Here is my Top 12 Twitter list (in no particular order):

1. @UnitedPlanet – this is the non-profit organization that organized my volunteer trip to Cambodia this past July, so I like to get updates on what’s going on and where other people are traveling to.

2. @MatadorNetwork – one of my favorite online magazines, they cover all things travel and post tons of new articles everyday.

3. @BarackObama – the easiest way to stay in the know about current politics from our President himself.

4.TheCoffeeBean – I actually prefer The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf over Starbucks (I’m a tea drinker) and their Twitter has updates about promotions, events, and new drinks!

5. @JeffGalloway – my favorite running coach! He is the inventor of the Run/Walk Method, an Olympian, and was one of my running buddies for the Greece marathon! He tweets about where his next race is, when his new books come out, and general running tips.

6. @lululemonirvine – a quick way to get updates about events and new products from my favorite store!

7. @lululemon – anything and everything lululemon - new store openings, product, events, feedback, and more!

8. @runnersworld - if you are looking for motivation to run, look no further! Runner's World shares links to videos, race information, updates about race results around the world, etc.

9. @anusarafriend – John Friend, the founder of Anusara yoga, shares mostly inspirational tweets and updates about where he is and workshops he is participating in.

10. @lancearmstrong – find out what Lance is doing with his friends, his family, and the LiveStrong Foundation

11. @teamintraining – the fundraising arm of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, they train you to run a marathon/complete a triathlon in exchange for fundraising. Their Twitter has training tips, fundraising tips, and events that are going on to benefit TNT.

12. @Yoga_Journal – find links to inspirational quotes and articles from yogis and yoginis in one place!

Who do you follow?

Tip #1 – Follow your own blog advice about what to eat before yoga. Trying green curry in Thailand for the first time before going to a yoga class is not the best idea.

Tip #2 – Give yourself plenty of time to get there, so that if you can't get your orientation when you leave the Skytrain you have time to find the right building.

Tip #3 – As with any new experience, keep an open mind!

The class was held in a regular yoga room, with the windows open, making it a bit warm and practically turned it into a heated class. Once the class started and we got into the flow, I felt like I was at home. The familiarity of the poses and how my body felt was the first time in the past two weeks that I felt really comfortable (it helped that the class was in English, too!). The past two weeks of travel had been a whirlwind of excitement, and finishing my trip with yoga was very grounding and centering.

From now on, I will definitely make it a priority to find a yoga class while traveling!

After checking many yoga studios' websites and taking an informal poll of local yogis, the general rule of thumb is to eat something light that is easily digested 2 hours before your yoga practice. The goal is to practice yoga on an empty stomach so that nothing tries to come back up during your downward facing dog!

Fruits (low acid) or veggies, yogurt, a bowl of cereal, or a granola bar are all good choices. The most important thing is to not eat anything heavy, such as meat, pasta, fried foods, or processed grains. The one exception to this is if you have low blood sugar, and then you should try to get a little bite to eat within 30 minutes of class.

What if you’re going to yoga after work and you’re starving? The best choice in this situation would be a bowl of cereal, a granola bar, or a sports bar. Still try to shoot for that 2 hour time frame, eating before you leave work if you can.

In a pinch, go with a handful of nuts or an apple on the way to class, which shouldn’t bother your stomach once your practice begins.

Ultimately, everyone is different, so try out different kinds of snacks and different time frames to see what works best for you!
Namaste!

How much do you really know about the lululemon clothing you love?

Look at the pictures below and try to identify which feature is shown! Answers, in order, are at the bottom of this post.

1. (Very top image) Emergency hair tie. Unruly hair? Use the zipper pull from your jacket. It doubles as a hair tie!

2. Silverescent. Look closely… this feature is the fabric! Silverescent uses X-static silver yarn to make the clothing smell like new after washing, no matter how hard you work out in it!

3. Groove pant waistband pocket. Check the waistband of your favorite pair of Groove pants for a pocket that is perfect for a cell phone, gym card, or key!

4. Hidden pocket on Women's Race Tech. Look at the inside of the back of your Race Tech top for a handy hidden pocket!

5. Removable cups. If you don’t need any extra help up top, you can remove the cups from any tank!

6. Headphone cord pull-through. Need a place to stow that iPod without the cords getting in the way? Pop your iPod in here and never get tangled again.

