How to Make RUNNING Suck LESS!

Running is hard. You know this, I know this, we all know this. You may have a super hard run where it feels as if your head and legs are not on the same page. You may try a new route that is filled with hills and be exhausted after. However, on the other hand there are great runs out there waiting for you, too! You gotta take the good days with the bad days, because with anything, they are bound  to happen. That being said, today I wanted to share a few ways to make running suck less.

1. Create a custom playlist OR listen to a podcast: I am a huge advocate for listening to music that you love while on the run. During the Victoria Half Marathon I tuned into a playlist I made on Spotify. If you are interested, you can check out my running beats playlist here. Alternatively, during a run is a prime time to check out a podcast to pass the time. A few favourites of mine are The Skinny Confidential Him & Her podcast and The Bitch Bible. Be sure to check them out - they will keep you thoroughly entertained!

2. Take walk breaks. Running for 20, 30, 40+ minutes can be hard whether you are a newbie runner or if you have been running for a while. Don't be afraid to take walk breaks! This helps mentally break up the run, that way you can run for 9 minutes, say, and know that you have a 1 minute break coming up. I took this approach during the Victoria Half Marathon and it was an excellent way to give my mind and body a bit of a break. Plus I was able to refuel and rehydrate during this time, too!

3. Find a workout buddy. Running is easier with a friend. That is, if you like running with someone else. Your running partner can help make you accountable, and there is nothing better than chit chatting and catching up with a friend (or family member!) while you are getting your sweat on. Time tends to pass by when you are sharing stories too, and if you are racing, you have crushed a goal together, too!

4. Buy some cute workout gear. No, seriously. Having nice workout clothing gets me pumped up. There are few things I love more than shopping for exercise clothes. If you had to choose between a baggy pair of old sweat pants and a new pair of Lululemon capris, which ones would you pick? I know the answer is different for everyone, but I'd reach for the Lulu's and kill my run with confidence. Now, I'm not saying go by a new pair of shorts or a top every time you want to work out. No, treat yourself to something here and there to help keep you feel motivated. It's all part of that feel good, look good plan.

5. Document your journey. For me, I like to document my running journey on this blog. For others it may be a journal, a planner, or in list form. Whatever it is, keeping track will allow you to visually see your progress, and you can always look back and reflect on your journey. It's important to give yourself credit for all of your hard work, and seeing all the great things written down on paper will help you look forward to another good run later on!

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For all the runners out there, what are some things YOU do to make running suck less?

Time to Hop on the Interval Train

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Hey, hey, party people!

I am here to chat about your new best friend when it comes to cardio.

No, seriously!

I know people think cardio is some grueling task, and yes, it certain can be, but this is something that will go by in a breeze and leave you feeling exhausted in the best way.

If you haven't heard of high intensity interval training, otherwise known as HIIT, you are missing out! Never fear, though. That's why I'm here to spread the good word ; )

High intensity interval training is exactly what it sounds like - you work at your maximum for a short amount of time, followed by recovery. HIIT has been my BFF for the last couple weeks on the days where I do not want to run or do cardio for longer than twenty minutes.

Yes, all you need is 15-20 minutes to complete a HIIT work out. Super short, sweet, and sweaty.

Before I chat about what my personal HIIT workouts look like, here's the benefits. That's most important. WHY the hell should I do this?

- Kickstarts your metabolism and burns tons of calories in a shorter amount of time when compared to calories burned during a long run

- Effective at burning fat

- Strengthens your lungs, heart, and legs (especially if you kick up the incline - oooh mama)

- Promotes weight loss, not muscle loss

- Time efficient: no need to set aside an hour of your day since you can get it done in 20 minutes or less!

- You can pretty much do it anywhere. Inside, outside, in your living room, whatever!

That moody morning gym light at 5:30am, pre-HIIT madness.

