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Moody Girl Runs: SeaWheeze Half Marathon Race Recap

There aren’t too many races that will make me stop what I’m doing to sign up and register for a race, but this one gets me every time.

The 2014 Lululemon SeaWheeze Half Marathon took place on Saturday, August 23rd Vancouver, BC.  This is the second year in a row that I ran this race and unlike last year, I’m finally getting around to sharing my race recap.  This race was extra special to me because my mom came along for the fun to complete her very first half marathon.  She did an awesome job and I’m so proud of her – Go Mom!  My dear friend, M, my mom and I arrived in Vancouver a couple days before the race.  As soon as we got settled in, we could feel the energy for this event throughout the city.  It was pretty easy to spot the SeaWheeze runners because they were dressed in full Lululemon gear wandering the streets of Vancouver. 
PRE-RACE EXPO

On Friday morning, we arrived at the Vancouver Convention Center around 10:00am to find a long line stretched halfway around the building. Luckily, there were two separate lines for both the race packet pickup and the special SeaWheeze Showcase Store. (This is where Lululemon sells a line of SeaWheeze-branded clothes, which exclusively made for the race.)   We decided to let the line to the store die down a little and went to pick up our race packets first since there was a shorter line.  The packet pickup moved pretty quickly.  Unfortunately, we made the mistake of not getting to the convention center earlier in the day, because the store was a complete zoo by the time we got in.  We waited in the store line for about 45 minutes and there was hardly anything left.  


Workers were removing empty racks and shelves throughout the room as dozens of women buzzed around trying to find their sizes.  It was very clear that they were not going to restock anything at this point.  I grabbed a bunch of clothes in my size so I could try them on.  Luckily I was able to find a few things in my size that were placed on wrong racks, so I was pretty happy about that.  However, there were a lot of people that weren’t so lucky.  After a few hours, the only sizes left in the store were size 2s and 4s and eventually they sold out everything by the early afternoon.  Normally, the showcase store is opened on both Friday and Saturday, but they officially ran out of merchandise and closed up early on Friday.  If you want to see what so many people missed out on, check out Lululemon Addict's blog (here) for most of the merchandise sold.

We grabbed a few snacks at the pre-race expo outside of the convention center.  The pre-race expo also included hair braiding, manicures, spray-on tattoos, cotton candy and yoga.  The festivities went on all day, but we decided to skip out on some of the fun.  We grabbed lunch at nearby restaurant and bought tickets for a bus tour around the entire city.  The weather was gorgeous during the whole weekend and despite missing both the nooner and sunset yoga sessions, I’d say that Lululemon did an excellent job on the pre-race expo this year.

RACE DAY
The morning of the race, we were pretty relaxed and quiet in our hotel. We woke up around 5:15am so we would have enough time to get ready.  I ate a cup of yogurt and a SimplyProtein® Bar (which kept me full during the whole race).  Our hotel was about a 10-minute walk from the race start line so we decided to head down to make it for the Sunrise Warm-Up stretch. However, we thought it started at 6:30am and we ended up missing the whole thing.  We did our own warm up and stretch after I dropped of my bag at the gear check.  We started to make our way to the corrals around 6:50am.

I didn’t have a major goal in mind for this race considering I didn’t train as hard as know I should have.  My main goal was to beat my time from last year, which was 2:16.  M and my mom didn’t have a goal in mind either so we decided to line up in the 2:30 corral.  The race started promptly at 7:00am and I finally started to get a little nervous.  We waited for about 30 minutes before we got started because of all of the groups of waves before us.  There were so many people waiting to run.  Lululemon capped this race at 10,015 people this year.  I’m not sure how many people actually ran the race, but this was the largest half marathon that I’ve ever participated in. 

