Loving Lolë

Step aside Lulu here comes Lolë! I’ve fallen head over heels for Lolë’s active wear. I’m not kidding I have been a staunch Lulu Lemon fan since the Tata Tamer, but there has always been something missing. As a curvy woman, with HBT (Hips, Butt Thighs) I have always found Lulu stuff to be too tight, too short, and at times not made for my body. That’s where Lolë comes in. Based in Montreal (yeah baby they’re Canadian!) Lolë takes its active wear to another level. They even have clothing geared towards the office (very cute dresses and skirts!), swim wear, lounge wear and of course active wear. It was hard for me to choose what I wanted because there were so many pieces I could see fitting in with my wardrobe, but given that I am running the half marathon this weekend, I decided the best thing I could do is treat myself to new running and race gear. I bought their Movement Short – FINALLY someone has made a short, that’s not too long and not too short – its just the right length, with a six inch inseam. EXACTLY what I want. Something to cover my booty, without looking like I am wearing a pair of basketball shorts. Cute, slimming and moisture wicking.  And their Zenith Tank is perfect! I bought it in a Small but I feel I could have gotten away with an XS – and I wish I had gotten a funky colour, but at the time they were sold out. I love the ruching in all the right places, the low back and the scoop neck. I took both out for a test run this past weekend and it was love at first wear. I do wish the tank had a zip at the back for my phone, but the movement shorts had a zipper and room for my keys and money.

Both items are a winner and I would definitely recommend them to all of you who are looking for a new way to spice up your active wear wardrobe.

 

 

What I am Wearing:

Tank: Zenith Tank c/o Lole

Shorts: Movement Short c/o Lole

Sports Bra: Lulu Lemon

Shoes: Asics (Noosa Tri 8)

What do you think of Lole?

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My First Half Marathon

Warning: LONG read.

If you had asked me where I saw myself in 10 years, my 2002-high school self would have never have imagined herself to be in the best shape of her life; nor would she have in her wildest dreams suggested participating in in both fitness/figure competitions or run a half marathon.

I was a typical high school girl. I hated gym class and did everything I could to get out of running track, playing sports. I sucked and it was mortifying. My experiences with school based gym class almost nearly turned me off of wanting a career in health. That was until I met a teacher who understood that some people just need another space. Enter Mr. T who introduced me to the world of weight lifting.

So how did I get from there to here? Baby steps. I learned that food was not my enemy and I did not have to treat food as if it was the last time I was ever going to eat it. I stopped looking at the scale and I started exercising for the pleasure of it. I found that competitive sports and group activities were just not my thing and I realised I loved weight lifting and competing with myself. And I continued to challenge myself. Even when it was uncomfortable.

I had to do the half marathon (21.1 km) it was a new challenge and put me out of my comfort zone. Best of all I only had to compete with myself. The last time I had run was in high school. Seriously. I felt the need to do this to move past those failed track and field meets and stupid 100 metre races....I needed to put high school behind me. So 8 weeks out I started training. and then the worst thing happened. INJURY.  With my longest run only 12 km long, I was 3 weeks from race day. At that point, I couldn’t train AT ALL and had to wait for the injury to heal.

Race day came. It was cold and wet and I was scared. EXTREMELY worried about re-injury, and of course not finishing. But once I was out there the camaraderie of fellow runners, the crowd cheering was infectious and powerful beyond words.

By the time I hit the 12 km I was done. I wanted to stop. EVERYTHING hurt. But what kept me going was running for a cause very dear to my heart - ALS. Somehow I managed to pass the 14 km mark, and then the 17 km mark I just kept thinking of all those people who could not run who had ALS and I had to do it for them. I had to finish. The last to 2 km was the most difficult. I was tired, I was starting to get cold. At that moment I pictured my high school self, pushed aside those negative thoughts from a past life and kept moving my feet.  

Getting that medal and crossing the finish line was the most overwhelming moment of my life. I couldn’t have been more thrilled. I finished in 2 hrs and 36 min and though I didn’t finish in the time I wanted, I outran the ghosts from my past.

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