This is what I have been playing around for my intervals:

Warm up: 2 minutes

Easy run: 1 minute

SPRINT ALL OUT! 30 seconds
Walk to recover: 1 minute

Repeat for 15 or 20 minutes. You will work up a huge sweat, your heart will be pumping, and you will feel amazing after. Yes, it's hard, but start wherever is comfortable for you. If you feel it's better to have a longer warm up, do that. If you want more recovery time, do that. Hell, sometimes after sprinting my butt off I stand on the sides of the treadmill for a good twenty seconds before I even begin my walking recovery. It's all up to you!

You can also mix up your intervals with jumping jacks, skipping rope, burpees, mix in strength training moves. Lots of options to keep you sweating!

Note: I like to do my intervals after so I conserve my energy for strength training, but do what works for you. Sometimes we only have 20 minutes to get a workout in, and HIIT is perfect for that!

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Let me know in the comments what your favourite HIIT workout is, or if you are a lover of HIIT as well!

So, What's Next? My Running Goals

The age old question. What do I want to do next?

I find myself asking this question at the end of every race. Upon crossing the finish line, instead of relishing in the moment and the accomplishment, my mind jumps to, What next? A million thoughts tend to swirl in my head once a run is over, though I am the type of person who is always thinking of the next step. So, I thought it would be fitting to chat about my running goals in the next few months and moving into 2017.

Of course, I do not have a set deadline for these goals. I just want them to happen. Although when it comes to goal setting, having a deadline helps, but these are general ideas of what I want in my running journey. When it happens, it happens, and I will be actively working towards a few of them (especially when it comes to timing).

First an foremost, I want to improve my personal best time in the half marathon. It has been years since I got a new PR (personal record), so I'd say it is about time. Ideally I'd like to push myself under the 1:50:xx mark, so I have some work to do - specifically speed and hill training!

On a similar note, I'd like to PR in the 5K and 10K distances as well. Basically: I want to get faster.

How will I do it? I will train hills and do speed work more consistently. My next half marathon opportunity will be in 2017, so I aim to run that faster than my Victoria Half marathon race a few days ago. Victoria is such a beautiful course and is a run I do every year. Until the next race though, I will keep my fingers crossed and continuously work towards that faster time. On that note, I will look for more opportunities in the 5K and 10K distances and really try to find that edge to make that personal record happen.

Distance wise?

The full marathon will always be my goal. I have ran upwards of 12+ half marathons (I used to count, but now I can't keep track *humble brag*), which has gotta count for something! However, the full marathon has always been that elusive goal that I have that just hasn't happened. Why? I am scared of committing to it. I know that setting that goal and signing up is the first step, but part of me is so frightened about everything that could go wrong. I know, I know. This goes against my mentality with everything else I do in life. If you don't know what's going to happen, then why not focus on the good? Perhaps 2017 will be my year of the marathon. If I can get on stage in a bikini and have people judge and critique my body (does this sound crazy or what), then a full marathon is nothing compared to that! That's what I will tell myself, anyway. Gotta put in that work, work, work (cue Rhianna).

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I'm sure you guys could have guessed the full marathon as one of my goals from a mile away. For those runners out there, or for anyone reading for that matter, what are some of YOUR fitness goals?

Post-Run Recovery: 10 Tips for Running Strong

Hooray!

You've crossed the finish line, collected your medal and some goodies from the post-race refreshment tent, and now it's time to head home (or perhaps go out with some friends).

However, before you get too far, there are a few things to keep in mind before you carry on with your day. While it is tempting to hop in the car and forget about taking care of your body post-race, there's a few things I recommend doing.

1. You want to refuel. At most race events (even smaller, local races), there is almost always a post-race tent with food. Be sure to grab a banana or one of the granola bars they give out, as it is important to replenish your body after a hard workout. Some races offer chocolate milk, which has a good ratio of protein and carbohydrates to refuel with post-run, so keep your eyes out for that if you are a chocolate milk fan. There are usually a few options to choose from, such as various fruits, cookies, granola bars, protein drinks. etc. It may be tempting to load up on cookies, but beware of the dreaded sugar crash! Your post-race snack should be enough to tide you over until you can have a proper meal. One of my favourite race day traditions is going out for breakfast with Ryan once the race is over. I will choose something like a veggie omelet with whole wheat toast and fruit to refuel my body and get a healthy dose of nutrients in. This kick-starts the process of muscle repairing.

