Looking to reward your hard training efforts with a race and a trip of a lifetime? Well, I've got just the race for you. One of my favorite running apparel companies, lululemon athletica, invites you to Yoga, Run, and Party at their inaugural half-marathon event–The Sea Wheeze Half Marathon in Vancouver, Canada on Saturday, August 11, 2012.
The SeaWheeze aims to celebrate the beauty of lululemon’s hometown of Vancouver and bring communities together while combining three things the yoga-inspired athletic apparel company is passionate about: Yoga. Run. Party.
The customized half-marathon training program will encourage runners to develop a regular yoga practice and in true lululemon fashion the event itself will include festivities throughout the weekend. A website dedicated to the event has been launched at SeaWheeze.com, featuring online registration and inspiring content to help participants meet their training goals.
Vancouver, Canada
“We are thrilled to invite our guests, ambassadors and extended lululemon family to come run with us at our inaugural half-marathon,” said Christine Day, CEO, lululemon athletica. “This event will celebrate Vancouver and showcase everything we love about our hometown. Our goal is to host an incredibly fun race and bring our passion for goal setting and our commitment to living a life we love to all of our communities.”
“This is going to be one of the raddest races Vancouver has ever seen,” said Eric Petersen, Director of Brand Innovation at lululemon athletica. “We want to host a party and a race that will excite the run community like never before. The place to be on Saturday, August 11th is Vancouver, BC running the SeaWheeze.”
Lululemon is committed to supporting the Vancouver community through the SeaWheeze. Registration fees will cover less than half the cost of the event, and lululemon will sponsor the rest. The organization has also committed to $25,000 in grant funding for charitable organizations at their 2012 Ambassador Summit. Additionally, as a thank you to the city for hosting the event, $15,000 will be donated to the downtown YMCA in support of programs geared toward promoting healthy living and helping people live a life they love.
More known for their yoga apparel, I came to know lululemon when a running buddy of mine was sporting a pair of their running shorts. He raved about the fit and feel. So, I had to check out the company. I discovered that lululemon did in fact have running apparel for men and women. I've tested several of their products and I have to say they are best in class. From the feel of the fabric, to the thoughtful design and construction (including premium lightweight technical fabric, pocket storage and flat stitching), these clothes are awesome to run in.
One extra bonus for the SeaWheeze participants is that if they sign up by May 1st, 2012, they'll receive a "special package." Included in the package will be a piece of lululemon technical gear (hint: running shorts for the women and a running shirt for the men!) along with some other surprises. Remember that you'll only receive the garment early if you sign up by May 1st. Your SeaWheeze package will be shipped to the address provided at registration. (You'll still need to pick up your timing chip at the race expo.) If you sign up after May 1st, 2012, you will be able to pick up your entire package at the run expo on Friday, August 10th.
Another "extra" that participants will get is training support. This training "TackleBox" will have all the tools you need to get prepped and ready to go for August 11. In order to follow the TackleBox training program, you'll already need to be in decent shape. Not Usain-Bolt-personal-best-Ironman shape...but you will at least need to be able to comfortably run for about 45-50 minutes.
The TackleBox training program will begin on May 11th. Lululemon knows how you like to plan your workouts in advance, so they'll be releasing the program online on April 27th so you can put together a plan. In the meantime check out their GSGR (Get Sweaty Get Ready) pre-training training program. (Click on the chart to go to the website for a larger image.)
You'll notice that the plan includes yoga. An integral part of a balance half-marathon training program involves practicing yoga for recovery, strength and stretching. Lululemon's run ambassadors report lower levels of injury and improved energy when regularly incorporating yoga into their training routines.
Lululemon has built this half-marathon route to be a challenging, fun and beautiful love letter to Vancouver. The course is dynamic and varied; from the Douglas firs and ocean views in Stanley Park to the jet-set seawall of modern False Creek, the route is engineered to showcase the beauty and vibrancy of Vancouver. The elevations and course will keep you on your toes with hills to test your resilience and plenty of flat and downhill terrain to bring out your inner speed demon.
Stay tuned for more information regarding the race!
A few months back, I was at seminar for Triathlon coaches. The seminar was about an hour away in the Raleigh-Durham area of NC. The session was great. It was divided into three sections—yoga for athletes, resistance training for triathletes, and running drills. During a break the yoga instructor asked if I knew the lady sitting in front of me since we were both from Greensboro. I had been looking at the back this person's head for the past hour, never realizing we had both traveled from Greensboro for the session. The instructor introduced the lady to me as, Suzanne Duncan. My eyes lit up upon hearing this name. You see, Suzanne is a yoga instructor as well as a triathlon coach in Greensboro. I'd heard her name many times and had heard great things about her yoga classes, but had yet to have the opportunity to meet her.
