Still Writing From Behind the Coffee Bar

Holly Opatz
Feb 15
8 min read

If you're new here, first off, welcome and thank you for subscribing. If you're an OG from before the times of Hollyday Running when this was just a silly little blog called the Runner's Passport - welcome back. Oh how things have changed. We’ve upgraded from “girl with WiFi and a dream” to “girl with a business loan and an espresso machine.”

The image Ramon had turned into a drawing for me.

As I write this, I’m sitting at the coffee bar in my store (still feels weird to say that out loud) during a lull between what has been a rather steady Saturday of traffic in and out the door. My space heater is working overtime to keep me somewhat toasty on this chilly Mallorcan February day - and I say "chilly" relatively speaking after see the weather forecast in my hometown Minneapolis, Minnesota has a high of -18 degree Celsius today. Perspective.

I just debated writing this post in Spanish too — because our Spanish-speaking community is growing (which brings me an incredible amount of joy) — but then I thought about my grandma, who still reads these posts that my dad prints and hand-delivers to her because she does not own a computer, much less speak Spanish. And then I spiral briefly into wishing I had asked her to teach me more Polish. And then I panicked about what language my future children will speak. And then I remembered I need to improve my Spanish because that will help sales. Oh sales. I need to finish that Instagram post I was working on for that. And fix the hook in the fitting room. And— DING.

Shoot I totally forgot I had been heating up my lunch in the toaster oven. I hope it's at least still edibly burnt.....

And that, in a nutshell, gives you a sense of the mental state we’re operating in over here —

So truly — welcome to Hollyday Running.

The Chaos Is Still Here. It’s Just… More Structured.

The end of 2025 was survival mode: Permits. Invoices. Brand orders. Construction dust. Police reports (yeah, that happened). Learning how to steam milk without creating a bubble bath. Spending my savings on piles of running shoes I won't ever wear. Working weekends again — which I truly thought I left behind in my healthcare era. And taxes. No elaboration needed.

But something shifted in January - The chaos didn’t go away per say, it just started feeling… organized. Rhythmic. Like maybe everything was starting to work out. We have a weekly schedule now. Something to consistently look forward to.

Currently that Schedule is:

Tuesdays – 7:30 AM Social Run (6K - starting this week!)
Wednesdays – 7 PM Yoga for Runners
Thursdays – 7:30 AM Strength & Mobility
Sundays – 9:00 AM Social Run (5k and Long Run)
Post Sunday Morning Social Running at Hollyday Running
Transforming the space into a quiet yoga studio to help recover from those Sunday Runs :)

It’s no longer scrambling to pick a date and a time. A schedule. A place or a route. Instead it's "See you at the shop Sunday at 9" and that’s everything.

Lola Is Alive

Sonsoles, one of our contest winners, with Lola The Running Bean and her winning coffee :)

No, not my car (iykyk) — our beautiful, mint-green, Conti ACE espresso machine. Her name is Lola — The Running Bean.

And before anyone panics: no, I am not trying to reincarnate my car (also named Lola, who lived a chaotic, adventurous life that you can read about here). This Lola is significantly more reliable and far better at producing crema.

We asked the community to submit name ideas and then put it to a vote. It ended in a tie between “Lola” and “The Running Bean.” Instead of choosing, we combined them — and rewarded both name-submitters with free coffee, obviously. Democracy, but caffeinated. So now you can grab your pre-run espresso, your post-run flat white, sip an americano while browsing the latest arrivals, or recover from Jago’s strength class with a very necessary cortado.

Mistral Coffee sitting proudly on Hollyday Running Shelves.

Huge thank you to Mistral for supplying us with what I genuinely believe are the best beans on the island - and for patiently supporting my ongoing latte art evolution. We’ve also stocked some very respectable sleepy tea options for a decaffeinated nightcap after slow-flow yoga. We are nothing if not balanced.

But it was never about the cup in your hand.

It’s the conversations that happen between sips. It’s the plans made over that silky-smooth milk foam. It’s the strangers who become long-run partners somewhere between the first pour and the last drop. Coffee just gave us a place to land - or to launch from. Watching runners gather in the store, cheeks flushed from their run, or eyes soft from yoga-class bliss, smiling over something Lola made… that’s the vision in motion.

Brands I Used To Dream About Are Now On Our Shelves

This has surprisingly been one of the biggest, yet most necessary challenge of it all. We are, after all, a running store. Which means… we need running products. Revolutionary concept.

But our brand list is growing!

We’ve officially brought in:

And more coming soon...

P.S. - You can shop from those links above and buy directly from our site :)

None of that happened by accident. Last year was a lot of stalking people on LinkedIn. Sending cold emails. Sliding into Instagram DMs. Asking every single person I know connected to the running world if they might "know someone who knows someone who knows someone at…” It was mild, unhinged persistence.

