SeaWheeze Expo Activities

Oh my gosh...I was totally unprepared for the extravaganza that Lululemon put on for the 2013 SeaWheeze Half Marathon weekend.  My friend Pauline had participated in 2012 for the inaugural race and so she was our insider who made sure we were fully prepared.

The festivities kicked off on Friday morning with Packet Pick Up and the famous Expo shop.  Lulu had given sneak peaks in the 10 days leading up to the race of some of the special SeaWheeze designs that would be available for sale only at the Expo shop.  The expo opened at 8AM and we began our morning with a workout of course.  Mandy and Pauline were doing a week long workout challenge during our trip so they took Jules to the fitness center and got their workout on around 5:45AM.  I headed to the pool for the good fun of lap swimming! As a side note...we all highly recommend asking for a room on the same floor as the fitness center when you are travelling with multiple people.  It worked out great for our group since we could use the extra bathrooms and showers in the fitness center.

Yep! Swimming Rocks even on vacation!

We finished up our workouts and then headed to the expo arriving around 7:15AM...to a super long line.

Lulu fans get in line early for their exclusive clothing options! I made my first Lulu mistake and was one of the few people not totally decked out in a Lulu outfit.  I just didn't even think about that when I packed for the trip plus I don't own a ton of Lulu pieces.

One of the entertaining things wondering thru the pick up line! 

The line was very pleasant and before we knew it the line began moving.  It was a little like Disney though in that you never quite seemed to get close to the doors!  Eventually we made it in and we debated splitting up.  There were two separate entrances - one for packet pickup and one for the store.  We had decided to have one person go through pickup and the rest wait in the store line but the volunteers ended up telling us it would be faster to get into the store if we went through packet pick up.

Once we got inside for the packet line we got our first glimpse of the circus fun that Lulu had planned.

Jules, Me, Mandy, and Pauline

The pickup process was a little slow at times since the volunteers sometimes struggled to quickly find your bag but otherwise it was pretty painless.  Once we activated our timing chips, we were released into the store.

The store was organized by size groups and then products within each size.  It really made it easy to shop your size however the assortment wasn't the same across all sizes.  There were changing rooms available but most of the shoppers were just claiming some carpet space and trying on as discreetly as possible.  Most ladies were grabbing options and had large piles surrounding them since choices and quantity were limited.

After selecting items for purchase (15 piece limit - and many bought their limit!) you got into the payment line.  The line took about 15-20 minutes to move through but once you got to a cashier they were very pleasant and efficient with the process.  All of the volunteers were super cheerful throughout the expo and shop including the poor souls that had to keep stocking and restocking the product.  They were busy for sure!

The views from the expo center were gorgeous and the view included many seaplanes taking off and landing while we were shopping.   Just outside the store area was the Mantra wall.  We took turns supplying our mantras to the mantra wall.

Pauline on the Mantra Wall! 

Leaving our marks on the Finish Line banners! 

Outside on the plaza was a fun summer beach style retreat.  They had fun games and bright colored chairs to rest on.  There was even a hair and makeup station but we bypassed that line.

Hair and Nail Stations

Instead we ended up getting immediate service at the massage area. It was great to get a relaxing 15 minute massage under the sun and the aromatherapy products were amazing.

All the massage therapists had shirts that read "here for you at the Finish Line"

After our massages, we headed to the Cactus Cafe which was right alongside the plaza.  We sat outdoors and watched one of the largest outdoor yoga classes that I have ever seen.  Then we headed back to the hotel to offload our purchases and plan out our Vancouver explorations.