We emailed after the seminar and Suzanne stopped by the studio one day and we had a great chat. It was during this chat that I learned of Suzanne's plans to run an Ironman in the weeks ahead. After conquering the Ironman, Suzanne did a free seminar at RunnerDude's Fitness for my clients and other runners in the community. It was a packed house! Suzanne, has a wonderful story of how she came to fitness, yoga, and the world of running, swimming, and biking. Read on to learn more about Suzanne.
RD: Are you a native North Carolinian?
Suzanne: I was born in Ohio but grew up in Carmel, Indiana. After college, moved around through Tampa, Atlanta and Memphis and finally settled in North Carolina.
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RD: Share a little about yourself. What do you do for a living? Hobbies?
Suzanne: I have an accounting degree from Indiana University and am a CPA. I was lucky to be able to give the 40+hour/week job up about 6 years ago to concentrate solely on teaching fitness classes, yoga and coaching. My husband and I travel a lot during the year to some rather exotic locations. However, I'm just as happy laying on the couch reading a good book.
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RD: How long have you been dong triathlons?
Suzanne: I did my first triathlon in 1994. It was an indoor triathlon at the Spears YMCA and I was scared out of my mind that I wasn't going to be able to finish. I cried when I did because I was so happy I had actually completed the 50 minute event.
- RD: From reading your website, I know you lost a lot of weight. What motivated you to do so and how did you go about achieving your great results?
Suzanne: I always tell people that I had been trying to lose weight my whole life. I always remember being overweight. After letting my weight creep up to over 300 pounds and being in a crappy marriage, I finally realized that I deserved to be happy. Something clicked in my brain and I made a commitment to myself to start eating healthier. I joined Weight Watchers and concentrated on my diet for a few months. I then started walking and eventually added in all the other stuff I do now. It was a long journey but so worth it! - RD: What got you into triathlons?
Suzanne: I had always watched the Hawaii Ironman on TV each year and wondered why people would put themselves through that much torture. Well, I guess now I know why. There was a local triathlon at Sedgefield that some of the YMCA cycle instructors were talking about doing. They asked if I was interested and I said no because I hadn't been running. Once I picked up running, my friend Mary Beth encouraged me to sign up for the indoor triathlon. My current husband had also done triathlons in the past so he was there to encourage me as well.
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RD: What do you enjoy most about the triathlon--the run? swim? bike?
Suzanne: Biking is my true love of all the three disciplines in triathlon. It's the one I do the best at and the one that makes me feel fast. I think it comes from the fact that I started cycle classes way before I began to swim or run. - RD: What are your favorite training foods?
Suzanne: I certainly have to give a shout out to Erin Baker's Wholesome Baked Goods (formerly Baker's Breakfast Cookies). They are such delicious, good-for-you cookies. She was also my very first sponsor. She gave me lots of cookies to pass out at races and really made me feel special by being on the company's triathlon team. With my recent Ironman training, I also enjoy Latte flavored Power Gels, Pomegranate Berry Cytomax and Clif Bars. Mango flavored smoothies with a shot of protein powder and peanut butter is also one of my favorite recovery drinks.
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RD: Are you a lone runner or do you run with some buddies? What do you like about each?
Suzanne: I first "learned" to run with a YMCA buddy that took me through the paces of building up from a walk to a run. I really enjoyed running with her. Then, I began to run alone because I was slow and most of my friends were faster. I enjoyed being on my own schedule and going wherever I wanted and going at my own pace. Now, however, I have recently started running with a few other people and absolutely love it. I love being able to chat and take my mind off the pain. They push me to be a faster runner which is something I really feel was lacking in my first years of running. - RD: What's the funniest or oddest thing that's happened to you while on a run or a ride?
Suzanne: In triathlons, the organizers always use an orange spray paint can to mark rough patches of road. During the Woodlake triathlon a few years ago, there was a dead deer on the side of the road - partially in the road and partially off to the side. It was huge and was not something that we would have missed. However, the race organizers drew a big orange circle around it, just in case we did miss it.
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RD: What's your biggest running / triathlon accomplishment? Why?
Suzanne: This one is easy. I just finished Ironman Coeur d'Alene. It's definitely my biggest running AND triathlon accomplishment all wrapped up in one because I had never run a marathon or even anything longer than 19 miles prior to this triathlon. Coming from being an inactive, overweight smoker completing an Ironman is huge. It was a huge boost in my confidence. Today, I feel as if I could accomplish anything. -
RD: Do you have a favorite brand of running shoe? Which model? Why?