2. You will want to rehydrate. Always, always drink water. If your race offers an electrolyte drink such as Nuun, it wouldn't hurt to have that either. As you run, you sweat out electrolytes and sodium, and it is important to replenish your body as they are vital components to your health. I prefer Nuun over Gatorade as it contains less sugar and doesn't spike my blood sugar, but even watering down some Gatorade wouldn't be terrible, just so long as you rehydrate your body. No, this doesn't mean rehydrating with beer, either! However, that being said, a celebratory drink once you have eaten a decent meal is allowed, if you are into that! Remember, your pee should be a light shade of yellow, not dark!

3. Third, and one that I tend to skip out on is stretching. The atmosphere is buzzing on race day, and it is SO easy to just go through the food tent line up and continue walking along without paying any attention to your muscles. Stretching your major muscle groups - such as all muscles in the legs, and stretch out your upper body a bit as well as the shoulders can often become tight from running - will make the recovery process (and sitting on the toilet the next day) a much more pleasant process.

4. If you have access to a foam roller, DO IT! Your body will thank you. Be sure to roll out your hamstrings, quads, IT bands, and glutes, as the muscles of the legs can become very tight if you neglect stretching and foam rolling them after a run.

5. If your muscles are extra sore, be sure to ice them. When I was in the midst of training for back to back races, I would often ice my knees just in case. I would also ice my quads, and keep an ice pack under my leg to ice my hamstring. You can also sit in an ice bath if you are feeling extra brave - be sure to wear some layers on top and some shorts on the bottom - yes, it hurts as much as you'd think, but your legs will thank you!

6. Take some extra rest days. Usually after a half marathon I will take at least two days off of running, and ease my way back into my running routine. While I still go to the gym, I keep cardio at a minimum and only do easy cycling or walking on the treadmill if my muscles are still feeling a bit tender. I avoid heavy training on my legs for a few days post half marathon, but everyone is different so find a system that works best for you. Trial and error!

7. For the days following a hard run or race, consider taking an Epsom salt bath to further ease your achy muscles. Throw on some music and a face mask, pour yourself a cuppa tea, and relax! This can do wonders, especially if you are prone to sore feet or calves.

8. Take an easy yoga class. To further release any tension, look for a yoga class in your area that focuses on legs. In my city we have a class called "happy hips and hammies" which is geared towards athletes. I took this class once after cardio and leg day at the gym, and holy crap, did I ever need it! Yoga is great at not only releasing tension in your muscles, but tension in your mind as well to create harmony within your body.

9. Get a massage. Oh, yes. This is probably the best tip of them all, because it can be so relaxing and well needed, especially after a long training cycle! Whether you prefer a relaxation massage or registered massage therapy, massage is a great way to nurture your body and promote recovery.

10. CELEBRATE! Celebrate your accomplishments with your friends and family. Celebrate your race with your dog, your cat, your fish, whatever. Enjoy a glass of wine, reflect on your race, and get energized with a plan for the next one. It is important in your journey to keep the motivation flowing (motivation - not wine ; ), so be grateful for your race day and for what your body can achieve. This puts your mind in a positive place before the craziness of training starts again!

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What are your post-race recovery tips?

Race Recap: 2016 Victoria Half Marathon

Good morning, party people!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving Sunday yesterday. I ate a lot, drank a bit, and had a merry ol' time with family. Yep, an extra serving of stuffing happened because it is what I look forward to the most when it comes to the Thanksgiving dinner spread.

Let's back up and chat about yesterday's half marathon. It is actually my fifth year running this race (not that I counted the medals when I got home or anything..) and the course did not disappoint.

My alarm went off shortly after 5am on Sunday morning. Ew, right? That is an awful time to wake up anyway, especially on a Sunday. I went to bed around 9:30pm the night before after a simple spaghetti dinner, and was carbed up and ready to run.

