As I count down the days to the Lululemon Seawheeze Half Marathon in beautiful Vancouver, I couldn’t help but look back on how my training has progressed since the day I made running a half marathon my new fitness goal and impulsively signed my boyfriend, Paul and myself up for this event.
Ever since starting my training, I’ve done a total of 29 runs and ran a total of 140.5km. It may not be a huge impressive number and I feel I could’ve trained more but it is definitely maybe 138 more km than I would ever run had I not signed up for a half marathon. I used to take 9 minutes to run 1km and now, on a good day I can run 1km in 7.5 minutes. Major progress has been made! Being a non runner, I struggled through most of those 29 runs, with the inevitable ‘I feel great but I’m glad that’s over’ feeling afterwards.
This past weekend was packed with get togethers with friends and family, so in an attempt to train more, I brought my running gear with me and ran a quick 5.15km and 3.4km in the neighbourhood I was in as a change of scenery. I still can’t say I love or like running but I love Lululemon and crushing goals, which makes me even more excited about the upcoming challenge this weekend. If I can’t do it for the love of running, it’d be for the love of Lululemon! Based on what I’ve seen done in previous years, I know this year’s Seawheeze event won’t disappoint. It’s going to be EPIC and pretty soon I’ll be able to check ‘running my first half marathon’ off my never ending list of fitness goals!
The whole Seawheeze experience leading up to the run has been great and very well organized. Getting a spot within the 35 minutes it took to sell out was what really set all things into motion.
Our exclusive Seawheeze running shorts were sent out to us back in March (part of my reason for signing up, haha) and a Seawheeze running app was developed to help everyone stay on track with their running goals.
For the first time this year, there will be a ‘runners only’ shopping time at the Seawheeze Showcase Store where we will get to shop the limited edition merchandise before it opens to the general public. I’m so excited for this! Shopping for new clothes the day before our run 😀 Only catch is it’s going to be a very early morning and I’m sure the lineups are going to be massive! Soo…given its start time of 7:30am, I should be lining up by 6:30 or earlier.
Below is the route I’ll be running along with 10,000 other people in 3 days! It’s going to be a nice scenic run through downtown Vancouver, into Kitsilano, along the English Bay and Seawall, around Stanley Park, and ending at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
Goals for the Lululemon Seawheeze Half Marathon:
1. Have Fun! First and foremost.
2. Complete the 21.09 km run. This will be the longest distance I’ve ever run so really, just passing the finish line will be an achievement in itself for me.
3. Finish in under 3 hours.
Technology I’ll be bringing with me (because those who know me, know I can’t live without my technology!):
1. Garmin Forerunner 220 + Heart Rate monitor
I never go for a run without this watch. It’s very comfortable, lightweight, and has a nice colour display. With its built in GPS, I love that it syncs with the Garmin Connect App as well as my Nike Run app for me to see my routes and keep track of my progress after my run. Most times I’ll just wear my watch and not carry my phone. This watch helps motivate me during my runs as it vibrates at the end of each km, tracks my distance, pace, and personal records achieved.
2. GoPro Hero 3+
I know for sure that I’ll want to take LOTS of photos and videos along the way, during the run. So what better way to do it than with my GoPro! I recently bought an LCD Touchscreen BacPac so that I can actually see what I’m shooting without having to use my phone as the viewfinder and have easy access to controls. This is going to make framing my shots so much easier and I can’t wait to test it out during the Seawheeze run!
3. Fitbit One
My Fitbit stopped working a week before the run but thanks to the team at Fitbit, I now have a brand new Fitbit One to use! This weekend I will find the answer to my question:Â how many steps does it take to complete a half marathon?
4. Nike Free 4.0 Flyknits & Saucony Kinvara 6 Running Shoes
Ok, it’s not an actual piece of technology but there is a lot of technology that goes into creating a pair of running shoes. In my training I’ve been alternating between running with my Saucony Kinvara 6’s and Nike Free 4.0 Flyknits, so am not sure which pair I should wear. Both offer a totally different feel. The Nike Flyknits offer a more minimalist feel in a very low profile shoe. They are so comfortable especially with a bigger toebox and the material just hugs your feet like wearing a pair of socks. I’m just not sure how my feet would feel after running 21km in them due to having less cusioning, which is where the Saucony Kinvara 6’s come in. They are also very lightweight and comfortable with a mesh upper, offering firm and responsive cushioning with a neutral heel/toe offset. The main difference being that they are a bit chunkier due to all the cusioning. I’ll think about it and decide when I get to Vancouver.
That’s it for now, gotta go pack! I’ll be flying out to Vancouver this Thursday and will post a recap of my experience once I return!