Running in Kitsilano: The Lululemon “No Excuses, Run!” Club

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lululemon run club Thursday shenanigans

lululemon run club Thursday shenanigans

The 2013 SeaWheeze Half Marathon takes place August 10th. I’m registered.

Walking past the West 4th Lululemon happens daily in my life, so I finally put two and two together and checked out their weekly No Excuses, Run! club. The most important thing you need to know about the lulu run club? This is not your ordinary run club (and that’s a wonderful thing).

You know that feeling at 5pm when you’ve had a looong workday, and the bus is crowded, and the thought of going for a run is a just ridiculous and too much to handle? When you’re lacking energy, or drive, or desire, this is the place to be. Lisa, our fearless leader and West4th Run Ambassador, captured our attention (and hearts!) with her pleasant demeanor and energetic talk.

Running and stretching in the evening sun

Running and stretching in the evening sun

We started out with a quick debrief in the store, introductions and overview of our run (as with most run clubs, the store will hold your keys/sweater/flask… whatever you’ll need after the run). Off we went.

What makes the lulu No Excuses, Run! club stand out for me is the lack of judgement. Training for your first half-marathon? Fantastic. Getting your final run in before your umpteenth full marathon this weekend? Welcome. Sore from last night’s workout? Great, so is that guy. It’s not about the pace on a watch, or the length of a stride, or who crosses the pseudo finish line first. It was just about cruising around the neighborhood on a sunny evening with a group of super friendly, super chill, encouraging people. Isn’t that what we all look for in a run club?

lululemon Run Ambassador Lisa and writer Chelsea at post-run cool down

lululemon Run Ambassador Lisa and writer Chelsea at post-run cool down

We arrived back to the store in time for a cool-down stretch, glass of fresh filtered water,  and a debrief of our run. 6.5 kilometers, three high-fives, ten new running buddies, and a sense of satisfaction.

The group will be following lululemon’s SeaWheeze tacklebox training program when it launches, and the race will once again visit Kitsilano (see the route here). If you’re questioning if a group run is right for you, or if you can keep up, don’t stress. Lisa will take care of you!

Chelsea is a Kits-based ultrarunner. Read more about her adventures on her running blog Fresh-steps.com. Have a question about running in Kits? Post a comment and she’ll give you a hand.

Last modified: June 30, 2021

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