When it was finally our turn, I wished my mom and M good luck and I took off.  I wanted to find my pace and move away from the crowd of people as quickly as possible.  The course worked its way quickly through downtown, over the Dunsmuir Viaduct into a small part of Chinatown before getting to False Creek.  Immediately, there were all kinds of entertainers and cheer stations along the way.  I typically don’t take pictures while I’m running, but I’m really wishing that I had. 
We eventually worked our way over to the Burrard Street Bridge and crossed into Kitsilano and returned back on the Burrard Street Bridge.  It was a real treat to see Lululemon Corporate offices along the way.  Shortly after we headed back into the city, we moved our way towards the Sea Wall and I tried to stay focused from there to the end of the race.  I had already passed the 2:30 and 2:20 pacers, so my goal was to either catch up to the 2:10 pacers or not let the 2:20 pacers pass me. 
I eventually crossed the finish line with a time of 2:11 and I couldn’t be any happier.  I got an awesome medal and grabbed some water to cool down and stretch my legs.  I’m still trying to figure out what the medal is (if anybody knows what it is, please comment below).  I didn’t leave the finish line area because I wanted be there to watch my mom and my friend M finish the race.  I was so excited to see my mom cross the last mat.  She was so happy and proud of herself.  She really worked hard for this race and now she knows that she can do it again if she had to.  She had so much fun and she’s still talking about it to her friends.  I have a feeling that she’ll be signing up for more races in the near future. 
After my mom and M finished, we all made our way through the finish chute to get some food from the Runner’s Brunch.  The volunteers clipped on a small bag of roll-on essential oils from Saje Natural Wellness, handed us a bottle of Whistler Water, a bottle of Zico coconut water, and a cold wet washcloth to help cool down from the run. We also got a black Lululemon baseball cap, which was an unexpected bonus.  The Runner’s Brunch was pretty awesome because they served Belgian waffles, blueberry compote, yogurt, fresh oranges, grapes and watermelon, my favorite. 
Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel to shower and get a little rest before dinner.  We all decided that we needed to reward ourselves with a nice meal and cocktails for all of our efforts.  Last, but not least we took one of the shuttles over to the Sunset Festival at the Brockton Oval in Stanley Park. The evening began with an incredible yoga class led by Eoin Finn.  There was food, wine and beer and even a trapeze swing set up for guests to explore a life as a trapeze artist.  The year’s entertainment was headliner, Capital Cities (check out their newest single “One Minute More”) and opening act, The Colourist.  We listened to The Colourist, but we missed Capital Cities because we got too tired, so we left early.


THOUGHTS

All in all, the SeaWheeze race weekend was an awesome experience and one of the best-organized events that I’ve attended. This was definitely more than a race; it was a yoga, run, party. If you’re looking for a new race to participate in, then I highly recommend the SeaWheeze Half Marathon.  I’m not sure if I’ll be back next year, but I will certainly run this race again in my lifetime. 

Did you run SeaWheeze this year? If so, what were the biggest highlights for you? 

If you are thinking about attending next year, then here are some of the details. SeaWheeze 2015 takes place on Saturday Aug. 15, 2015. Registration is Sept. 10, 2014 at 10:00am PDT.  This race will definitely sell out quickly, so pay attention to the date and time and get ready to run!  Good Luck!

Check out what went down at last weekend’s Lululemon SeaWheeze Half Marathon in this great recap video above.

Moody Style: Fruity Fashion

As many of you may have noticed this summer on the fashion blogs and Instagram, fruits on clothing commanded our attention this season.  In particular, pineapples were the “it” fruit and they have never been so chic. I’m not sure why pineapples reigned supreme as the summer fruit over strawberries, cherries or even watermelons, but it sure has made this summer more playful. I personally have fallen in love with this summer’s fruity trend.  I found myself buying at least a couple of pineapple shirts and I can’t get enough of them.  What do you guys think about this fruity trend? Have you fallen in love with any other fruits this summer? Let me know in the comments. 