Suzanne: I have been running in Asics my whole running "career". They feel fantastic on me and I'm of the mindset "Why fix something that ain't broke?". Some shoes look flashier but I'm good with the Asics.
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RD: What's your favorite race distance(s)? Do you have a favorite race you run each year?
Suzanne: My favorite races are anything that's flat and in cooler weather. I really enjoyed the Indianapolis Mini Marathon. The course has tons of support from locals and lots of music and bands along the way. It was also my very first half marathon. Being from the Indianapolis area, running around the Indy 500 track was an awesome experience. My race schedule seems to change a little each year depending on our travel schedule so there isn't one that I just have to do each year.
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RD: If you were speaking to a group of non-runners or runner wannabes and trying to encourage them to run, what would you say?
Suzanne: Most of my clients are new runners and new triathletes. If you have a desire to do something then do it. It's like putting your shoes and socks and running clothes out the night before. When your alarm goes off, you just go get dressed. Don't think about it or you might talk yourself out of it. Once you get going - or once you get done! - you will feel better about getting your workout done. The other thing is that if you have a big goal set for yourself, be confident that if you follow a plan you will succeed. I always tell my clients to "trust their training". There has never been one time where I have failed if I have been true to my training. - RD:Open Mike: Share anything you'd like about your running / triathlon experiences, past accomplishments, goals, dreams....anything you haven't previously shared.
Suzanne: The last thing I would want to share is the thing that I learned from completing an Ironman. Don't let previous negative experiences or past negative thoughts hold you back or discourage you from doing something that you want to do. One of my clients gave me a magnetic that I have prominently displayed on my fridge - "Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone". That is so true. Don't be afraid of trying something new. You might just surprise yourself!
Thanks Suzanne for sharing your story! Be sure to check out Suzanne on Facebook and at her website.
I've corresponded with this week's Runner of the Week, Sage Rountree, a few times over the past year. Back in May '09, I posted a review of a book she had written The Athlete's Guide to Yoga (VeloPress, 2008)as well as on the video of the same name by Endurance Films. Then the following July, I posted another review on her newest book, The Athlete's Pocket Guide to Yoga (VeloPress, 2009). I was impressed by Sage's knowledge of yoga and running as well as her willingness to share the information with me. After all she's written for top publications such as Runner’s World and Yoga Journal and has published articles in Running Times, Inside Triathlon, and Endurance Magazine.
I finally met Sage in person, a couple of weekends ago when I attended a USA-Triathlon sponsored workshop on supplemental training activities triathlon coaches can use with their athletes. The workshop was divided into three parts-Yoga, Resistance Training, and Running Drills. Sage lead the Yoga portion of the workshop. She was very personable and even though I was the only participant that needed a little "help" in a yoga position or two, she guided me in a very supportive manner. My body felt awkward but not my being. Thanks Sage!
Read on to learn more about Sage and her experiences as an internationally recognized authority on yoga for athletes and an expert endurance sports coach as well as being an athlete herself.
RD: You're located in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro, NC area. Are you originally from that area? Sage: I've been here ever since grad school, having been sucked into the university town vortex. Happily, it's a great place to be stuck. Before living here, I grew up in Winston-Salem, NC, and I was born in chilly Buffalo, NY, long enough ago to vaguely remember the Blizzard of '77.
RD: I'm sure people ask all the time, but is "Sage Rountree" your birth name? Sage: Yes, they do, and I can see why, especially since I became a yoga teacher! I was born Sage Hamilton (my parents, in search of a flower name, got my name from the Burpee Seed Catalog), and I married the wonderful Wes Rountree for my last name. He tried to convince me not to take his name, because it's so hard to spell (there's no "d," and he's no relation to the very cool Richard Roundtree).
RD: I see you have a Ph.D, but I seem to recall you telling me it was in something like English Literature. What brought you into the world of yoga? Sage: Prenatal yoga, when I was ready to feel the connection that yoga fosters. Before that, I'd had a few frustrating experiences with yoga—frustrating not because they were bad, but because I found them much harder than expected.
RD: What are the benefits of yoga to someone who runs? Sage: Yoga confers whole-body strength; flexibility for fluid range of motion through the running stride; and mental focus. All of these directly complement running.
