I am an athlete and I live for the endorphin high from a great sweat and workout. I'm also a food and wine ‘over-indulger’ (come on, isn’t that why we work and work out so hard?!). Here are the things I love:

Websites:

http://www.keepitchic.com
http://www.elementsofstyleblog.com/
http://www.goop.com
http://www.whowhatwear.com
http://rebeccapacheco.com/omgal/

Workout accessory: Garmin Forerunner 110. This magical watch tells me everything I need to know when working out.

Items to work out in:

- lululemon’s Flow Y Bra
- a Cool Racerback in a bright and fabulous colour
- Wunder Under or Run:Inspire Crop

Way to sweat: A spin class at Flywheel in NYC or Aerobarre at Aerospace in NYC (a workout that combines jumping rope, boxing, weights and some ballet).

Yoga move: Legs up the wall (Viparita Karani). I am constantly on the go and this helps me reset.

Place to run: My all time favourite place to run is along the coastline in Victoria, BC. This is where I really fell in love with running, and the thought of the fresh ocean air brings a smile to my face.

Current obsession: Shoes! I recently purchased the ‘Sissy Suede Sandal’ from Tory Burch and I also dream of the Swedish ‘Hasbeens’ high heel jodhpur: love, love, love!

Magazines: Vanity Fair, Vogue, Dwell, New York Magazine

Place: Fisher’s Loft in Port Rexton, NL, Canada. Breathtaking.

Restaurant: Neptune Oyster Bar in Boston, MA. Best lobster roll of all time.

Way to get motivated: When I look at the vision I have created for my life and think about what I am doing today to get there. I consider this my 'jump out of bed' factor.

Place to unroll yoga mat: On the fresh summer grass at Bryant Park with hundreds of other New Yorkers amongst the skyscrapers and craziness of all that life in New York brings.

A photo from the Barefoot in the Park event at Bryant Park

Way to celebrate: I want to say red wine and dark chocolate, but that means I celebrate most evenings. Aside from my every day celebration, I would say I celebrate by going to dinner at a great restaurant with great friends.

Book: The Art of Racing in the Rain. If you love dogs or have a dog, after reading you will remain in constant wonder about why your dog has come into your life and what lessons they are here to teach you.

Inspired by: Greatness. I love watching athletes cross the finish line of a marathon or ironman because of what is involved in getting to that point.

Susan relaxing on the patio.

why lululemon?

When I came across the job posting for the role of Compensation Manager at lululemon I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to apply; a chance to work in an entrepreneurial organization, with values similar to my own built on leading an athletic lifestyle, personal growth, and balance. Through the interview process, I was amazed by the investment that lululemon makes in its people offering what I believe are amazing career and personal development training/opportunities. Everyone here is truly committed to helping me achieve my goals! Oh, and did I also mention the added bonus of being able to wear luon to work every day? I find I am much more creative and focused when I am dressed in luon!

Susan prepping for a bike ride...

how does your role elevate lululemon?

As the Compensation Manager, my role is a pivotal part of lululemon’s people resources strategy. In particular, I work with our functions/businesses to create compensation programs that help lululemon attract and retain the top employee talent necessary to execute our business strategy. My role touches everything “pay related” from compensation philosophy development to incentive plan design for both our stores and our Store Support Centre – a chance to have a real impact on the organization.

coolest thing about working with the people resources team?

Working with the people resources team is truly a gift. It is an opportunity to work and sweat with other amazing people who have the collective goal of helping one another achieve their own career and personal goals. Everyone is a team player committed to helping the business grow.

Susan sweating with her bike team!

what is something unique or surprising about you?

I think most people would be surprised to know that I have taken flying trapeze lessons! My sister introduced me to the world of circus arts, and I really enjoyed the thrill of flying on the trapeze (and secretly pretending that I was part of Cirque de Soleil!). I was amazed by the amount of strength, balance and coordination the trapeze takes – one of the best workouts around. I would highly recommend that everyone try flying on a trapeze at least once in their life.

a goal you’ve achieved that you’re proud of?

