For those of you who read my blog last month, you’ll remember that I had enrolled in the Cross Fit Ramp course to prepare for the Superhero Half Marathon in Morris Township, NJ. Between the weight training, sprints and Paleolithic diet I hit the race start seriously motivated to clock a strong time.

I arrived at the race with my two local running buddies Tim Allison and Jim Connolly. We became friends last summer at the 92-mile relay team event called “River to Sea.” Since that race, we’ve maintained a bond as runners and support each other in as many local races as possible to gear up for the next relay, which is fast approaching in July! We positioned ourselves in the front of the pack and crossed the start on schedule at 8:30am. Tim joined me for the first 2 miles of the race. As a veteran Ironman and gifted coach he made sure I didn’t run faster than an 8-minute mile and deplete all my energy too early. Once he was sure I knew my pace he galloped off in to the distance on his way to running a 1:42 race.

Earlier in the morning Jim had confessed that he had been up late at a wedding and was not really feeling that “running magic”. He ran a more than respectable 1:54 but had he been drinking Gatorades instead of beers the night before it would have posted his usual 1:40+! Selfishly… I was happy to have the company. I ran a solid 1:53 which for me is lightning speed while Jim remained behind me the entire time. One suggestion for improvement I have for the race is to add more mile markers - there were only markers for mile 2 and mile 12 on the course. (Maybe the guy who was in charge of those was at the same wedding as Jim and just wasn’t on his A game?)

Fortunately, as we neared the end of the race, Jim would periodically reference his Garmin watch and quietly give the pack of surrounding runners an update on mileage. Every once in awhile I’d see a flash of his Island Green Metal Vent Tech shirt out of the corner of my eye and it would inspire me!

We’re not sure when our next race will be but we all plan to improve our times as we train for the big relay in July. My personal goal is a sub 1:50.

Thanks to the Superhero, the devoted runners of northern NJ finally have a genuine half marathon taking place in the heart of our community! I've lost track of how many times I’ve had to travel to a borough of Manhattan or hamlet at the Jersey shore to participate in a legitimate half marathon. We all know how hard local races are to sanction and organize in suburban towns so I give these race officials high marks for pulling this event off with aplomb. And notably, while runners enjoyed the competitive course and comradely, funds were raised for the Dana and Christopher Reeve Foundation. A win win on all fronts!

This blog was written by Marguerite, the assistant manager for the Summit, New Jersery showroom. She is passionate about family, health, and fitness with a new soft spot for Crossfit!

The lululemon Princeton cheer team on a Saturday morning.

My professional athletic career is something I may never be able to brag about to generations to come because, well, I never had one. My could-be-professional career as your biggest fan, well, that’s another story.

When you walk into lululemon Princeton, you see our team working the floor. What most people don’t see though is our team huddled in the brisk late-April air at the edge of Mercer Lake at 7am on a Saturday with Sarah Trowbridge paraphernalia. Sarah is an educator on our lululemon team and more amazingly she’s training on the US National Rowing Team, so when she informed us all she’d be racing, we had to be there—her face in hand.

Sarah's team got crafty to cheer her on.

Although I only went to a one-week rowing camp for a single summer when I was 16, I quickly understood that the fan base for rowing even on an Olympic level was slightly less than that of, say, the NFL. But in Princeton, we’ve adopted the rowing team as our extended family and rowing as our favorite sport. Rowers are our store managers, our Elite Ambassadors, our educators, and our favourite familiar faces, so it was no surprise seeing all that lululemon walking around at the boathouse. All those athletes trying to achieve their goals and making it happen was some serious inspiration.

Inside the Princeton store with Sarah's face

All of our teams’ goals are posted in our store to remind us daily that what we want is out there waiting for us to grab it. Whether it’s eating healthier, mastering the NYC subway system, finishing a Masters Degree, or winning gold at the 2012 Olympic Games, we’re always up for cheering each other on. Support (like a good sports bra!) can make all the difference. So keep rowing, Trowbridge, we’re right there with ya!

Wanna make your goals a reality? Take a read through our goal setting tips.

Rachel is a Key Leader at lululemon Princeton, New Jersey. She's a huge fan of her team and goal setting!

The ladies at Crossfit!

The Summit Showroom in New Jersey is embracing CrossFit! Our ambassador, Karianne Dickson recently placed first in her division at the New York/New Jersey CrossFit Sectionals. A novice like myself couldn’t ask for a more motivational instructor to lead the introductory Ramp Class. My friend Jill and I started the month long course with Karianne on Monday April 6th. Our goal is to leverage CrossFit conditioning to gain a competitive edge when we run the Morristown Half Marathon on May 16th. We will be at on ramp twice a week with Karianne and are committed to the program and embracing the Paleo diet to further enhance our performance.

In our Northern New Jersey community CrossFit is steadily growing in to the next big movement in fitness. Once a dedicated newcomer gets involved, the workout is addictive!

The vibe that New Jersey CrossFitters generate is spirited, supportive and competitive in the healthiest of ways. They often travel in packs and the energy is palpable. You might run in to a few munching on a handful of nuts in our showroom, drinking a paleo friendly coffee with a splash of heavy cream at Starbucks, or picking their kids up at school with that tell-a-tale 4 pack peeking out from under their run swiftly tech top. Although CrossFitters are committed to the athletic benefits of the Paleolithic diet, this cool crowd is not afraid to indulge in a few Paleo Margaritas on occasion.

Not surprisingly, the entourage of women at CrossFit Morristown look fabulous! If eliminating sugar, grains and dairy from my diet while squatting and doing burpees will get me that glow and shape, then count me in!

Have you tried Crossfit?