RD: If a runner (who's never experienced yoga) wants to join a class, what's the best form of yoga to look for, if there's not any sessions specifically geared for runners or athletes in his/her town? Sage: It can be tough to choose a class, because without guidance you might stumble on something that's too slow-paced (and therefore boring), or too fast-paced (and therefore disheartening), and think that's all that yoga has to offer. My best advice: keep trying till you find the right fit. To help in that, you should look for classes that will teach you the proper alignment. These may be called "Hatha," "Beginners," "Alignment-Based," or "Iyengar." I really like the Anusara style as a good fit for runners; it focuses on alignment and on plenty of backbending, which, done carefully, can have huge benefit for runners.
RD: Your books The Athlete's Guide to Yoga and the The Athlete's Pocket Guide to Yoga are great tools. How did writing the books come about for you? Sage: I'd long wished aloud to my husband that I could find a book that explained how to mesh endurance sports and yoga. One day, he posited that I should write the book myself. All the books on my shelf at the time were published by VeloPress, so I approached them, and the rest is history.
RD: In addition to being a renowned yoga instructor and frequent contributor to Runner's World and Endurance Magazine, you're also a triathlon coach. How long have you been a triathlete? What drew you to the sport? Sage: I did my first triathlon in 2005, thinking the training would be a welcome break from training for road marathons, and it was.
RD: What got you into Triathlons? Sage: The fun of the new, and a desire for cross-training after a season where I incurred a stress fracture. I came for the variety, and I stayed for the friendly people and the crazy joy of doing three things in one event.
RD: What do you enjoy most about the tri? The swim? The bike? The run? Sage: I like funky swims, like the 53-degree rough chop we enjoyed at the 2008 Age-Group World Championships. Like yoga, they put me totally in the moment (the drive for survival will do that!). But the run is always my favorite part, both because I love running and because my cycling is so mediocre that I get to feel fast as I catch the cyclists who don't like to run.
RD: What are your favorite training foods? Sage: Plain old original PowerBars (the classic, chewy ones, called PowerBar Performance Energy), in Peanut Butter or Honey Roasted Nut. Tried and true, they've worked for me for so long. I'll eat most of one for breakfast before a race or hard workout, or as snack or lunch on the bike. I've also come to love, much to my surprise, the flavor of the PowerBar Double Latte gels. They don't taste so much like coffee to me as like caramel. Ah, sugar!
Speaking of sugar, I'm also very partial to afternoon tea—scones, muffins, and the like—when I'm in heavy training. My children were completely spoiled as I trained for Ironman Coeur d'Alene last year; we went to various bakeries and coffeehouses for snacks almost daily. RD: Scones for training. I like that! Now I have a good excuse when I pick one up with my morning coffee. Guess I need to find a race to train for too, huh?
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RD: Are you a lone runner or do you run with some buddies? What do you like about each? Sage: Both. I have a fantastic group of women I run with most weeks; I love it for the camaraderie, for the humor, and for the extra push. I like to dissociate and focus externally in the early stages of a workout or race, and I can be very chatty. I also like the work of bearing down and focusing that I get in my solo runs. To that end, my ideal long workouts—bike or run—involve riding or running to meet a group, doing the middle section with them, and continuing on alone.
RD: What’s the funniest or oddest thing that’s happened to you while on a run? Sage: The Frosty 50K at Salem Lake this January was run on a very, very cold day—14 degrees at the start, and not much warmer at the end. For hours, I enjoyed listening to the sound of the ice on the lake. Sometimes it gurgled like a toilet in distress, which was funny; sometimes it wailed like a musical saw, which was odd. That sound really stands out as a memory from that day.
RD: Do you have a favorite brand of running shoe? Which model? Why? Sage: I've been running in the Adidas Supernova Glide for a while now, and I really like them. My favorite shoes ever were the Asics Gel DS Trainer 12s. Rest in peace, friends. RD: It's funny, but the discontinuation of a faithful running shoe, is like the death of close friend.
RD: Do you have a favorite race that you run each year? Sage: The UNC Wellness Center Super Sprint Triathlon, which takes place across the street from my house, is a logistical favorite. While I prefer long-distance races, I actually place better, comparatively, at short races. Some of my past favorites are gone now, the Coach Bubba 20K in Durham and the Carrboro Classic Long-Course Duathlon. They've gone the way of the Asics Gel DS Trainer 12s.
RD: If you were speaking to a group of non-runners or runner wannabes and trying to encourage them to run, what would you say? Sage: Work together. Accountability and positive peer pressure will help you build the consistency you need to let your body adapt to the (good) stresses of running.
RD: Open Mike: Share anything you‘d like about your running experiences, past accomplishments, goals, dreams….anything you haven’t previously shared. Sage: I was a very nonathletic child and came to running while in graduate school. We had a big chocolate Lab who needed a lot of exercise. I'd take him on walks in the woods, then run to stay with him. That running grew very slowly, and what a gift that was. While it's noble to set a lofty goal—couch to a marathon, say—your body will adapt better if you take things slowly, organically, and for the pure joy of it. Keep it a treat, like running in the woods with a beloved dog, not a chore.
