My First #NBGNO Experience Was Awesome!

On Tuesday November 4, I attended my first New Balance Girls Night Out (#NBGNO) celebration in Boston.

My friend Susan and I met up at the Back Bay orange line stop at 5:45 to head to the Westin Copley in time for the 6pm kick-off time. Nothing like cutting it close... ;)

Big thanks to New Balance for the easy to spot signs to direct us to the right location, which was in a great room off one of the hotel's restaurants.

We checked in, received our wristbands for post-workout drinks and checked our backpacks.

Since this was a free meetup I was not sure what to expect, but the welcome board got me pretty darn excited for the night. PLUS, I was going to finally meet a few of my social media friends in real life!

We floated around the room checking out the sweet New Balance gear that Westin offers - for a $5 fee - to all guests to borrow during their stay. So adios "I forgot my workout gear at home" excuse when on the road...

There were also some PROMAX bars available. We calculated them at 6 Weight Watchers PPV each and decided to pass. I happily snacked on my 2 PPV mini Luna bar instead. ;)

Then I did a quick turnaround and there was the refueling station... the new limited edition Girl Scout Cookie Chocolate Milk from Nestle Nesquik were ready for us!! You know low-fat chocolate milk is my favorite way to refuel.

Thin Mint

Caramel Coconut

I had been itching to try the Thin Mint low-fat chocolate milk so I was psyched to see them on-site.

After a little mingling time, Caroline (@trendytrainer) and Sherri (@funfitflavor) gathered the packed room of ladies to go over the game plan for the night. Half of the group would be participating in a boot camp, while the other half headed out for a 3.8 mile run. Let's take a guess which option I picked. ;)

Caroline and Sherri

The run was being led by a pair of Run Westin concierges and stuck to a pace around 10-10:30. They said you could run faster if you wanted, but they preferred to keep the group all together. There was a guide in the front, one around the middle and two "sweepers" in the back. It was dark, but I made sure to bring my headlamp for extra light.

Thankfully we were sticking in mainly lit areas along the Charles River, but I was happy I brought my headlamp as well. It was a great chance to catch up with Susan some more (even though we had taken our 1-hour weekly walk earlier in the day).

Mile 1: 10:31

We stopped under the Longfellow Bridge to find the trophy wall. I had NO idea this was there. It is just a wall of trophies left by random people. The Run Westin concierge pictured actually left two of the trophies featured on the wall. She tried to leave a Westin cup there one day and it was removed because it wasn't a trophy.

Mile 2: 11:03

I took the opportunity to snap a couple of shots of this gorgeous city.

Mile 3: 10:30

For the most part the group did stay together, but there was some gapping happening between a few chunks of runners. We finished the run in front of the Boston Public Library for some group photos.

Final Time For 3.8 miles: 40:09

After a few photos, we headed back into the Westin to meet up with the bootcampers to refuel with some chocolate milk, enjoy some adult beverages and eat some healthy snacks. :)

O-M-freakitty freakin-G the thin mint chocolate milk was delicious! Mmm....

Once Susan and I felt properly hydrated, we headed to the bar to get some wine before gathering around Caroline and Sherri to learn how to stay fit while traveling. I was happy to hear many of the same tips and tricks I use myself.

New Balance raffled off a sweet NB luggage bag, but alas I did not walk away a winner. :(

So Susan and I opted to hit up the Photo Booth next. I mean any event with a photo booth is winning. :)

Of course I once again snapped a selfie. :P

Before heading home, I had to snap a selfie with Chris - aka @RunWestin. We had been chatting online, but as always it is great to meet an online friend in real life.

Can you feel his excitement over meeting me?

Just after 8, the #NBGNO celebration came to an end, but not before we got a sweet little swag bag.

I was sad to find out that this was the fourth and final #NGBGNO event in Boston for the year. Well, at least I made it to one. I can't wait to see what they offer in 2015.

***

In the meantime I could set up my own Girls Night Out meetups through their website.

GNO Meetup helps you create your own unforgettable Girls Night Out. Just map your route, invite your girls, and go!

CREATE YOUR RUN.

It’s as easy as picking a starting point, time and distance. Then share it with your friends, or set your run to ‘public’ so anyone else can join too.

FIND NEW ROUTES & DESTINATION OPTIONS.

Map your own route or find one recommended by other users. We’ll even help you pick a destination and suggest places you may want to check out after your run.

JOIN BUZZ RUNS IN YOUR AREA.

Get text or email alerts whenever new group runs are created nearby. Filter by location, time or distance to find runs that work for you.

***

Special thanks to New Balance and Got Chocolate Milk for a great evening!

***

Have you ever been to a #NBGNO event?