transportation. We saw some amazing parts of Denver, visited areas that were off our beaten paths, and competed in challenges where we excelled and some that were out of our comfort zone.

I am so thankful for a great day with Lynn and Mary as well as our great transitions team (Phil, Joe, and Monica). I learned a lot about myself both in training and through the actual race and I am so delighted my team is ready to go back for more next year!!!!