Pre-race my breakfast was some instant oatmeal. I find this sits better in my stomach than slow cooking oats and peanut butter toast with banana. PB toast used to be my go-to, but I find that it is harder on my digestive system and kind of sits like a rock as I run, you know? Anyway, I felt fueled up and ready on our drive to Victoria. Bless Ryan's kind heart for always driving me so early at the ass crack of dawn to these events. I'm kinda psycho in that way, I suppose.

Runners heading towards the start line.

The Parliament buildings looking pretty! It was about 7:20am at this point and just starting to get lighter outside.

The start line! The half marathon was sold out, and the street was bustling with that race day excitement. It always helps pump me up when there is a good vibe on race day! How can it not be good, though? You're about to kill 21.1km! When 7:30am hit, the race began, and the crowd moved up until we were over the start line and runnin'.

I experimented a little bit during this run not only with a new running belt that holds a water bottle, but with a new running method too. Generally I just RUN and hope I don't die or fall or smash face first into the ground (note: this has never happened, well, aside from tripping and falling during the Oak Bay half in 2013 I think it was. Oops), BUT. This time I tested out the "run 10 minutes, walk 1 minute method." Doing this gave me time to drink my own water (bypassing water stations is a beautiful thing) and get ready for the next 10 minute segment of running. Eventually I will be in better shape to just run the whole thing as I have done in the past, but this was a great way to mentally break it up. The water belt was a game changer too. Definitely worth the $43.

The Victoria Half has some rolling hills, but nothing that I haven't come up against before. Compared to Kelowna, it was smooth sailing! I carried one gel in my water belt (I am a big fan of the Honey Stinger gels in fruit smoothie flavour, as they are all natural and don't make my tummy feel weird) and took half at about the 13km mark and then the rest around the 15km mark. One thing I thought to myself as I was running along Dallas Rd is how much I truly enjoy this course. While the expo is meh, the race itself is WOW! Nothing better than running along the ocean and in beautiful Victoria!

What worked well for me: having my own water and being able to have a drink anytime I wanted to. Ever since the Kelowna half I thought about purchasing a water belt, but I just never got around to it. Bless the Running Room for having a 20% off coupon on Saturday! I also wore a new pair of pants that I had never worn in a half marathon before that were FANTASTIC. I will post about my favourite running gear later on this month, but just know that they are life changing. And Lululemon. Shocking, right? : )

Was I waving? Or pretending to high five Ryan through the fence? Or just posing like a cheese ball? One will never know. Oh yeah, this shirt was the jam too as I never felt too hot or too cold during the whole race. Win, win.

Ooh paparazzi. Enough with the glamour shots. 

Another one done and dusted! We headed to White Spot after the race for some breakfast, and then home to shower and RELAX! Oh, and I foam rolled too. I'm so good at this post-race recovery thing! Hint hint, post about that coming soon too ; )

All in all it was a great run and a wonderful Thanksgiving Sunday. See ya again next year, Victoria half! 

Victoria Half Marathon: The Expo

While you are reading this I have already ran the Victoria Half Marathon. Stay tuned for my race recap tomorrow, but here is a little look inside the race expo held at the Victoria Conference Centre.

The race has four events, and for the last almost four years I believe I have ran this race. I enjoy the course (except for the end, but I'll get to that tomorrow) as it is so scenic and pretty, and the crowds are always great. The expo is a great way to get energized and motivated for the race.

The expo is always on the smaller side - they changed the layout this year so the expo was more navigation friendly rather than being one big loop of vendors. There were all kinds of local sports companies, as well as stores such as Frontrunners, New Balance, and The Running Room there representing. Additionally, there were a few fresh juice and supplement companies there as well, so you could load up on post-race fuel and energy gels.