{Top: Old Navy Slub-Knit Tanks;
Skirt: J.Crew Cotton Pencil Skirt;
Necklace: GroopDealz Rosette Statement Necklace;
Watch: Coach Boyfriend Bracelet Watch (here);
Bracelet: J.Crew Factory Square Stone Bracelet and Coach Bangle
Shoes: Coach Bailey Heels}

What I Wore to BlogHer14


As you know I attended BlogHer ’14 conference at the end of July.  Check out part 1, part 2 and part 3 for the recap of my experience during the conference.   I made sure that I dressed in layers and I brought a jacket along just in case the conference rooms got too cold.  I loved all of my outfits, but my shoes were a different story.  If could do it all over again, I would have brought my flats with me to each of the sessions.  At the end of cach day, my feet were screaming in my heels.  Well, here is a quick recap of the outfits that I wore during my trip.  Let me know what you guys think!

Thursday, July 24th

Thursday night's Evening at the Expo.
{Shirt: Forever 21 Collared Sleeveless Tunic (similar here);
Pants: Forever 21 Down-To-Earth Leaf Leggings;
Necklace: J.Crew Factory Brass-Plated Crystal Necklace (here);
Watch: Coach Boyfriend Bracelet Watch (here);
Bracelet: Target Pave Stone Link Bracelet  (here);
Shoes: J.Crew Marina Canvas Mini-Wedge Espadrilles}

Friday, July 25th

Friday Sessions.
{Sweater: Banana Republic Marimekko Collection Kivet Crew Neck Sweater;
Skirt: Banana Republic Marimekko Collection Kivet Full Skirt;
Watch: Coach Boyfriend Bracelet Watch (here);
Bracelet: J.Crew Factory Beaded Rose Bracelet
Shoes: Ralph Lauren Zabrina Heels}

Saturday, July 26th

Saturday Sessions.
{Sweater: Ann Taylor Loft Button Back Sweater;
Necklace: J. Crew Factory Crystal Sunburst Necklace;
Watch: Coach Boyfriend Bracelet Watch (here);
Shoes: Nine West Blissfulo Peep Toe Wedge}

Saturday night's closing party.
{Dress: J.Crew Photo Floral Dress;
Watch: Coach Boyfriend Bracelet Watch (here);
Bracelet: Target Pave Stone Link Bracelet  (here);
Clutch: Coach Python Madison Large Clutch
Shoes: Coach Python Demi Bow Flats}

Sunday, July 27th

Sunday's travel outfit.
Scarf: Anthropologie Voluminous Scarf Necklace;
Skirt: J.Crew Factory Pencil Skirt;
Jacket: J.Crew Downtown Field Jacket;
Watch: Coach Boyfriend Bracelet Watch (here);
Bracelet: Target Pave Stone Link Bracelet (here);
Shoes: Nine West Leopard Flats}

Traveling Mood: Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC

Hey guys!  So, I’m traveling today back over to the West Coast again.  I’m currently headed to Seattle, WA for a little sightseeing and then over to Vancouver, BC to run in the Lululemon SeaWheeze Half Marathon. I’m meeting my bestie again and my mom is also coming along for the fun.  I’m definitely not ready for the half marathon this year, but I’m looking forward to the festivities.  Be sure to check out my Instagram and Twitter account for the most up to date posts while I’m at sightseeing and running.

Also, check out the video recap below from last year's Lululemon SeaWheeze Half Marathon.  We had a blast!


My BlogHer ‘14 Recap (Part 3)

See (Part 1) and (Part 2) for more details from my BlogHer ‘14 recap.

Saturday, July 26th

So you’ll never guess what I did on the last morning of the conference.  I ate breakfast in my hotel again, but this time I woke up a little earlier so I wouldn’t miss too much. I’m not sure why I didn’t get the memo that a hot breakfast would be served in the mornings, but I really had no idea. Lucky for me both breakfasts at the hotel were complimentary, so I didn’t pay out of pocket.  At least I know what to expect for the next BlogHer conference.