Susan completing the run portion of an ironman.

I’m proud of finishing three ironman distances triathlons (which involves a 2.8km swim, a 180km bike and a 42km run). About five years ago, I remember thinking that it would be impossible for me to complete a race of this distance, but with a lot of dedication and the support of friends and family, I have been able to complete three ironman races. The process of training for and completing these races has helped me find a new level of strength and belief in myself and has introduced me to an amazing set of like-minded people -- many of whom are now good friends!

what is the best place you've travelled to?

I travelled to Australia and New Zealand when I was a teenager and recall the beauty of the area. I would love to have the opportunity to travel there again whether for pleasure or for work. My better half, Stephen, spent a year in Melbourne for work and we have often talked about visiting their together and furthering some of the friendships he made. Oh, and an added bonus, Australia has a ton of amazing triathlons which we would love to complete (Geelong half Ironman, Ironman Western Australia, and just a short trip away – Ironman New Zealand).

Susan and Stephen cross country skiing!

Interested in playing a vital role in lululemon athletica’s people strategy? From sea to sky Vancouver, B.C. is attracting athletes and entrepreneurs from all over the globe. If you're passionate about numbers and data analysis; and want to utilize your compensation analyst background to assist in designing variable pay programs check out your future possibilities.

Every lululemon store has a unique group of athletes called ambassadors from the community. These inspiring people are an extension of our store and embody the lululemon lifestyle and culture. Just like finding a soul mate, we want to make sure our ambassador has genuine intentions. When we find one that the lululemon store and community love, we pop the question and propose, “Will you be our ambassador?”

We love being creative when asking soon-to-be ambassador to join the team. Check out what we did at Fort Worth!

Our first ambassador was Baptiste affiliate studio owner, Brooke Hinkle. We scheduled a photo shoot in the Fort Worth Stockyards for inspiring yogi pictures. When she pulled in the parking lot with what she called her “mom car,” a Chevy Tahoe, we gave her an Orchid and asked her to be our shining star. She said yes.

Our second and third ambassadors were Zoe and Stephanie who teach Pilates at Dancescape. When we got to the studio, we told them that one of their clients was in the bathroom crying. They both ran immediately to the bathroom to aide the poor invisible person only to find a framed manifesto poster asking them to be our ambassadors! They said yes.

My heart was just about to come out of my Power Y for our next proposal because we almost didn’t get to pull off our surprise. Rebecca , an instructor at Indigo Yoga, walked into her Baptiste class and saw our manifesto poster and The Mat with a pretty pink bow around it. She laughed and said yes.

We then headed to Starbucks with our fourth ambassador, Jeff Tucker, owner of a Crossfit and tumbling gym called GSX. We had a Yoga Journal and wrote over our ad asking if he would be ours truly…guess what he said? Yes.

Our sixth and seventh ambassadors are newly weds. About 15 minutes prior to giving them a “sneak peak” of our showroom, I wrote “will you be our ambassador, check yes or no” with chalk on the sidewalk.

Our next proposals are coming soon and I must say that I love the little butterflies I get before asking. Now I feel like I know how my husband felt before asking me to marry him!

Will you be our next ambassador?

When she moved here in 2005, Jocelyn's intention was to spend three months getting the core fusion program off the ground at Exhale Spa. She was the lead core fusion teacher and teacher trainer in Chicago, and she met our regional community leader, Brooke Johnson, at one of her classes. At that time no one in Chicago had really heard of lululemon. Brooke recognized Jocelyn as one of the best instructors in Chicago and product tested her a pink ujjayi tank and black groove pants. It didn’t take long before Jocelyn was hooked and decided to be one of the first ambassadors for the first lululemon store to open in Chicago on Halsted Street.