Unfortunately, I don't usually see anything that catches my eye at this expo. Compared to some other races out there I feel like you are paying a higher registration fee just because it's the Victoria Marathon, and not really getting a lot of bang for your buck. Example: the Lululemon SeaWheeze had SO MUCH to offer and was the same price as this run. Nevertheless, there were at least some free samples at the expo and also discounted prices on shirts from the previous years, if you were in the market for some new running tops. But I digress.

With that said, it didn't take us too much time to mosey through the expo. We stopped at a few booths, but like I said before, there was nothing really that caught my eye or made me want to spend more time there. Perhaps if I wanted to buy some new shoes or new running gear than I would've spent more time looking at the gear offerings, but I mostly wanted to get in and out and carry on with the day. Plus, the weather was absolutely miserable on the drive into Victoria so I didn't want to get stuck in the pouring rain on the Malahat when it got dark - nooo thank you!

Also, funny story: I thought I had registered for this race MONTHS ago. So, one day in September I randomly thought I better confirm my registration online. It turns out I didn't register, and there were only four spots in the the half marathon left. Oh, well then. So, I got myself registered and of course there were only men's XL shirts left. Just my luck! That'll teach me to get on it early - and thank goodness there were at least a few spots left when I finally did check. Oopsies.

See you again tomorrow for the race recap! Wishing all my fellow Canadians a Happy Thanksgiving weekend - I'm off to have an extra serving of stuffing.

My Running Journey: How I Started

Ahh, yes. I get this question quite a lot. "How did you start running?" "Why did you start running?"

Today on the blog I wanted to chat about my answers to those questions and how exactly I started on my running journey. Running didn't come to me overnight. It was one of those things that I worked at day in and day out, a little bit at a time.

If you read my body image post, you'll know that I have struggled with personal body image for a little while. Fortunately, I feel as if I am in a place now where I can just accept myself the way I am and know that I have the knowledge and the means to make changes should I want to.

That being said, what truly started my running journey was the desire for a healthier life and to lose weight. I feel like this is kind of part of everyone's reason for starting on a health journey. Am I right, or am I right?

For me, it was in 2007 when my love affair with exercise and running truly started. I would do various work out videos on YouTube and be consistent for about a week or so, and then go on a week break before picking it back up again. At this time, I was going to the local gym with my dad a few evenings per week and I would use the elliptical machine for about 30 minutes. After I was finished, I remember feeling so good and accomplished. My parents were always supportive of me going to the gym, and I remember being SO excited the day that my dad and I went to pick up a used treadmill that we found in the Buy, Sell, and Trade. This is when I really started to dabble in running.

My running journey didn't start by running full on for half an hour. Nope, not even close. I would run for a minute, walk for two, then repeat for 20 minutes or however long I wanted to run for. Then, I would start to increase my running time and decrease my walking time until I could run a full 30 minutes without stopping. This took me months to do, but I would run from 7-7:30am Monday to Friday before school. It was during this time that I really saw my body change with being so consistent, and of course making diet changes, too. Exercise and eating is something that goes hand in hand. For me, this was a great combination that helped motivate me along the way.

Eventually, I ran my first 5km race which was a local Run for ALS fundraiser in my area. My mom, dad, and sister all came out to watch me, and I felt so pumped after crossing the finish line. The endorphins were flowing, I was feeling good, and more importantly I was feeling inspired to continue on. I started pushing myself further and kept track of the distance I was running. One year for Christmas my parents got me my first Garmin watch, and that's when I could really see just how far exactly my runs were taking me. Prior to this I would train by time. Just get to 20 minutes, now get to 25, now 30... Okay that's a little over 5km... I wonder how far I can go now. My family was happy that I found a healthy hobby, and I was too.

In 2012 I ran my first half marathon. It was the BMO Half Marathon, and I crossed the finish line in under two hours. This is probably the moment I truly fell in love with running. Reading my race recap actually gives me goose bumps, because it takes me right back to that moment when I was running towards the finish line and saw my mom and sister there cheering for me. At that point, I almost burst into tears. I did it. I ran a half marathon, and it was amazing. It was the moment I felt like a runner, and a time I will remember for the rest of my life. <--- Wow Holly, you sap.