Want to learn more about our features and benefits? Check out our education section here: http://www.lululemon.com/education/info/features

Never thought about being a rock climber? Try it! Do one thing a day that scares you!

Here are the basics:

• Find a local rock climbing gym. Every rock climbing gym I've ever been to has an introductory class that will teach you the basics and how to stay safe. REI also has beginner outdoors trips to local crags such as Joshua Tree in CA, Patagonia in South America, Rumney Rocks in New Hampshire, and Crescent Rocks in Virginia.
• Grab a friend or a group of friends to go to the gym with. It's best to have even numbers of people so that no one has to sit around and watch while everyone else is climbing or belaying.
• A comfy harness. This is what will connect you to the rope (i.e. your lifeline), so make sure it's a good one. I say comfy because if you are a newbie, chances are you are going to fall and be hanging by said rope quite a bit, so you want something that isn't going to dig into your legs. In the beginning, you can rent a harness from the gym, but don't count on it being comfortable.
• A chalk bag and chalk. Chalk is ESSENTIAL. It dries out the sweat on your hands and helps you grip the holds better. You need the chalk bag to (obviously) hold the chalk.
• Climbing shoes. Do not go out and buy the most expensive shoe you can find. As a beginner, you do not need the $155 high-performance shoe. You can rent a pair of shoes from the climbing gym, but you can usually find a good deal at an outdoors store like REI, EMS, or MEC (if you’re in Canada!). Climbing shoes should be slightly tight since they usually stretch out a bit, but not so tight you can’t walk in them. As you get more experienced at climbing, you learn that tighter = better, but for now, stick with what feels good on your feet.

Not a necessity, but a really good idea is to get a pair of crops for climbing. Women head to the climbing gym in shorts and usually regret that choice once the harness starts to ride up in an uncomfortable place. I like to work out in crops, but pants would be the next best thing.

I wore my Groove Crops for the first time last weekend when we went climbing at Red Rock State Park near Las Vegas, Nevada, and they were amazing. I always wanted to wear them since they’re so great for everything else, but I was afraid to because they’re black. Sure enough, I got chalk all over them, but I was pleasantly surprised to be able to completely dust them off before going to dinner.

Above: Your must haves for a great climb, including our Groove Crops!

Sunday was race day. In the United States, marathons start at the crack of dawn, but in Greece it started at a friendly 9 a.m. I actually got to sleep until about 7 a.m., take my time to get breakfast, and make sure I had all my gear together before getting on the bus and riding to the start in the town of Marathon, Greece. Apostolos Greek Tours took care of everything – the hotel accommodations, race details, and sightseeing.

The temperature at race start was 61 degrees with the wind at our back and lots of cloud coverage - practically perfect marathon weather. Jeff Galloway, a world-class athlete and founder of the Galloway Marathon Training Program, was with the tour and was leading a 1 minute run/1 minute walk group with a goal of 5 hours. The night before he told us that the course was difficult and we should expect to run 20 minutes slower than usual, but my secret goal was to set a personal record.

After the first couple miles, we looped around the tomb of the Athenian soldiers who fell during the Persian-Athenian War. We continued through the countryside, with cheers of "Bravo!" and "Calimera!" (good morning) coming from people who had come out to cheer us on. Around mile 16 we started to get into the suburbs of Athens and see more buildings. The 1 minute run/1 minute walk method was really working and the race was flying by! The group had pulled away from me, but around mile 24, Eric (who had run the 10K earlier) started running with me. I had almost made it! Eric was surprised to find me in a good mood, and I was surprised to be in a good mood. Maybe it was the spirit of Phidippides, or the olive branches in my visor.

Only a couple more miles to go.

As I was "sprinting" to the finish, EVERYTHING cramped, but I managed to push through it to the finish line and get my medal. The race ended in the Olympic stadium, complete with Olympic rings at the top. Eric somehow convinced me to hike all the way up there after running a marathon, and I was rewarded with a breathtaking view of the Parthenon on the Acropolis in the distance. And my personal record? I beat it by five minutes!

I field tested a pair of our run shorts (from last season and most closely related to the Speed Short), and even after 26.2 miles of running I didn’t even notice they were there. No chafing, dried quickly, everything they are supposed to be. The zippered pocket on the back came in handy when I needed somewhere to store my gel and my hotel key.

My overall review for this marathon experience? Do it now, do it now, do it now!