When lululemon ambassador Jenn Thiel first went stand-up paddleboarding, it was at the Jericho sailing club on a first date. She instantly fell in love with paddle-boarding but, unfortunately, not with him. That was over two years ago and she's still in love. To me, Stand-Up Paddleboarders will always look like Venetian gondoliers doing 'weekend casual'. For aeons, people have been standing and paddling on the canals of Venice, the rivers of America and amidst the waves of Hawaii. All you need is water, a board, a paddle and abs.

steep learning curve

Although Jenn's experience as a surfer undoubtedly came in handy, the learning curve for paddleboarding is steep (steep is good). The boards have a lot of grip and aren't top-heavy like kayaks; plus there are tons of variables to make the sport as easy or as challenging as you like:

• start by kneeling (the paddle lengths are adjustable)
• try a different size board; the wider it is the more stable it'll be
• flat water is easier; choppy is more difficult; and surf and journeying (travelling on long trips) is for advanced paddlers

what to wear

On her first date, Jenn she was out there in a bikini. That's awesome on a sunny day and if you start to overheat on your workout you can jump in the water to cool off. Most rentals are for an hour to and hour and a half so if the weather or the water's a little bit chillier, a rash guard or a shorty wetsuit might be advisable. Once you know what you're doing you can switch it up. You'll see a lot of paddlers in shorts and a top.

the best kind of workout

Stand-up paddleboarding works the entire body because you're constantly making micro movements to stabilize yourself on the board. The day after, while her date nursed a broken heart, Jenn nursed sore muscles. "I woke up and I was like, 'why are my abs sore? I think, at least partly, it was from laughing so much." You steer with your paddle, which means steering with your abs, your arms and your back. "It really gets you're heart rate up," says Jenn. "Even when you're having fun it's still a workout but you can make it a super workout too; you can even have races - you go faster than you'd think."

Jenn says that her favourite thing about being on the board is that it feels so zen (looking at her photos we can see why). Watching a sunset out on the board would be unreal! We're looking forward to finding a piece of that serenity for ourselves.

want more

• Discover even more reasons to love Vancouver.
• Explore the Paradise Beachwear.
  
• Check out the Oceanman race in August in Vancouver.
  

You’ve probably heard that we are doing some behind-the-scenes renovations to our online store. (What? You didn’t hear? Read more about it.) We have big goals. We’ve been assessing where we’re at and the first step in making our goal a reality is re-platforming our site. (Sounds glamourous, right? It's not.) We need to change a few things - hence, the renovation.

goals need renovations too

Our online store isn’t the only thing needing a facelift these days. Not sure about you, but our goals need constant attention. It’s been almost three months since we talked about setting goals instead of resolutions. We re-ignited things later in January when some of us (and likely some of you) lost some momentum. For those of you who were still stuck, we talked to Soho ambassador Holly to learn more about how dialing in on your values can help set things in motion.

Now it's nearly April. In the spirit of spring cleaning, why not take a look and see if your goals could also use a little love while we renovate online? After all, the goal setting resources on the site is in fine working order during the reno.

Visualize your next ten years before you set out renovating

how to renovate your goals

Have goals in the first place. You can’t renovate if you don’t own the place. You need a 10-year vision. If you have no idea what a BHAG is or you haven’t formally set out to capture your SMART goals on paper, we highly recommend you start. (We mean it. Start now.) Spend some time doing so and then set a reminder to check back on this blog in a few months’ time. Already got some goals? You may proceed.

Assess the situation. What stirred you when you first wrote your goals? Do they still motivate and inspire you? Are you happy with the attention you’ve been giving them or have you let the dust bunnies set up shop in the corners of your world?

Get insight from professionals. Ok, maybe this is more applicable if you’re attempting to redo the kitchen plumbing. Still, it never hurts to talk to those close to you. They may challenge you to dream bigger and take more risks. They may give you that dose of reality you need. There’s one thing to remember though: your goals need to motivate you and you alone. No justification is required.

Draw up some new plans. If you’re uninspired, get clarity on where you want to go, tear up the old blueprints and start fresh. Motivation (unlike that plumber you may actually need for your kitchen) runs cheap. Just spy on some of the big things others are up to. (Carolyn’s enthusiasm is just the ticket. Try not being motivated after reading her blog on goal setting.)

Get going. Renovating goals may not be as fun as swinging a sledgehammer into drywall but the clean-up is easier. Don’t expect it to all be easy though. (Just ask our IT team.) Every renovation comes with its surprises, so be prepared for some bumps along the way.

want more?