And so, the rest goes from there. For the last almost 10 years running has been a huge constant in my life. It is something I can turn to when I am happy, stressed, sad, upset, excited - it doesn't matter how I am feeling, because I know I will always feel great once I get out there. Plus, the endorphins after don't hurt either!

If you have been curious about running, I say give it a shot. Set a goal and go for it, because you will be amazed and so thrilled at the results once you accomplish it. I am a huge advocate for goal setting, because there is always something you can achieve, no matter your skill level or where you are in your fitness journey. As they say, everybody starts somewhere!

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Thank you for taking the time to read this post! For all the other runners out there, how did you start your running journey!? Let me know!

FitBit Fun + Solo Gym Time

Good evening, friends!

I am coming to you tonight from the comfort of my couch. It has been a bit of a busy day today, but what's new? My Sunday (which is Monday) always tends to be all over the place - and I wonder why I feel not-so relaxed after the weekend... Hmmm..

Nevertheless, I wanted to pop in and give you a little recap of the weekend!

After the work day on Saturday, I hit the gym for a quick workout. I had about 45 minutes MAX to spend, as I was attending a surprise 50th birthday party for a family friend, so I got it done FAST. My heart rate stayed elevated the whole time, and I took shorter than normal rests between sets. The workout consisted of a 5 minute warm up on the treadmill, followed by some back, biceps, and shoulders.

And because I couldn't get enough of the upper body, I completed a similar work out on Sunday, but mixed in some HIIT (high intensity interval training) after. I would sprint all out for 30 seconds, rest for another 30, and then run at an easy pace for one minute before repeating it again. The purpose of this is to get the heart rate going up, and down, and WTF is she going to do next. This will help shock the metabolism and keep your body in the fat burnin' zone. Not bad, not bad ; ) Both Saturday and Sunday were nice and quiet in the gym - gotta love that solo time so you can take multiple gym selfies without ridicule, am I right? : )

Post-work out meal on Sunday night. Ryan and I signed up for a local CSA offered by a farm that our friends own, and they were generous enough to give us one of their chickens. So, Ryan got crafty in the kitchen and roasted it up, and we enjoyed a delicious dinner. The chicken was so fresh and tender, and I made some homemade chicken soup with it today! Gotta love that : ) 

Now rewind to now where Nala is laying on the floor with my shoes post-puppy playdate with her cousins. Yep, that's her favourite spot. That and under the kitchen table chairs. Strange, but whatever works! 

So, I came upon a FitBit on Friday afternoon. A friend said she didn't use hers and was going to throw it in the garbage, so in I swooped to take it off her hands. I used it for most of the afternoon yesterday and into the evening, and fortunately I hit just over 10,000 steps yesterday. This is a snap shot of my day around 2pm, Now I have officially hit 20,000 steps and it is 5:03PM! Craziness, right? Helps that I ran 11.2 km as well.

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So, there's an update for you! I will be back again on Wednesday with more goodies. Time to relax with my under eye sheet masks and some peppermint tea. Such a life of glamour I lead ; ) Au revoir! 

Weekend Recap + On My Reading List

Good afternoon!

I am checking in late on the blog this afternoon, but better late than never, right?

We have had a productive day over on this end! I hope Monday is being kind to you and you had lots of coffee to power through the day : )

This weekend we had some quality time with family, plus some relaxation and activity thrown in the mix too. Ryan's dad was over visiting for the weekend, so we went out for dinner Saturday night and then I fell asleep on the couch.

In typical Holly fashion, of course.

Sunday late-morning our house guest went home, and I spent a solid THREE HOURS - yup, you read that right, THREE HOURS - working on this blog for you guys. I have something fun coming up in October, so I needed to put the work in now in order to make it WERK. I am not giving any more hints, but look forward to a little somethin' somethin' more than three times per week. That's it. Lips are sealed.

