Create your own ice bath. Brrr!

Ice baths are great for general recovery. They help relieve those nagging, little injuries before they turn into big problems. The ice-cold water causes your blood vessels to constrict and this helps to reduce inflammation. Once you get out of the tub your legs will develop this fantastic melting feeling as the blood flow returns to normal and you’re well on your way to recovery!

Ice baths are easy to make! Simply fill your tub with cold water and add as many ice cubes as you can find. To stock up on ice cubes simply empty your ice cube trays into a freezer bag and refill the trays, repeat until the bag is full. If you’re low on trays (and high on freezer space) you can buy ice bags from the grocery store. Using the cold tubs at your gym or physiotherapy centre is another great option if it’s available.

All of these methods get the job done with minimal mess and maximal recovery but my favorite ice bath option is to finish the run by standing in the ocean! This ice bath offers complete convenience and breathtaking scenery.

Choose recovery and make an ice bath of your own. Try to make the temperature between 10-15 °C and stay in the tub for ten minutes. That’s all there is to it!

tips for withstanding the torment:

• sip warm tea or hot chocolate while sitting in the tub
• wrap a towel around your neck
• read a novel

Post-run recovery is arguably as important as training itself. Putting the same effort into what you do after the run will help you feel great during the next workout. Let us know if you discover any other distraction techniques for surviving your ice bath.

This post was written by Rebecca, an educator at lululemon Robson. She's a track and field athlete specializing in the 800 metres. Her background is in Kinesiology and broadcast journalism.

I never applied to work for lululemon. In fact, I was actually going to a job interview at a local restaurant, dressed to impress, when I stopped into my neighborhood store and my world turned on its axis. I had just achieved a big life goal: “I leave the security of suburbia and move into the big bad city before my twentieth birthday.” (Attention please: my goal is SMART. Not sure what I’m talking about? Check out GOALTENDER.) My favorite groove pants apparently did not share my vision of moving into Vancouver’s West End and they got lost in transition. I decided to replace them on the way to my interview. The Robson location was busy as usual, and I casually wandered through the bustling sea of tourists and locals.

Ananda was waiting for me at the pant wall and we became instant friends – she was incredibly helpful and had an infectious personality. I told her that I wished that I could come to work in flip-flops and comfy pants, not the impending pencil skirts and heels.

“You can!” she exclaimed, as she took my hand and boldly escorted me to the front of the store to meet the manager. Hilarious. Only at lululemon. We had an on-the-spot interview, and I was invited to attend a group interview that week.

Fast-forward to the big day:
I was well-versed in my interview responses.
I picked out a nice outfit – and hooray! no heels included.
I planned my bus route and made sure that I had enough time to arrive EARLY.

To my dismay, the good people running the buses that fateful day were behind the eight ball. This, combined with my total lack of knowledge for the city’s streets, successfully made me twenty minutes late for my interview. It was the grossest feeling. I felt like I lost before I even got my chance.The whole interview was a fantastic blur of ingenuity - nothing like I had ever experienced - but I don’t really remember anything except the gut-rot I felt for being late. When it was over, I think I apologized five times to the girls hosting the interview.

“Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle setbacks.” The thing about being put in a challenging situation is that it brings out your true colors. I didn’t feel like a confident Chili red; instead I was more like a sedated Sand, but they liked what they saw, and I got the job! My journey has had some interesting ups and downs in the five years I have been with the company, which I look forward to sharing with you. I continue to challenge myself, and continue to realize some really amazing goals along the way. (This includes meeting the man of my dreams - stay tuned for that one.)

If you are considering an opportunity with us – GO FOR IT! If you want to pick my brain and hear more about my time with lululemon, EMAIL me (Attn: Elissa at gec@lululemon.com). I’m happy to be your personal cheerleader. My first advice nugget to all you ladies and gentlemen out there getting ready for an interview? Don’t wear heels.

Come join the team and check out some of the cool jobs we have in the company!