• Get your goals on paper. Everyone has to start somewhere.
• Make a stop-doing list while you’re at it. They’re just as amazing as their counterparts.
• Get inspired. Read about what Linda, Meghan and Jenn are up to.
• Follow our progress. Get all the latest news on the online store reno.

 Next to breaking a sweat, goal setting is the best way to up the resale value on one of your greatest assets: yourself. Remember to have some fun while you’re at it. (If you’ve been pining to wear a tool belt on a day that wasn’t Halloween, now’s your chance.) What are you busy renovating?

 

 Meet Jenn, lover of marathons - literally and figuratively. We caught up with her after the latest Runner's World photo shoot to talk goals. (She's got plenty to say on the subject.)

getting to know jenn

Jenn Thiel is quickly becoming a familiar face. Not only is she an alumni ambassador at our Kitsilano store, she's also the face (or should we say torso) in our latest Runner's World ad. Between training for the Honolulu marathon, writing for her blog, and tackling her bucket list of goals, she's got her work cut out for her. (Did I mention she's also pursuing a career as a cardiac surgery nurse? I think all her training will help with the nerves.) After spending some time with her after the shoot, it didn't take long for me to make the connection: in all aspects, Jenn is the definition of a marathoner.

the interview

So I checked out your website and was spying on your bucket list. It's a marathon in itself. You have a lot of awesome challenges ahead of you: speaking at a TED conference, running the NYC marathon, writing a best-selling book. What was the motivation behind writing your list?

I love a challenge. I have a friend who has a bucket list and it inspired me to do my own last November. One of my big goals is to inspire people to live their best lives and I figured sharing my bucket list online was a good place to start. Posting my goals on my website has been a catalyst to getting stuff done and it keeps me accountable to my word too. 

So are you on your way to reaching any significant goals right now?

Yeah, I've got plans to do goal coaching sessions with a class of grade 8 students and a softball team soon. I'll be entering the lottery to run in the NYC marathon in 2012 and now that I'm done nursing school, I'm in a good place to head to Haiti with a medical relief team – that’s another goal of mine. It's a long road but I'm making progress a little bit every day.

I love that you're so passionate about empowering people to reach their goals and live amazing lives. You're like that coach that everyone wants to have. Has there been one person in your life that has been that source of inspiration for you?

Wow. Great question. I don't think I can single out just one person. I surround myself with amazing, positive people who inspire me every day. I think that's the trick.

It seems like a lot of people have goals to do marathons. You've got a couple on your list. I'm curious - how do you deal with the mental game? You can train your body to run long distances but how do you train your mind?

It’s like anything that’s challenging. It takes discipline and positive thinking. Towards the end, the race is all in your mind because you can’t feel your legs anymore. They feel like Jell-o. A lot of it is just staying focused and positive.

Do you go to your happy place? Are you thinking, “I’m on the beach! I’m not running! My legs don’t hurt!”

Honestly, it’s one step at a time. For the most part, you just want to get to the end. I did Boston twice though and it was a strange feeling. I didn’t want it to end. It was the most intense, most blissful feeling I’ve ever experienced. Everyone was cheering. It was a natural high. I don’t know why people do drugs.

The thought of doing Boston – wow. It’s really fascinating to me. I wouldn't call myself a runner but the thought of actually finishing the Boston Marathon is exhilarating.

That's exactly it! That’s why we do it. It’s exhilarating. It comes more so at the end when you know it’s hard but you’re doing it and you’re finishing it thinking, "This is awesome!"’ Do you want to run a marathon?

Well…I’m not sure. Running that far has never sounded appealing to me but I like the idea of tackling something so daunting. I’ve done a few 10Ks before so I think I would be able train to do a half …but now I’m knocked up. (We both erupt laughing.) Being 27 weeks pregnant complicates things for me a bit.

That would be a great way to get back into shape after, hey?

Totally. (Shoot. She’s totally right. I have to do it. Let’s change the subject.) Got any other goals you’re working on?

I want to buy a condo next year and put down some roots in Kits. And I need to learn to relax a little more too.

Ah, yes. Relaxation. That will come in handy when you’re conquering your bucket list of goals.

I know, right? Being a cardiac surgery nurse? That’s really relaxing. Ha.

want more?

• Spend more time with Jenn. Check out her blog.
• Get inspired. Read her bucket list and other goals.
• Write your own bucket list. Get tools to write your own goals here.
• Go behind-the-scenes. See more from the Runner’s World shoot.

After such a great interview, we can’t help but be inspired. We’re revising our goals on this end. Where are you at with yours?

Check out our interview with Jenn and watch for the ad, featured in the April edition for Runner's World magazine.