Deanne + short shorts sitting in a tree, R-U-N-N-I-N-G.

Before I began copywriting here at lululemon, I was an executive assistant for Deanne Schweitzer, our Vice President of Women’s Design. Deanne is one of the busiest people I have ever met. She travels regularly for work, has three kids, skis every weekend in Whistler and, (oh yeah) manages an insane workload...

...and somehow she also runs five times a week without fail.

Every week, no questions asked, Deanne makes the time to run regularly. I used to think that people like her didn’t exist – that they were an unattainable myth. Then I managed her calendar and literally saw it happen.

the start line

I asked Deanne when she began running and why she loves it so much. She first started running in high school and university to cross-train during swim season (jock alert: Deanne was also a competitive swimmer all through university). After she graduated, she had her first child and running was the one thing she could just get up and do; after all, going to classes and to the pool required childcare, preparation and money. Now that her kids are getting older – and sometimes even run with her – Deanne has been able to dedicate more time to her running routine. Here are some of her tricks for making it happen.

5 tricks for making a run routine stick no matter what

1. pick a time that works for you and book it into your calendar

If it’s in your calendar, it’s more likely to happen. Making appointments with ourselves and committing our precious time makes us more likely to stay on track. Also, most of us have a time of day we like running at (Deanne is a morning person). Learn what your time is and stick to it – you’ll enjoy your runs more.

2. find awesome running partners

Deanne enjoys running the most when she is joined by some of her running pals (usually her daughter or her friends Michelle and Eric).  Enroll some of your friends into joining you on your running missions – we are more likely to keep with a program if we have a partner in crime. Added bonus: running buddies also make great coffee buddies (a VERY important part of run training).

3. keep your running gear with you at all times

All of the most disciplined runners I know have one trait in common: they bring their running stuff with them every day. To make excuses even more obsolete, keep toiletries and a change of clothes at your office (Editor’s Note: I have a conspiracy theory that Deanne was born in a pair of Speed Shorts).

4. set goals and work towards them

Without fail, people who set goals achieve more. Deanne regularly participates in races and sets time goals for herself – this gives her the additional motivation she needs to train hard with a target in mind.

5. eff the program – aka, if you have spare time, just go

There were many days when I saw Deanne leave at lunch time and run for 40 minutes, only to come back and take a conference call filled with bliss and yes, covered in sweat. The moral of this story? Instead of setting rigid rules about how long her runs had to be, Deanne seized the time she had and just went running. Sometimes it is as simple as that.

How do you stay committed to your run routine?

Name: Deanne
BHAG: My beautiful West Coast post-and-beam house with a view of the ocean, the mountains and the city is built by 2015!

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