Tips for the Lululemon SeaWheeze Packet Pick up:
1) Arrive early if you are interested in the shopping opportunity.
2) Wear layers - so that you can easily try clothing on over your leggings or tank for example.
3) Make plans with your friends - have a check in time and check in location.  It's easy to lose track of time and friends within the shop.
4) Make sure you tell your credit card company that you will be traveling outside the US and if you plan to make a large purchase at the store alert them to that so your charges don't get denied.  It was a common occurrence so much so that they announced on the PA several times to call credit card companies while you were in line.
5) Plan to spend several hours exploring all the fun at the expo site.  The massages are great and some of the activities had a line that was slower moving.
6) Bring drinks and snacks - there is a small coffee shop inside the expo hall but otherwise food and drink options are limited.
7) Stop by one of the real Lululemon shops before hand to try out the products and get an idea of your size and determine if there is anything in the normal product lineup that you like better than the SeaWheeze designs when you are at the shop.
8) Have fun!!!

Sea Wheezin Plans

Last week some friends mentioned they were planning a girls half marathon trip for later this year.  The race was one that one of the girls had done last year and she loved it.  I really don't have a structured race plan for the year...I have an idea of some key races but I have lots of space open...so it was easy for her to persuade me to sign up.

With just 30 minutes of conversation I was sold on the adventure.  Several things intrigued me about the weekend.  This is an international race and I have never done a race in another country.  I also liked the idea of doing a race with my friends and getting to explore a fun city.  Without any further ado...I'm officially registered for the SeaWheeze Half Marathon sponsored by Lululemon in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.





The race is on Saturday, August 10th and is part of a weekend full of activities.  From the race site, here's what you get with registration:

• one Incredible weekend
• a pair of SeaWheeze special edition run shorts
• a SeaWheeze app to help you build your training program
• access to our official yogi and run trainers
• a fully supported race route complete with aid, water, and fueling stations
• a post-race runners brunch
• an outdoor Oceanside concert and after party
• yoga, yoga, and more yoga

How about you?  Are you looking for a fun, international race with friends.  The SeaWheeze could be the perfect answer for you too!  But don't delay...registration is filling up fast.  It's already 80% full and has only been open for about one month. Let me know if you are going!

Sweat and Surrender

A few months ago I saw a flyer on Facebook that read "No Foolin Lululemon Comes to Northwest Arkansas."  I quickly checked it out and saw that a local yoga group was hosting a Lululemon Ambassador for a 2 hour yoga workshop followed by a Lululemon trunk show.  The yoga workshop was on April 1st and No Foolin it was tough and fun!

I signed up for it because I knew that I would need some good stretching after the Bentonville Half Marathon.  I didn't realize at the time that the workshop would be a hot yoga class.  Thankfully, I noticed the wording "Warm Vinyasa Flow" in an email the day before class because I definitely needed my yoga towel to keep from slipping on my mat during the class. 

Jennifer opening the class

The instructor was Jennifer Skaggs who is based out of Tulsa.  She has a very calm and gentle voice for a very powerful style of yoga.  She began the workshop with the guidance to "Greet each pose like its your first time in it." What a great reminder to be open to the experience because your body is different each and every day in how it responds to the environment around us.  For me, there were some poses that my hamstrings were screaming for so I adjusted, used a block, and did the best I could. 

Me and Jennifer

Another great reminder Jennifer gave us was to find that point between compassion and pushing toward the edge.  I thought this was a unique thought and something I had never really considered before.  To do this, she reminded us more than once to make our own decisions regardless of what those around us were doing.  We are all different and the full pose is the one you are in.  It's hard to not compare yourself to those around you but if you can focus inward then you'll find the decision that is right for you.  This meant taking some poses a little easier than others but it also meant pushing myself through a two hour workshop.  We spent a good amount of time on pigeon pose near the end and it was just what I needed to talk to my hips and try to loosen them up. 

The workshop group...after class so we're just a little sweaty.

Besides the words of wisdom, the workshop was set up as a 90 minute sweat flow series and then 30 minutes of surrender poses.  I was shaking and sweating with the first few poses and worried that I wouldn't make it through the whole class...but I did!  Jennifer uses a non-traditional playlist and I loved it.  I don't remember all of the songs but there was some Alanis Morrisette and John Mayer in there and maybe even a little Snoop Dogg.  My favorite song Hallelujah was the final shavasana song and was the perfect way to end the workshop.  Overall, it was a great experience and something I hope the repeat.