Richelle and I
Anyways, when I got to the breakfast, I realized that I did miss two of the 10x10 speakers.  By the time I found a table and sat down, Kara Swisher, the co-CEO of Re/Code, was getting ready to interview Melissa Barnes, the Head of Global Brands for Twitter.  They were both pretty awesome.  Next, the Re/Code reporter, Nellie Bowles interviewed Richelle Parham, CMO of eBay North America, on exploring the untapped opportunity that e-commerce represents for online influencers.  I love what Richelle had to say about the future of blogging with eBay.  She said that in order to get your voice heard, have a point of view and just say it. 

Finally, Arianna Huffington, the Founder of Huffington Post, graced the stage.  She was interviewed by Guy Kawasaki, a Silicon Valley icon and newly-named Chief Evangelist of Canva.  Correction – I must admit there actually wasn’t much of an interview.  Guy jokingly pre-warned us about Arianna’s controlling personality. He mentioned that the last time he “interviewed” Arianna, she said whatever she wanted to tell the audience.  He suspected it would probably be the same and it was. 

Arianna was unexpectedly funny and she always something witty to say when Guy was able to get a question in.  During the interview, Mrs. Huffington explained how important it is to take care of yourself and avoid burning out.  In her new book, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder, she explained that she outlines 12 steps to reconnecting with ourselves to renew and recharge ourselves.  Here are a few things that I took away from the discussion: 
  1. Sleep your way to the top: She wasn’t talking about what initially first comes to mind either.  She literally means get some sleep.  This was something that she didn’t do in the past, but now she gets at least 7 hours of sleep each night.   I’m definitely going to give it a try.  I’m lucky if I get 5-6 hours of sleep and that’s on a good night. 
  2. Stop glamorizing being busy: Everyone is busy and it isn’t a badge of honor, so we shouldn’t act like it is. 
  3. “No” is a complete sentence: This one speaks for itself.
Towards the end of the interview, Guy asked Arianna a series of questions.  He asked her if she liked “Mac or Windows?” (She said both), “Harvard or Stanford?” (She said Yale), and “Manolo Blahnik or Jimmy Choo?” (She said Manolo Blahnik.) The entire ballroom burst in laughter when she said that Jimmy Choos are not comfortable because “they are made by men who hate women.”  Not sure if she got any backlash from that comment, but I’m pretty sure she doesn’t care.   This was a short recap of the highlights, but you can watch the interview here if you’re interested. 

By the time that Arianna left the stage, a large group of women ran out of the ballroom to get their copies of Thrive signed. Unfortunately, I didn’t buy the book before I left for the conference, but smartly Arianna had copies on hand ready to sell.  Naturally, I had to buy a copy of the book for myself.  I stood in long line to purchase the book and then another long line to get the book signed. From what I could gather from that day, Arianna stayed to sign everyones’s book despite the fact that she was in a rush.  Unfortunately, my interaction with Arianna was very brief, but there was a photographer on hand that captured the moment. 

Photo Credit: Danielle Tsi  
After I got my book signed I stood in line early for the lunch and keynote conversation with Kerry Washington.  I wanted to make sure that I had a good seat towards the front of the stage.  Not surprisingly, there was already a long line forming for access to the ballroom.  It was pretty cool to stand in line with some fellow obsessed Scandal fans.  I hung out in line with several awesome ladies I met while I waited in line to buy Arianna’s book.  When the doors to the ballroom opened, all of the women in line rushed the stage to find the perfect seat.


Photo Credit: Danielle Tsi 
During lunch, we were also treated to a performance by a band called The Mrs. The band came to the BlogHer '14 conference to debut their new song, I'm Enough. I’m Enough is an empowering song that tells women to embrace themselves as they are. The band performed live after playing an inspiring video about how women feel when they look in the mirror.  If you have a chance check out the video (here) – it will move you to tears. 
We also heard from, Morra Aarons-Mele and Luuvie Ajayi, the two 10x10 speakers scheduled to take a look back at what the blogosphere built and to take a look ahead to where we’re going covering 10 years in 10 minutes.  Morra started first and then the conference organizers said that they were going to change the schedule up a little and have Kerry come out before Luuvie.  During Luuvie’s performance, she joked about change in the schedule and mentioned that she was so happy that Kerry Washington opened for her.  