After I was finished being a hermit on the computer (bless Ryan for keeping himself occupied), I went for my long run. Initially my thought was to do this earlier in the morning, but then life happens and suddenly it's 1:30pm and you're like. WHOA wait a minute. I wanted to go for a run! So, I put my gear on and headed down to the treadmill and got my run in. Sunday's run was 10km, followed by not enough stretching. I seriously need to stretch more. Must. Stretch. More.

Then we took the dog for a walk, made some dinner (zucchini noodles for life), and watched the season finale of Ballers. Yeah, I gotta say I was underwhelmed, but I will still watch next season because The Rock, ya feel me? ; )

And of course a cute little picture of Miss Nala who had her last set of puppy shots today! Naturally she celebrated with a nap on the floor, because why lay in your actual bed when the floor is just as good.

Before the vet I had a RMT appointment, which I will be posting about on Wednesday! I wanted to recap this separately in case anyone was interested in trying out registered massage therapy. This was much needed, especially since I had gone to the gym early this morning and ran 6km when I woke up. Yep, that massage was golden.

Anywayyyyy...

A creepy screenshot of a SnapChat I sent earlier today. I was talking to our vet about how Nala is getting more and more energy the more she grows, and she said that it was perfectly fine for Nala to be running with me for shorter runs. Nothing crazy like 10k since her body is still developing, but she gives the thumbs up for shorter runs!

At this point in the afternoon it was about 2:30pm and I was ready for something to eat. My breakfast was a piece of avocado toast with two over easy eggs and sauteed spinach, so for lunch I wanted something a bit more comforting. SO! I got a little crafty and make some pumpkin spice oats. Yes, the pumpkin spice is REAL over here and I am not ashamed!

What's next for the evening? Some dinner and Harry Potter. I am determined to read the Harry Potter series by Christmas. Yep, so I got a little bit of work to do considering I finished the last book about a month ago. Oops. Then the Harry Potter movie marathon can begin!

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Well, I think we are all caught up now. This may have been a little all over the place, but I just wanted to blurt everything out and let it flow, ya know? : ) Catch you in the next post!

Kelowna Wine Country Half Marathon Recap

Nothing beats a sunrise in wine country!

On Sunday, September 4th I participated in the 2016 Kelowna Wine Country Half Marathon hosted by Destination Races. It was my first "Destination Race," and the first time I had really traveled farther than Vancouver for a run. Kelowna is known for being a summer getaway place, and the region is known for it's wine. So, what better than combining two of my favourite things - running and wine - and making a half marathon event out of it? Yep, I'm in!

The race started at 7am from the Vibrant Vine winery. It was a smaller race with less than 800 participants, which was perfect. Some big city races can be SO crowded and overwhelming, but the atmosphere here on race day was comfortable and relaxed. Maybe everyone had been sippin' wine before the race, hey? Wait until we cross the finish line!

The winey itself lives up to it's name, as it certainly is vibrant! Inside it was so colourful with lots of artwork on the walls, and the outside was fun and inviting as well. If you are in the Kelowna area, I highly recommend checking it out!

A snap of the start line early in the morning. The calm before the storm, as they say.

The run itself was both hard and fun. I say it was hard because there were SO many hills. If you have ran the Seawheeze before, think those hills but longer and more frequent. Yeah, my legs are still hurting today from it! All hills aside, though, the downhills were much appreciated and the course was SO scenic. Living on Vancouver Island is pretty much as good as it gets, but running in a new area made me appreciate all the sights and surroundings that Kelowna has to offer. The course takes you through vineyards, orchards, cute residential streets, along the water front, and downtown Kelowna where it finishes at the Kelowna Waterfront Park. The course had lots to offer, and they had it well equipped with aid stations and volunteers cheering along the way. Plus, I ran the half marathon with my aunt, so it was nice to have someone to chat with along the way!

WAIT - Did I mention there is wine at the end?

Ooooh, yeeeeah!

