the calm before the storm

When I told my friends and family in Toronto that I would be moving to Vancouver, the response I heard over and over again always seemed to look past the scenic ocean and mountain views, the friendly Vancouverites, and the desirable active lifestyle that the city has to offer. “Doesn’t it rain a lot in Vancouver?” “You better be ready for rain” “Don’t forget to pack your umbrella!” YES, YES, YES. It rains in Vancouver. There I said it. And yes it is true. But I would never in a million years take back -30 temperatures with 6 feet of snow for a little rain because what I have found is that it’s not so much about the weather as it is about how you handle it.

when it rains it pours

I remember so clearly my first confrontation with the Vancouver rain. I remember it because it was like no other rain experience I’d ever had. The weather shifted from bright and sunny to dark and gloomy in a matter of seconds, a common occurrence in Vancouver I since realized. As the 5’oclock crowd made their way through the streets I readied myself for the downpour. I was waiting for the cityscape to morph into a sea of umbrellas but nobody seemed to skip a beat, everybody just embraced the wet.

singing in the rain

In an effort to fit in, I fought my Torontonian instinct to run for cover or throw up my umbrella. I kept the cadence of my stride, a smile on my face and pretended to not be fazed by the rain (I really had to try to not worry about how my hair might react.) What I quickly realized was that ‘rain’ is only as bad as you make it to be. In Toronto, I would have let it ruin my day by replacing my conversational, “hey how are you?” with “can you believe this weather?”  The Vancouverites have it right. The number one reason the rain is far more tolerable in Vancouver is because nobody complains about it.

there is no such thing as bad weather

Someone once said to me, there is no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing choice. While I aim to take on the Vancouver attitude, I think it’ll take some time before I can truly embrace the rainfall and power on through. For those of you who aren’t quite ready to soldier on, here are some of my tried and tested ways to weather the storm.

• Right As Rain Jacket: The perfect accomplice for rainy day errands when staying in just isn’t an option.

• Birdcage Umbrella: There’s nothing more embarrassing then being that person on the street whose umbrella flips inside out. The uniquely shaped birdcage umbrella (available at The Bay, Sears, and Harry Rosen) is designed to keep the wind out, so you can go confidently in any direction. This umbrella even has the Queen’s approval!

• Rubber Boots: Plain and simple, my feet are happy feet when they are warm and dry. My rain boots give me no excuse to not brave the storm.

With the right attitude, and perhaps the right accessories, no amount of rain should ever stand in your way. As for my dear friends and family in Toronto, I look forward to hearing from you in February, not to worry, I have a pull-out couch.

want more?

• protect your laptop (and your other stuff) from light rain with the wet coast backpack
• a little rain never stopped our no excuses run club

what you do?

I am a track and field athlete specializing in the 800-metres. I completed my bachelors of kinesiology at Simon Fraser University with a certificate in Health and Fitness. After SFU I studied broadcast journalism at BCIT.

I run 6-8 times per week over 6 days. My training involves long runs lasting up to 70 minutes, intervals, circuit/weight training and a lot of stretching. I am also a part-time educator at lululemon Robson and I love my online role maintaining our lululemon Robson Facebook and Twitter pages.

how long have you been running?

Running has been part of my life for 17 years. I competed in my first cross-country race when I was 8 years old I and placed 2nd, but I wanted 1st. After that I was hooked. I started in a track club when I was 12 and have competed in the 800-metres ever since.

what's your favourite place to run?

I grew up on Bowen Island and my favourite run will always be around Killarney Lake. When I’m not on the island I love meeting my training partners for our Sunday run at Burnaby Lake.

what are some of your recent running accomplishments?

• 3rd in the 800-metres at the 2009 World University Games Belgrade, Serbia
• 1st in the 800-metres in 2008 and 2009 at Canadian Track and Field Championships Toronto, Canada
• 1st in 800-metres in 2005 and 2006 at NAIA Track and Field Championships Louisville, KY and Fresno, CA.

why do you run?

This sport has taught me that I can push my body and my mind further than I ever thought possible. Running has allowed me to travel all over the world and meet the most amazing people.

read rebecca's run tips

Rebecca's also a lululemon blogger! Read her articles on run tips and education here: http://www.lululemon.com/community/blog/author/rebecca-j/

Specialties include: Styling, passion and knowledge for lululemon product, photo taking, splashing in puddles, keeping secrets, learning all the ins and outs on new product, creating wicked fantastic Fit & Function albums, listening, wunder under wearing, responding to pressure, and in general just being awesome.

Stats: 5'2", Size 2-4

Sweaty Time Activities: Hatha and Hot yoga, running (look for her at the next Vancouver Sun Run!)

Meet Whitters

Specialties include: Giving honest fashion and life advice, new lululemon everything, skating in puddles, sharing, cappuccino tasting, creating wicked product posts, dressing women for their shape, celebrating curves and in general just being pleasantly sarcastic.

Stats: 5’6”, Size ranges between 6-10.  Yup, sometimes have to account for her bubbly bum, and yes she got it from her mama!

