I think it must have been meant to be for my first HM to be the Seawheeze in 2013, as put on by Lululemon, because I've run 9 since, to include Seawheeze 2015 last weekend! Lululemon does it again! What a fun race experience!

In addition to the scenery being top notch, due to the beauty of Vancouver and its magnificent Stanley Park sea wall, the vibe of the race and the expo and the after party make it worth every dollar spent to register and fly there from Chicago! The people are super friendly, everyone is super happy, the setup is super creative, the food is super delicious! 5 stars for everything! I mean, where else can you see mermaids along your route, or a full spin class set up to cheer you from the on ramp of a highway?! Multiple cheer stations lining the course, the Burrard St bridge twice, fresh fruit 🍊🍌 at 18km, Seawheeze had it all to invigorate me every step of the way!

Here are practical things I liked: the seabus convenience to get to and from the race. The expo setup with its awsome water views from the Olympic Torch and the Cactus Club rooftop. All the items given to me at the finish line, like my wonderfully heavy golden carrot medal, cold wash cloth for my face, peppermint aromatherapy oil to soothe me, Mylar sheet to warm me, a finishers hat, a Kind Bar and a breakfast that included delicious strawberry waffles!

The whimsical things that I loved included: the expo fun for the kiddos, the free cotton candy and mango frozen yoghurt, the delightful Lululemon patterns available this year for purchase, the yoga sessions, the braiding and manicures and tattoos and the shoe picture tweeting station! It was all simple stuff, maybe not that big of a deal, but when rolled altogether, it made me really happy before the endorphins even kicked in!

The little things which could be improved: the vega drink could have been offered earlier and also set up the same way at each water station, after the water. There could have been more men's small sizes. More women's large sizes at the expo. There should be a smaller limit on purchase quantities to deter eBay resales the next day (now THAT leaves such a bad taste in my mouth).

Things I didn't take advantage of: I didn't do the yoga on Friday or Saturday, but I loved watching it. I also loved watching the yoga-duo performances inside the expo. And I didn't come back for the sunset festival because of the kiddos. But I would have loved it, I'm sure!

Favorite memory: feeling so entertained by all the cheer stations and performer people along the way! Loving getting my golden carrot put around my neck! The high five rally on the Burrard street bridge! Eating my 2 orange slices at 18km, which gave me what I needed to run past other runners to finish my race string!

Advice: this race sells out in 10 minutes. Be sure to set ur alarm clock to block out the time to complete the registration right away! Also make sure you stay for Friday-Saturday-Sunday the brake advantage of all that Vancouver has to offer!

I loved my 10th Half marathon at Seawheeze 2015! I completed it with my niece Tina. We r both warriors in disguise; we may not look fast and we may not be fast. But we have strong hearts and strong legs and are motivated by the beauty of running, which Lululemon celebrates atvSeawheeze!