The year Jocelyn was an ambassador was a fundamental year in her development. She attended meet and greet events with other lululemon ambassadors, and participated in a function show, modeling some new luon at an art gallery where she broke out into booty dancing in front of the whole crowd!

Last year Jocelyn had a five-year goal to open her own fitness and dance studio, but she was forced to take action in early 2009. With help from her husband Ron, she made it all happen in only three months! Akemi Fitness Method opened this March in Evanston, the closest suburb north of the city of Chicago.

Akemi means “bright and beautiful” in the Japanese language, and it is an exact description of Jocelyn’s personality. She chose to name her business Akemi Fitness Method because she believes that "all people are bright and beautiful, and that is something [she] wants them to recognize."

The classes at Akemi were inspired by the Lotte Berk Method, which combines core exercises, dance, weights, Pilates and yoga. With classes like Akemi Barre, Abs, Arms & Booty, and Akemi Cardio Sport, Jocelyn teaches us to tone and sculpt our booties to the hottest jams. All of the educators on my team in Evanston consider ourselves lucky to be so close to Akemi. Jocelyn’s classes are always a blast, and we're constantly inspired by her immense beauty and joyfulness.

Check out her amazing studio here: http://www.akemifitness.com/index.php

What is your role at lululemon?

I am a Showroom Manager in beautiful downtown San Diego.

Tell us about your community:

Downtown is the cultural center of San Diego. We have a really great mix of athletes, young professionals, people in the military, students and tourists. We have yogis, crossfitters, dancers, runners, cyclists, mixed martial artists and Olympic kayakers. People here are some of the most friendly I've ever met. I guess it's difficult not to be happy when it's sunny 360 days a year

How did you come to lululemon?

I worked in Los Angeles marketing for network television shows until I burned out. I took a year off and got certified to teach yoga then traveled around the world with my sister before settling in San Diego. I knew of and loved lululemon from my LA days and was surprised to find there wasn't a store here. I found the posting for a showroom manager on lululemon.com soon after I moved here. The timing was perfect! I was lucky enough to be hired to open a showroom in Del Mar, lululemon's entry into the San Diego market. The whole thing was fate really.

What is the difference between a showroom and a store?

Showrooms were originally created to go into communities where lululemon stores were not around. They operate similarly to our stores in many ways but one major difference is that we have limited hours in order to maximize our time in the community. I believe there is no better venue than a showroom to interact with our community and truly gain a sense of what they want and where they want it. The showroom setting is generally very intimate and has that neighborhood vibe where our guests feel comfortable kicking off their shoes and staying awhile.

What's a typical Wednesday like for you?

Wednesdays are different each week but they always start out with our store manager call where all the stores and showrooms in our region get to touch base. Lots of learning and sharing happens on that call! Wednesdays include a class (or two!) so that I'm always becoming more of an expert in our community, connecting with the most amazing teachers, trainers, athletes and studios in our neighborhood. Community and people development are how I spend most of my days.

How do you usually sweat once a day?

Yoga is definitely my preferred form of exercise/stress relief though I took my first hip hop class a couple weeks ago and I'm hooked! Also, I work up quite a sweat chasing after my very active 11-month-old daughter but I can't think of anything more fun!

What’s one activity/fitness trend that you’ve been dying to try?

I have two: Zumba and Kettle Bells.

Why do you have the best job in the world?

I love creating something where there was nothing but opportunity before. I love working with amazing people every day, fellow educators and all the outstanding members of our community. I am so fortunate to have a job that embraces balance so that I can be present for my family and raise our daughter. I have so much fun at work that I'd probably do it even if I didn't get paid.

What piece of advice do you have for future showroom managers?

Be flexible and open to anything! Most importantly, take ownership of whatever you do... showrooms provide unbelievable opportunities for resourcefulness and creativity.

What makes your showroom unique?

This is the second showroom I've managed in San Diego and they each had very different personalities. The first time around we were the only gig in town. Now there are two stores in the area so we have to work even harder to create our individual showroom culture and not stand in the shadow of the stores. Our mission continues to be to attract new guests, educate them on our culture and bring the lululemon love.