When Kerry Washington finally came out on stage, the crowd went crazy.  Kerry wore a Floral Cluster Popover Top from Kate Spade, a pair J Brand Jeans, not sure which fit but some type of skinny leg, and from what I can tell a pair of Christian Louboutins. She looked just as flawless as we’ve seen her as Olivia Pope in Scandal as well as on the red carpet.  I also loved that Kerry sent out a tweet about her outfit for all of her fashionista fans – check it out here. 

Demetria Lucas, the author of A Belle in Brooklyn: The Go-to Girl for Advice on Living Your Best Single Life and the creator of the personal blog, A Belle In Brooklyn had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Kerry Washington.   Kerry talked about how she keeps her personal life private, Scandal, social media and fashion.  I pretty much lost my mind when she came out.  I must have taken over a dozen pictures of the duo to make sure I had one perfect shot.  I even walked up closer to the stage to take pictures and I ended up sitting the floor until the end of the interview. Kerry she was so down to earth and she even took a selfie with the crowd, which was pretty cool.  Unfortunately, I didn’t make the picture even though I was right in the front row.  You can see me in my pink skirt trying to make the shot.  If you want to watch the whole interview, then click the link here

Photo Credit: Danielle Tsi 

Photo Credit: Danielle Tsi 
After the interview, I attended the Style Mini-Conference. Out of the entire break out sessions offered, I was most excited to attend this one. The discussion leaders for this 2.5 hour session included Jane Park, the CEO of Julep, CeCe Olisa, from Plus Size Princess, Monica Barnett from Blueprint for Style, and Natalia Simmons from Ma Nouvelle Mode. I really enjoyed learning some helpful tips from these experienced fashion bloggers.

Finally, I attended the Closing Keynote, which was titled The Intersection of Race, Gender, Feminism and the Internet along with 2 more 10x10 speakers.  The panel of 6 women of color included Feminista Jones from FeministaJones.com, Grace Hwang Lynch from HapaMama, Kelly Wickham from Mocha Momma, Kristen Howerton from Rage Against the Minivan, Natalia Oberti Noguera from Pipeline Fellowship and Patrice Lee from Generation Opportunity.   I was so impressed by the diversity and activism on the stage and blown away by their courageousness. If you like, you can watch a clip of the session here.  During the day I also got to meet Stacey Ferguson from Justice Fergie in person. Stacey was one of the closing 10x10 speakers and she shared her experiences and information about the Be Blogalicious community and conferences that celebrates diversity among women in social media.  


Photo Credit: Danielle Tsi 
Later that night, I danced the night away at the official closing party hosted by McDonald’s.  I’m definitely not the biggest McDonald’s fan in the world.  I mean if I had food options, 9 times out of 10, McDonald’s wouldn’t even be on the list.  But I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy a happy meal every once in a while.  So it was a nice treat to be offered various happy meals, side salads and their fruity smoothies during the party.  McDonald’s transformed an empty parking lot into an outdoor lounge, complete with lanterns, couches, and tents.  They even hired Rev. Run of the legendary rap duo Run DMC to get the party started.  Rev Run had everyone at the party singing and dancing to his old school mix of 80s and 90s hits.  I didn’t realize how loudly I was singing until I woke up the next morning and I barely had a voice.  Overall, the closing party was the perfect ending to the conference. 

I have to say that I’m very happy that my first blogger conference was BlogHer ‘14. This conference was exactly what I expected it to be and I couldn’t be more pleased. I heard from some veteran BlogHer participants that the conferences in the past were bigger and better than this one, but I would never know the difference.  I connected with some fabulous ladies and learned a lot about blogging and I that’s what I wanted. So if you’re wondering if I would attend another BlogHer conference.  My answer would be yes, absolutely!

Have you been to a BlogHer conference in the past? Were you there at BlogHer ‘14? What did you think? Have you ever been to a blogging conference? I’d love to hear about it!

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