Thanks Sage for sharing with us a little about your amazing life and your gift of yoga that you share with athletes of all levels. To learn more about Sage, be sure to check out her website as well as the new website for The Carrboro Yoga Studio. The clip below gives a sneak peak into the studio.
Sage explains that "athletes come to the practice of yoga with muscle tightness from hours spent training and little time in their weekly schedules for lengthy sessions. At the height of the season, they often disappear from yoga classes altogether in favor of demanding sport-specific training, yet it is then that yoga can be most beneficial." To help make the benefits of yoga more readily available to athletes yearround, Sage has recently released a new book, The Athlete’s Pocket Guide to Yoga. This handy new resource is set up to complement a rigorous training schedule. This pocket-sized book provides:
•5-minute warm-ups to prepare for daily workouts • Strength sessions for the off-season and base periods • Flexibility sessions for when training grows more demanding, including 20-minute flexibility routines designed to follow workouts •Focus sessions incorporating breath exercises and meditation to improve recovery and sharpen mental toughness for competition
This smaller pocket-sized (6" x 7") spiral-bound book makes it easy to lay flat so the pages can easily be viewed. Each pose is beautifully photographed and tips are included to simplify trickier poses or vary the routine from one session to the next.
If you loved The Athlete's Guide to Yoga, you'll love this new handy guide. If you're just beginning to think about incorporating yoga into your exercise routine, you'll find this easy-to-use resource invaluable. To check out a sample of the book [click here].
Mike, a running buddy of mine was telling me how great yoga is, especially for runners. I had heard about the benefits of yoga—flexibility, relaxation—but had never given it much thought, especially related to running. After my conversation with Mike, I kept thinking about yoga, so I decided to do a little research.
There are several different branches of yoga, each with its own unique focus. Hatha yoga emphasizes concentration and consists of gentle stretching and strengthening exercises. Pranayama yoga uses breathing exercises and breath control to enhance vitality and energy. Mantra yoga uses the concentrated repetition of a word or phrase to aid in the control of the mind.
Many people choose yoga as a means of relaxation which is often hard to achieve in today's fast-paced, hectic life. So, it's not surprising that many modern-day stress-reduction techniques are based on yoga principals. Relaxation definitely bodes well for your health. Research shows that regular participation in mindful exercise such as yoga produces positive effects on people experiencing hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, pain, anxiety, and depression.
There's a lot more to Yoga than relaxation techniques. The regular practice of yoga can improve your performance in other activities (i.e., running). Knowing this, I began to wonder if there were any yoga programs specifically designed for runners. I was very delighted to find Yoga For Runners: The Essentials, a DVD produced by Christine Felstead. Christine was a runner for over 20 years. She began to wonder if something was wrong with the fact that she could run for miles and miles but couldn't bend over to tie her shoes. She decided to give yoga a try. She was hooked. It profoundly changed her life. So much so, that she became a yoga instructor.
Christine has created a wonderful yoga program specifically designed to meet the needs of runners. Her program helps offset the negative effects of running—stiffening of the joints and muscles. It also helps reduce injury as well as cut down on recovery time from racing, endurance running, or just an intense workout. Not only does the program increase a runner's flexibility, it also strengthens muscles in the body that aren't used in running, improves breathing, and deepens the mind-body connection.
The non-intimidating video is divided into four segments—Foundation, Lower Back, Hamstrings, and Hips. Each section presents a series of yoga holds, movements, and breathing techniques. Christine does a great job of describing how to do the various holds so that the novice can digest it all with ease and not feel overwhelmed. Knowing that flexibility-challenged runners may need some modifications to the various holds, Christine provides tips to help make many of the moves more comfortable. The fact that the other participants in the DVD are runners as well as Christine herself being a runner, made me feel confident that they understood me and my needs as a runner.
Whether you're new to yoga or have had some yoga experience, Yoga For Runners: The Essentials is perfect for any runner wanting to improve his/her overall conditioning and flexibility. I highly recommend you check out the Yoga For Runners website and order your own copy of the DVD. Yoga For Runners instructors can be found in Ontario and Alberta, Canada as well as in London, Italy, and Chattanooga, TN. Maybe I need to participate in one of her teacher training programs, so we can get more classes down here in the good old USA. Thanks Christine! (To order your own copy of the Yoga for Runners: The Essentials DVD, see the "My Picks" carousel under the Runner's Market on the right side of the blog.)
