Saturdays are generally peaceful. Perhaps you’ll wake-up, grab a coffee, bring said coffee back home, return to bed, and flick through your favorite blogs – all before taking a nap (which, in case you’re wondering, may be the first of many). Why not? It’s the weekend. Numerous naps and Netflix are the point. But spend a day with Nike (who two weekends ago, and in the stealthiest of fashions, orchestrated the busiest day of my life) and you’ll quickly be reminded that there are twenty-four hours in a day, even on weekends. A play by play of the day’s events, below.
5:29AM The Xylophone chime of my iPhone prompts my heart to skip a beat. I’m in shock – it’s still dark. Is this happening? While brushing my teeth I think about last night and how, in retrospect, I should not have had margaritas. I get dressed, which proves easy as Nike laid out a uniform for me (likely in anticipation of my pre-9am uselessness).
5:45AM I make it to the lobby and decide I must drink the Gatorade I took from the mini bar. Everything depends on this Gatorade…
5:55AM Brain function returns. The Gatorade is working, and just in time – everyone on my team has arrived. During the introductions I realize we’ve become instant friends because we are all wearing 1) matching outfits, and 2) bewildered expressions.
6:30AM After a hearty breakfast Nike’s crew seamlessly usher us onto four buses that are fully customized with #EpicDayLosAngeles decals. This, paired with the fact that my shirt has my name on it and at least five photographers are taking pictures, leads me to believe I am still asleep and dreaming of fame. Am I a pro-athlete?
6:34AM The door slides shut – this is definitely happening. The radio blasts Tinashe’s 2 On, a song we’ll play on repeat throughout the day. My new friend Karli tells me about the track and its producer, DJ Mustard (Karli works in radio – she knows.) People begin to take selfies. I’m wearing sunglasses, which allows me to covertly rest my eyes.
7:28AM We arrive at a local airport and enter NikeFuel’s Science Lab. It’s dark, and feeling slightly overwhelmed by the fact that a drone has now joined the fleet of photographers and cameramen, we inch forward to watch Olympians Carmelita Jeter and David Oliver demonstrate the technology in our Nike+ FuelBands. Mine is rose gold.
8:30AM After numerous warm-ups I’ve broken into a sweat. Thank god I’m wearing Dri-Fit. And deodorant! One quick group photo and several high-fives later we jump back onto our respective buses. Our song plays. My team is all about good vibes. And snacks.
9:14AM We’re heading downtown. The Staples Center? Nope. I’m reminded of how brutal L.A. traffic is, even if the sun is out. The inevitable East vs. West Coast debate ensues.
10:27AM NFL hall-of-famer Marshall Faulk is yelling at me. “Is that the best you’ve got?!” (It is.) I’m on a football field wearing new gear including iPhone-friendly gloves. We’re doing spider-crawl burpee things, and I keep thinking about how much I love my gloves, especially considering I’m currently using my hands as feet. Four workout stations and one slow motion catch-the-football-mid-air-video later, I decide I need a break. I interview David Zelon, producer of When the Game Stands Tall. We chat about workout gear, which seems completely appropriate given our circumstances. “I wear socks with my Nikes – usually black. It’s a good day when they match.” Apparently today is a good day.
11:01AM I’m directed to a dressing room. This marks our third wardrobe change (I’m counting). Everything is my size. Also, headbands! Maybe they’ve planned an aerobics class next?
11:29AM As we leave the football field I realize I’ve been awake and functioning for a full six hours.
12:20PM I’m feeling decidedly zen after a green juice. We’re in the Hollywood Hills and Lakers chef Sandra Padilla is talking us through the lunch she’s prepared: lemongrass chicken, strip steak, couscous, and several gluten-free desserts (this is Los Angeles). Sandra tells us Kobe Bryant’s absolute favorite is steak. She doesn’t delve into whether he prefers Wagyu to Kobe. I’m going with Kobe.
3:45PM Terry Crews just high-fived me. We’re at the Hollywood and Highland Center, which Nike has converted into a dodgeball court. The crowd cheers as I witness a fellow teammate get whacked by a ball. I think it hurt. I dart backwards – this must be my survival instinct kicking-in.
4:03PM Team Arctic has officially lost the dodgeball tournament. But it’s okay because we’ve got spirit. And snacks.
6:17PM Back on the bus, we pull-up to City Hall (which has been lit-up in NikeFuel colors). I realize the entire block has been zoned-off while the omnipresent hum of the Nike drone sounds overhead. We’re on a basketball court with Lakers shooting guard Nick Young, which explains our new outfit (the fourth of the day). Nick shows us some moves – we try to copy them. I fail, others don’t (which makes complete sense seeing as Nike rewarded the summer’s most active NikeFuel users by inviting them here for an epic day of movement).
7:45PM Dinner couldn’t come sooner. I feel like I’ve earned it. And desert. But confusion sets-in as our driver takes the freeway, headed west. After a few minutes we pull up to a private terminal at LAX. Is this some kind of pop-up experience?
8:44PM I’m on a jet and I’m drinking champagne out of a red cup… NIKE IS THE BEST HOST EVER!!!
9:15PM Across the tarmac I admire the glittering lights of Las Vegas. Apparently we’re about to pump our fists to Fatboy Slim’s set at the newly opened SLS Hotel. Finally, something I know I how to do.
9:40PM I’m my room, exhausted, and staring at myself in the mirror. Instead of thinking, I do (by which I mean to say, shower, get dressed, and head downstairs to hit da clurrrb with all the NikeFuelers!).
2:01AM A few glasses of glow-in-the-dark Dom later, it’s time for bed. And really, not much beats FatBoy Slim’s Praise You as the actual outro song.
– NikeFuel offers a universal way to measure and track all types of activity. For details and to download the Nike+ Running App for iOS and Android, click here.