Sweaty Time Activities: Slo-pitch, OTL, indoor soccer,  yoga, Bootcamp and ½ marathon soon to be full marathon running.

So g'head ask us anything you want to know and try to stump us!

What pants will fit my size 8 badonk, and size 6 torso? What should I wear to hot yoga? What do I wear for my first half marathon? What should I get my boyfriend for his birthday? What should I eat before yoga?

We will collect and read all comments and requests each week, and respond the next week with the most relevant post.

We will continue to always use real athletes, not paid models and answer honestly.  Bring it.

Is it just me, or is autumn the best? I love shifting seasons. Everything slows down in my world in the fall: the tempo of the music I reach for, the way I cook my dinners, and the workouts that appeal to me. Give me a peaceful stretch in a warm room, bathed in dim light, and some cozy natural fabrics, like our certified Organic Cotton Jersey.

So what exactly do we mean by ‘certified organic’? At lululemon, our organic cotton yarn is certified for the first 3 stages of production: growing and harvesting, cleaning, and spinning. We are currently working on becoming certified in the fourth stage, dyeing, and are excited to take on this challenge as we recognize environmental concerns with regards to the growth and manufacturing of conventional cotton products.

Although our organic cotton blend is not quick-drying like our technical fabrics (luon® for example), I enjoy wearing this fabric for slower-paced workouts where I’m not necessarily sweating a ton. It’s really lightweight and soft and like many other fabrics derived from natural yarns, it’s very breathable, making it great for my low-impact workouts.

Fall is all about comfort. Take a deep breath and slow down a bit. Autumn is here!

P.S. Did you know we pre-shrink all of our fabrics so there are no surprises when you wash them? We know this is the number one pet peeve, especially when it comes to cotton, so we’ve taken the guessing out for you. You’re welcome!

Visit our online store for a peek at some of our organic cotton options: http://www.lululemon.com/

Want to see some of the tanks featured in this video? Check 'em out: http://shop.lululemon.com/women_tanks/pl/c/530.html

Up next? Learn all about how to find the perfect fitting bra!

When I started wearing lululemon clothes, I thought of them as mostly running and yoga apparel. Since beginning working here last year - low and behold - I have discovered some gems for cycling wear.

The run line is an ideal match for spinners and cyclers. The moisture-wicking, flat-seemed garments often include either Silverescent (anti-stink/anti-static) or quick dry and zip or back pockets.

I put our clothes to the test.

The Carlsbad store hosted a private yoga and shopping event with the San Diego Velo Bellas cycling group.

I rode with them before yoga and showed off the Run: Activa Vest and Flow Y Bra, explaining that I was testing the garments for cycling efficiency. While not wind resistant, the back zipper pocket fits my camera and cell phone, and the back pocket of the Spin Babe shorts fits chapstick and my lens cloth. I could have fit Gu, gum and my car key if I wanted to, but it fit in my bike's seat bag.

Jackie, my riding buddy, exclaimed that of course the vest worked - she didn't realize it wasn't a "real" cycling vest.

After the ride, we hosted yoga for the Bellas and invited them to a private shopping event in exchange for design feedback.

After a few months of testing our products in various saddles, here are the winners (please note, not all are currently available in stores):

- Spin Babe Short - have worn spinning and cycling. Lightly padded in the bum.
- Tri Babe Short - see above, plus more moisture wicking
- Run: Sprint Singlet - wore this in a triathlon
- Run: Activa Vest - wore this on a 2 hr ride
- Run: Power Crop - spin class
- Persist Jacket - to/fro bike rides and races
- Hot Yoga Bra - triathlon
- Flow Y Bra - spinning and cycling
- Brisk Run Arm Warmers - made for cold-weather running - and ideal as cycling sleeves.

That being said, lululemon is not best in the world at making cycling gear - yet. The more feedback you give us via our blog, Facebook, twitter, online, and at the store level, the more the designers will hear it and implement changes.

What else have you worn spinning or cycling and loved?

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

When I first started hot yoga, I somehow always ended up next to the heater. I was usually running a little late because I tried to get my cardio in before the class. So picture me - sweaty from my previous class with an old mat my dog loved to chew on. Hot vinyasa was my favorite style and while the beginning of my practice was great, I felt like I was ice skating by the end of the class. It was challenging when my hands and feet slipped constantly. My abs got a great workout in trying to hold myself up, but my slip n' slide yoga classes were beginning to hurt! On occasion, I would accidentally slip on my sweat puddle, falling into the yogi next to me and knocking them over (yes, this really happened)! I needed a solution.

Yogitoes are colorful blanket/towels with orange dots on the front that yogis put down over their yoga mats. These skidless mat-covers are thin enough to prevent bunching, but they have grippies on the bottom to prevent my "yoga ice skating."

If you are willing to go to yoga and have your own mat, it's practice-altering to invest in your skidless Yogitoes.

Many of you on Twitter have been talking about Yogitoes, and I have @replied how they have changed my practice. I no longer have to worry about slip-injuries, I can focus more on my alignment, and I can say goodbye to sweat puddles on my mat!

Above: Vanessa uses the Yogitoes mat to keep her grip on a hot Vancouver day.