Sidewalk yoga! All part of a day's work at the San Diego showroom.

Do you think you are one of the three rock stars managers that can lead a team in Madison, WI, Cincinnati, OH or Birmingham, AL? Browse some of the cool locations where we will be opening showrooms!

Logan Circle's running club works their core after a long run.

There is more to improving your run performance than simply running. Strength training, rest, nutrition, and injury prevention also play a major role.

At the lululemon Logan Circle run club, we focus on core strength to improve our running. After every Monday night run club, we grab yoga mats, place them outside of the store on the sidewalk, and I guide our runners through a 15 minute intense core workout.

While the core include the abs, back, hips, and glutes, we focus on ab and back strength. When people ask about our group, I like to say that the 15 minute core workout is the part of run club that our runners love to hate! I secretly know when they complain about it, they are really telling me how much they love it, as we have quite the large group stay to complete it, and even some who come just for the ab workout. It is quite the scene on our busy street during people’s commutes home to see a group of sweaty runners holding on for an intense 15 minutes as I remind them to “embrace it” (the intensity of the workout) and remind them that they can “rest at home.”

Core work is an integral part of a runner’s routine. A regular core routine will not only help you improve your running times, but will also help you prevent injuries, as well as help you keep your form in the late miles of a race. My favourite core exercises are a series of planks, which help you improve both strength and stability. As a run coach, I recommend that my athletes incorporate some type of core routine two to three times a week into their training schedules. The athletes that do this find it easier to keep their form and quickly learn that it isn’t just about great abs, but about improving performance and giving themselves that extra edge. Need help finding a core routine that works for you? See if your local lululemon has a running club or there are many resources online, such as runnersworld.com, which has video links to various options for core training.

We held an outdoor yoga class outside our office to welcome Muhammad Ali with sun salutations and warrior poses.

In town promoting a new documentary called Facing Ali, the Greatest himself graced us with his powerful presence at 10:30 am this morning. Through a personal connection with our founder Chip, Muhammad and his wife Lonnie were generous enough to join the SSC, Distribution Centre, Guest Education Centre, and store lululemons for an impromptu visit.

Allison, our elite athlete coordinator (and the author of this post!) relaxing at the SSC while we wait for Muhammad to arrive.

Well, on the grand scale, we believe that receiving confirmation Wednesday afternoon is impromptu. In this short period of time, the company pulled together as a team. In 48 hours we created the ceremony space, had a member of each department and each store honored with a photo op, and even had a Game Over hoodie made for Ali that read "The Greatest" on the back. As I sit here three hours later, I struggle to put the experience in words and the tears keep creeping back up.

We are a company that believes in the greatness of our people, and to have such an amazing person come share an hour with us truly elevated us all to a new level of greatness. The only point of sadness was the inability to have every employee with us in person.

Today was a day full of greatness.

Among many memorable moments, a true highlight for us all was when one of our leaders, Jenna Hills, placed her new son Ryder in Ali’s lap for a photo. Muhammad smiled at the future lululemon-leader and there wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd.

Clara Hughes is an amazing Canadian cyclist and speedskater who has won multiple Olympic medals in addition to many other athletic achievements. She also happens to be an amazing person, and her list of personal accomplishments and commitment to programs such as Right to Play (an international humanitarian organization that uses sport to improve health, develop life skills, and foster peace for children and communities in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the world) is just as long as her list of athletic titles. We are very proud to call her a lululemon elite ambassador.