After collecting your medal and bag of goodies at the finish line, runners were able to pick up a wine glass for the tasting event. Since Ryan was with me, I had a ticket for two wine glasses so he could participate as well. Aaand now we have two fancy wine glasses to add to the collection ; ) Local wineries came out and you were able to go from station to station and sample their specialties. There were SO many good wines out there (I am a red girl), and I am hoping I can find them at our stores here to share them with family and friends.

The medal is a wine coaster! I don't know if I would use it as a coaster since I am paranoid about anything scratching the table (still has that new look, almost a year later!), but nevertheless. It is a super cool idea for a wine themed race, and the wine glasses were a nice little bonus.

All in all, I enjoyed everything the Wine Country Half had to offer. It was a great day filled with great sights, great people & great wine. I will be back next year!

Lululemon Seawheeze 2016: The Festival

This is part two of my Lululemon Seawheeze weekend recap. You can read all about the run itself here, and in this post I wanted to chat about the seriously AMAZING!!! festival that took place in Stanley Park on Saturday afternoon into the evening. They don't call it run, yoga, party for nothin!

But first, let's check out the goods post race:

From left to right: Nuun hydration tabs in berry flavour, exclusive Seawheeze sunglasses (and duffel bag underneath), Lululemon water bottle, and a pouch from Friday's noon yoga class with a yoga mat cleaning spray, yoga facial mist with essential oils, and a peppermint essential oil roll-on. Not pictured: a navy blue Seawheeze hat and a pouch from Saje wellness with a few more roll-ons to help with muscle soreness and pain relief. This was applied liberally post-run!

Now for the festival. Where to begin?

Ryan and I took the shuttle bus from the Vancouver Convention Centre to Stanley Park and arrived at about 5pm. There were food vendors and little pop-up shops that circled the upper field (think a pop up Lululemon shop with exclusive Seawheeze gear, local made jewelry, artisan soaps & skincare, a fancy toasted marshmallow stand, etc), and if you looked down the hill, there was a huge stage set up for the musical entertainment. The first performer was Youngblood (we were waiting in line and missed this), second was Dear Rouge, and the headliner was Chromeo.

Upon arrival, we grabbed ourselves some Lululemon x Stanley Park Brewing Company beverages. I am not normally a beer person, but this was a brew even I enjoyed - and that is saying something from the girl who prefers caesars and wine over anything!

I was super excited to get my yoga on when class started at 6pm. Beforehand we hung out, grabbed a bite to eat and drank our beer in the shade. It was important to get some kind of food into our system since we really hadn't eaten anything since our post-race breakfast! We got into yoga mode in front of the stage and I rolled out my mat. Yoga teacher Stephanie Snyder taught a class that was relaxing, engaging, and FUN! She even had us doing partner exercises (bless Ryan's soul) to get people opening up and laughing. It felt good to stretch it out in the sunshine. This meant we were limbered up for dancing all night!

But first? Food time. The only big con of the evening was the long line-ups for food. We waited for probably an hour, and although that poutine was tasty, it was still a lengthy wait. Nevertheless, we made it back to the yoga mat just in time for the second musical act, Dear Rouge. They are a local Vancouver band and were excellent!

I had never heard Dear Rouge's music before, but it had a good rocker vibe to it and was super catchy. I had my head bobbin' around while eating my poutine (not an easy feat but I'll add it to my list of talents). If you are in the mood for some new tunes, I would highly recommend searching Dear Rouge and checking them out! 

And of course, CHROMEO! But if you let her see that fancy footwork...

I was so excited to see Chromeo perform. They put on SUCH a good show and had the crowd dancing. There was one point where they played their song called Jealous, and I was literally jumping around on my yoga mat dancing around with the biggest damn grin on my face. Ryan and I danced the night away and thoroughly enjoyed the music, the food, the drinks, and the overall atmosphere of the evening. You can't go wrong with good music and good company!

And what's a run, yoga, party without a man on stilts wearing an electric suit? Yeah, I need this at my next birthday. All in all, it was an amazing year, and the first year I was able to attend the weekend festival. Lululemon definitely made it an experience to remember, and one of the best weekends of my summer! : )

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Have you ran a Seawheeze race before?