In the middle of all that, I received an invitation from a brand to attend Paris Fashion Week. I didn’t end up going — schedule conflicts, reality of running a store etc. — but the invitation alone felt absurd. Fourteen-year-old Holly in skin-tight Hollister graphic tees, plaid Bermuda shorts, and $1 Old Navy flip-flops would have absolutely howled if you told her that in sixteen years (oh my god) she’d be invited to something even associated with Paris Fashion Week.

Life is strange.

Then came one of those “connection’s connection” moments. A surprise introduction led to 4T2. And just a couple of months later, 4T2 took over the store the last weekend of January. We shot photos in the shop and around the island. We hosted two activation events where runners could test shoes. We ate focaccia, tiramisu, and banana bread like it was a competitive sport. And of course, we fueled the whole thing with an aggressive amount of coffee. Thank you Mercat Tramuntana and Pizzeria Genovesi for keeping our bellies full.

That weekend felt like proof. Not necessarily proof that we’ve “made it.” But proof that this concept makes sense. That scrappiness works. That awkward emails and DMs are worth sending. That maybe sending 47 emails and hearing back from 3 is just part of building something real.

The Mural is a Crowd Favorite

We asked you: “What do you think about when you think about running in Mallorca?”

You said: Sunrises. The sea. The Tramuntana Mountains. Freedom. Passion. Lifestyle. Resilience. Goals. Peace of Mind Community. Coffee and croissants (hey we don't judge. In fact, we're thinking it too).

And now it’s on our wall.

It’s not just decoration. It’s a snapshot of what this place feels like. Every time I look at it, I remember that this isn’t just “my store.” It belongs to all of us. And it certainly is an eye-catcher to bring more and more community members in the door. Thank you thank you Daria Konopko for bringing our thoughts about running to life. You can checkout more of her fabulous work here.

Palma Half-Marathon Training Is In Full Swing

We’ve been slowly building our Sunday Social runs in distance since January in preparation for the Palma Half-Marathon. And I have to say — this part has brought me the most joy. Not just because long-distance has always held a special place in my heart… but because this is how Hollyday Running really started. I just wanted people to pass the time with during my weekend long runs. I quickly learned, however, that not everyone considers a casual 25K on a Sunday morning to be a fun social activity.

So we started smaller.

We’ve always offered a 10K route, and now we’ve added a consistent 5K option while the 10K group ramps up their distance. It means everyone has a place — whether you’re chasing a half marathon or just building confidence one kilometer at a time. Some of people joined the 5K group in October barely having run more than that before. Now they're casually debating long-run fueling strategies.

Sunday Social Run Group Pic - Both 5K and Half-Marathon Training Groups.

The number of people who’ve told me during this training cycle that they’ve just completed their longest run ever — whether that was 10K, 18K, or even finishing the full 5K without stopping — it genuinely brings tears to my eyes. To see the joy. The pride. The breathless “I didn’t think I could do that.” And to know this community played even a small role in that - That’s really what makes this all worthwhile to me.

And of course - having company to suffer through long runs with doesn’t hurt either :)

Other Running Highlights Lately:

Pumpkin pie after our First Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Trot.
Collaborations with Ferra Femmes, Transcend, and En Movimiento run clubs.
Trail day in Esporles with Doble coffee.
Racing up Bellver Castle for the Christmas run challenge.
Mallorca Osteopaths joining social runs and offering post-run consults.
Hosting intervals all of January while our Catalina friends were under renovations.
A running nutrition workshop coming soon with Dr. Gemma Samson.
More brand activations in the works.

It’s becoming tradition.

And tradition is what turns something from a project into a community.

Do You Lose Passion When You Turn Hobbies Into Work?

Even managed to incorporate my "Plants" hobby.

People warned me about this. “If you turn your hobbies into a job, you’ll lose the love for them.”

I haven’t found that to be true - at least not yet.

The hobbies are the only thing keeping me sane.

I love that I get to run with my friends every Sunday — even on the mornings I’d rather stay in bed. I love that someone signs up for their first race because of a conversation during our social run. I love that travelers are showing up on their holiday and discovering us to run with.

Sure, there are annoyances. A lot of them. Balance sheets. Invoices. Never ending DIY projects. Succumbing to becoming a constant Instagram presence. Spanish laws. Early mornings. Packed weekends. Being responsible for something that feels like a house plant you can’t leave alone too long. But if this is the cost of building a life around running, coffee, and community? I truly don’t have much ground to complain.

Soooo If You’re Here for Updates:

That’s where the sales, events, and weekly details live.

But if you’re here for the spiraling brain, the behind-the-scenes chaos, and updates that my Grandma Susie can read on paper at her kitchen table — this is still the place.

Hollyday Running was born from Runner’s Passport blog and I still want to keep that spirit alive.

We’re not just selling running shoes. We’re building a home for runners in Mallorca. And somehow, in the middle of that, I’m still sitting behind the coffee bar trying not to burn my lunch.

See you Sunday at 9. -Holly