In preparation for the upcoming World Cup Speed Skating season, Clara completed a 19-day hike in the mountains of California for altitude training where she and her husband hiked to heights of 14,200 feet and camped in windy conditions with the temperature hitting -17 degrees celcius at times. Why would someone put themselves through something like this, you ask? Read on to find out, in Clara's own words:

A friend of mine recently suggested I take up golf. It was after an email I had sent, letting him know I had to come out of the mountains in order to pick up an ice axe, crampons and snow shoes. Why all this gear? My husband Peter and I were attempting to complete a desert mountain traverse that few, if any, have completed. When I think back to day number two of the 19-day hike, as Peter and I huddled beside a fallen tree in futile attempt to get out of the raging wind and -17c temperature to eat our dinner, I think that maybe that friend is right. We crouched down on a nameless ridge up at 10,800 feet wondering just where was the warmth we had traveled so far from Quebec to enjoy. There were many days on this trip that left me questioning my rational for such endeavors.

The place I'm talking about is a little known, little hiked, mountain range in California. First with the Inyo and then the White Mountains, it's a desert range that runs about 200 kilometers as the crow flies. It begins at an abandoned mining camp called Cerro Gordo on a rough dirt road that branches off the highway to Death Valley. The elevation along our route along the range never dropped below 7,000 feet and reached peaks up to 14,200 feet. Because it's the desert there was no water water to be found, save for a few springs. But we didn't see any of those. Our sole source of drinking water was snow, melted over an open fire or the cook stove. Though purified or boiled, it was still at times dirty, smokey and hard to swallow. It's amazing what you drink when you're thirsty.

This 'trip' was my idea of altitude training. No team, no guide, no group- just me and Peter out there to fend for ourselves against the elements. It's a situation I crave compared to my normal existence as an athlete. It's organic and it's real. There's something about being self-contained and the challenge this situation entails that thrills me. When I think back to two years ago when the National Team funded the purchase and installment of an altitude room at my training location in Calgary, Alberta, it makes me laugh. I lasted approximately two hours in that set-up. I woke up, gasping for air, from a nightmare that had Darth Vader (the ultimate Star Wars villain) haunting my room. The sound of the generators made me crazy. I have made many sacrifices for sport, but some are just too much for me. Thus, this idea to live and train high that our team physiologist suggested that I decided to take to my own extreme.

While packing for the trip we prepared for mild to cool weather. In fact, we could see the range from our friend's home in the town of Bishop as we planned and packed. It took two days and we spent much of the time looking up at the massive range spread before us, wondering how much snow waited for us up there, or if we'd run out of snow pack to melt.

With eight days of food we set off for the first leg of the traverse, and I now know what it's like to weigh 220 pounds. Those first few steps with the burden of gear and supplies on my back made me feel like a pack mule. It was up to us to make sure the carefully measured and planned contents of the backpack would get us to a food cache we stashed about 100 kilometers ahead in the pinyon forest on a 4 wheel drive road a few miles below the mountain crest. We would be taking a layover day at the cache so I packed a few treats in – beer, chips, salsa, cookies – along with a 5 gallon container of water.

The first day was hard and it remained hard for the rest of the trip. There were no trails but at times we could follow along an abandoned mining road. The rest of the hike was navigating with topographic maps while trying to find the best route through the mountainous terrain choked with sage bushes and little-leaf mahogany trees, enormous boulder fields that formed ridges up peaks and at times, some very sketchy snow fields on the steep northeastern slopes off the highest peaks.

My husband and I don't really care to sleep in tents. Instead, we prefer sleeping out under the stars, bringing along a lightweight tarp for shelter in case it happens to snow. For some some reason, this trip we brought a small tent made for one person but big enough for two, 'just in case'. The weather is always unpredictable in the Spring and it happened that instead of sleeping out, which we did on only two nights, we found ourselves taking shelter from the raging winds that made camping out in temperatures averaging from -3 to -17 a little more than I bargained for. We'd finish a grueling day of walking, navigating, climbing and/or tearing through unforgiving desert brush and set up that tent, working as a team so that the paper thin shelter did not blow away with the relentless winds.

From 6pm on everyday, we'd cram into the space that offered minimal protection but at least conserved some of the warmth our tired bodies gave off. Into the cocoons of our sleeping bags we'd go, Peter beginning the 3-hour process of melting the snow we'd hack away from hardened packs with our ice-axes, first for tea, then dinner and ultimately enough for two quarts of water each to get us through the next day. It was excruciating to squeeze into that tent every night, not being able to stretch and barely able to shift positions because of the space allowed and the amount of clothing we wore in our sleeping bags. Muscles ached and stiffened, and I thought many times of the amount of stretching I do before, during and after training. This was the antithesis of my life as an athlete and exactly where I wanted to be.

We slept little because all camps were above 9,000 feet, the highest at 13,400 feet. Such thin air makes sleep restless, and when combined with the roaring wind tearing away at the tent, it was as if we slept within a battle field in full tilt. That same wind raged day after day, with gusts blowing so hard we would sway back and forth in unison. We wore toques and neck gators, pulled high, while pulling the hoods of our wind jackets over our heads.

Native Americans used this entire area for hunting which was evident by the continual pieces of arrowheads found along the way. They ranged from tiny ones that, I assume, were used for birds, to points discovered above 13,000 as we walked mile after mile. Here, there were many signs of Bighorn Sheep, with droppings and resting spots found in the highest reaches of the White Mountains.

With so many challenging, beautiful moments during the journey, it's difficult to pick just one that stands out from the rest. But if I had to choose, it would be the penultimate day, a thirteen hour effort. We slept at 12,500ft the previous night, and our little tent bore the brunt of the strongest winds yet, threatening to snap its poles. With filthy hiking boots wrapped in plastic bag in the foot of my bag to keep them from freezing yet again, we rose at first light and brewed coffee, remaining in our down bags. The rising sun added some warmth inside the tent, but outside, in the wind, it was bitterly cold. We forced ourselves to get an early start.

All day we walked methodically, rarely getting to sit for more than the quickest of rests as we'd get too chilled otherwise, nibbling on trail mix and candies for fuel. We climbed even higher on the plateau to 13,000 then dropped two thousand feet at a placed called the 'jump off' to the point where we would begin climbing Mt. Montgomery, the most technical climb on the range. Its steep ridges were draped in snow. As I looked up from the saddle below, knowing we had long passed the point of no return, I gasped at the intimidating grandeur. The closer we looked, the route became evident. Without snow, it would have been a technical scramble, but this was late spring, so away went the hiking poles and out came the ice axes. It didn't look easy, but at least it looked like we would be able to climb along its ridge if we were careful and methodical. We'd step onto steep snow fields and work our way from one rocky outcrop to another. Just when I thought we'd reach the last rocky ridge and the summit, there'd be another one to get around. Back onto another snow field and steep drop-off below to another outcrop. On and on it went.

Now, let me be clear and say that this wasn't necessarily supposed to be an adventure hike so much as merely a solid base of high altitude exercise forming the foundation for the upcoming skating season. So when I found myself on those terrifyingly steep slopes, mirroring Peter's kicks into the snow and placements of the ice axe, I have to admit I questioned the situation. Thoughts like 'what the hell am I doing up here with the Olympics in nine months!' turned into 'who cares about the Olympics I just want to get off this ridge alive!' and I learned, as I have many times before, what is really important.

I also realized just how much my years as an athlete have given me. Outside of the experiences, the victories, the moments I will never forget, they have given me a resilience that I believe stronger than ever can and will get me through any situation I find myself in in life. I learned how to use that ice axe and use it well, up on those ridges, because I am an athlete. I kept the intense focus hour after hour, feeling I could go on for days if I had to, because I am an athlete. I kept calm and rational even in those moments of intense fear, because I am an athlete. I followed and mimicked someone more skilled than me efficiently and confidently, because I am an athlete.

I can't imagine a better place or experience to prepare me for the stress, the unknown and the thrills of the journey ahead. Because I survived the 250 kilometer traverse and survived it well, I can't wait to see what the next nine months throw at me. Watch out, Tiger Woods!

- Clara Hughes

My sisters and I share the same parents but we have our own bodies. I may be able to get into the splits and hold a gnarly headstand, but when it comes to endurance activities, all three of my sisters can pass me in a heartbeat. My friend Jessica commented while I was feeling left behind in the dust during a family hike that "the girls are just built differently."

Our bodies shape the type athletes that we become. Athletes come in all shapes and sizes too. Look at gymnast Shawn Johnson and basketball player Yao Ming.

Think of your body as a unique gift that is designed to perform like none other. How would you start loving your body if you stopped comparing it to others? What image you would have of yourself if mirrors did not exist and we based our image off of how we felt inside? After a sweaty hike or a killer dance class my body reaches a potential so high I could flash the sky at the top of a mountain...

Love your body and the possibilities it has for reaching your highest physical potential.

Above: Educator Kelly Ferraro, Guest Joanna Russo, Elyse Braner, Ultra-run Coach Bryon Powell, and Guest Cristina Burbach.

Recently at lululemon Logan Circle in Washington DC, we had our very own running meet and greet, called "Run into Runners". We invited several notable runners for our guests to interact with.

Runners are typically open and friendly people by nature, but I was struck with the ease in which the elite runners in our group and the beginner runners interacted. Time and experience didn't matter: we all had running in common, and that was enough. It was inspiring to see many first time lululemon guests at the event come out to our running club the following day.

Our run experts included:

• Melissa Tanner, an elite runner from Washington DC. She ran for Harvard University, and was third in the Marine Corp Marathon. Melissa brings a sense of balance to her training and racing, which is a huge part of the lululemon culture. Read more about Melissa's training: http://melissatanner.blogspot.com/
• Lance Breger, our phenomenal lululemon Logan Circle ambassador and head trainer at Mint Gym in Washington DC, discussed strength training for many of our guests and led core work demonstrations. Lance has an uncanny ability to make the beginner exerciser feel comfortable, so it was great to see him give some of our new runners advice on how to supplement their run program with strength work. Read more about Lance here: http://lancebreger.blogspot.com/
• It was also an honor to have one of my best friends and running/ life mentor at the event! Naoko Ishibe is truly an inspiration. She has twice qualified for Olympic Marathon trials, is a Harvard phD, and is one of the classiest women you will ever meet. Unlike many elite runners, Naoko did not start running until her senior year of college. Naoko is vice president of the Washington Run Club and recently led the club's women's team to a first place finish at the famous Cherry Blossom Ten Miler!
• Sean O'Brien, former pro-runner for Nike, and colleagues with Lance Breger at Mint Gym shared his amazing run stories. It was exciting to hear about his training and interactions with other elite athletes. Sean was definitely a fun run expert for our guests!
• Ultra-run Coach Bryon Powell, recently back from a 5 day race across the desert in Morocco was there to chat about very long distance running and his amazing adventures. Bryon is not only an inspiration in the running community, but he also really exemplifies the lululemon manifesto. Personally, he has inspired me to follow my passion for running and start a career in the running industry doing what I love. I think we are going to hear a lot more from Bryon in the upcoming months, and he will continue to inspire many more runners. You can read more about Bryon on his popular trail running website http://www.irunfar.com.
• Rick Amernick, president of the Capital Striders running club, brought many of his runners and shared a lot about his group and the upcoming race that the group is hosting on May 30th. Rick has grown his organization to over 1,200 members. You can get more information about Rick's group here: http://www.meetup.com/dccapitalstriders/.

During the event, we even had a surprise visit from elite runner Julie Cully, who was the first American finisher at the World Cross Country Championships! Julie is an inspiring athlete and it was an amazing treat for our guests to meet and interact with her.

lululemon is a hub of health and fitness and is a great resource for all athletes. Where else would you be able to interact with so many amazing runners in one place?

Above: Melissa Tanner (Elite Runner), Elyse Braner, and Julie Cully (elite Runner and first American finisher in the World Cross Country Championships.