LULULEMON

No stranger to the local sports lifestyle scene, Amanda is a big advocate of fitness and an active lifestyle. Sports has been an integral part of her life ever since she was a kid, having dabbled in a variety of team and individual sports in different stages of her life - starting out with badminton in primary school, netball in secondary school, hockey in junior college and archery in university!

Medical sales by profession, she currently helms her time outside of work in spin classes, wake surfing, yoga and running – the latter she integrates into her weights and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) to strike a balance. Outside from her profession, you’ll also be likely to find the 27-year-old fitness enthusiast conducting training sessions as a part time hybrid instructor at R10T - extending her expertise in delivering a mix of strength and cardio training.

The Energy long line bra (Black) is one of her favourite apparels because of its comfort and versatility. Designed for yoga and daily training it is perfect for medium impact activities with slick and low-friction medium support coupled with lululemon’s Luxtreme^TM Fabric – a sweat-wicking, four-way stretch fabric that’s cool to the touch and fits like a second skin.

“Your biggest enemy is yourself - it’s all about You vs You”

Instead of holding herself up to past standards or personal records, Amanda prefers to challenge and see how she can push her present self to always become a better version. For instance – she’s always looking to improve her interval timing on the 400m from a previous session. We caught her taking the Mid-Rise Lined Short 4” (White) from lululemon’s new Speed Up Collection and Swiftly Tech Short Sleeve 2.0 (Green) out for a run earlier.

The short sleeve tee is optimally designed for training and racing in hot and humid climates such as Singapore. lululemon manages to make it extra light weight and sweat-wicking thanks to the super breathable mesh construction. The tee also has minimal seams to reduce chafing and features Silverescent^TM technology in its material, powered by X-Static® that inhibits the growth of odour causing bacteria on the fabric. On the other hand, the lined shorts are a perfect complement to the set, with a neat lightweight waistband and easy-access pockets for storage so the runner can focus on the run and not the gear!

When asked what she looks for in performance running apparels, Amanda shared about her love for apparels with a good body hug and her tendency of opting for leggings or tights that gives her enough compression yet leaves room for sufficient breathability and unrestricted movement. She also loves running shorts that feature a curved cut on the sides – a feature of the Speed Up Mid-rise lined shorts – stating they were perfect for opening up her running strides or when picking the pace up a notch.

To Amanda, running does not just make her feel stronger physically but also mentally. She is a strong advocate that running builds grit & tenacity – it trains an individual to push through no matter the fatigue and discomfort, the final few seconds of a race or even to accomplish a goal. After a long day at work, she really looks forward to a good run session as a form of stress release and escape from the working world.

Meet Leonard, a 43-year-old professional Personal Trainer cum Strength Coach who works with a wide range of clients from the general population to competitive athletes. Outside from his daily strength and conditioning routine, the avid endurance athlete runs regularly, a sport which allows him to dial into a personal zone away from the distractions of the modern world and where his footsteps, heart rate and breathing get in sync - an experience which he describes is akin to how "the different instruments of an orchestra come together and play the perfect symphony".

Leonard believes that strength training should be an integral component of any complete run training program with the primary purpose of injury prevention. Stressing to us that a commonly overlooked aspect of running is the extensive training mileage that an individual has to clock in preparation for a race, with many rushing to chalk distance without first building a physically robust body - exponentially increasing the risk of injuries stemming from overuse or overtraining.

Our muscles function to produce and absorb forces. When they do not work like they are supposed to, that responsibility gets passed down to the joints. This explains why most common running injuries happen at the knees, ankles/heel and lower back. In an ideal program, runners should ideally strength train at least twice a week combining bilateral and unilateral exercises that focus on activating big running muscles such as the glutes and hamstrings.

As someone who enjoys running light, he still finds it a real challenge at times as he sweats a lot in the hot and humid Singapore weather. One of his biggest pain points is getting extremely uncomfortable with perspiration accumulating in his running gear over the distance. There were also occasions on longer training runs where he suffered from really bad chafing that accumulated and started bleeding - ouch! 

Decked in the Metal Vent Tech Sleeveless 2.0 and Fast and Free lined Short 6” from lululemon’s latest men’s collection, Leonard was beaming with a smile after his run: 

"The fabric is amazing, I felt that I wasn't wearing a top at all due to the weight!" 

He pointed out how the seamless construction of the sleeveless running top reduced the likelihood of chafing whilst staying snug under all circumstances. Also noticeable was the Breath Light Mesh technology that helped wicked sweat efficiently and stayed dry even when it wasn't the coolest of days - helping him take away the distraction of sweaty gear and allowing him to fully enjoy the running experience.

His advice for runners on training and setting goals? As with most things in life, overnight achievements are usually short lived and transient. Be patient with your running progression and give yourself the time and opportunities to make and learn from mistakes. Don't go too long or too hard too quickly – it is a continuous learning process that requires tweaking and revising till you find what works best for you as an individual!

Running has a way of unlocking a wide range of emotions and feelings: motivation, calm, release; frustration, exhaustion, euphoria. And the gear we choose to run in—lightweight and barely-there or supportive and held-in—becomes a catalyst to discovering and rediscovering those feelings, physical and emotional.

From the accomplishment of physical effort to the strength of mental fitness to the sensory quality of gear—feeling is found every step of the way as you drive yourself forward and propel yourself into the next phase of motion. Running is a discovery process - whether you are taking a jog in a bustling city, exploring a fresh trail outdoors or pushing your limits on the oval track you want to be donning gear that gives you the confidence and comfort to focus on what matters.

The lululemon run collection makes a bold statement and plays in the unfamiliar. Designed for the technically minded and aesthetically motivated, its newest range out from the lab is inspired by the innovators, the instigators and the agitators, featuring a vibrant colour scheme across both the men and women apparels and a plethora of new technology that looks set to disrupt the normal and cement a place as timeless, technical gear for the those who thrive in the unexpected.

Swiftly Tech + Silverescent® technology

Designed to be the ultimate gear for running and training in hot and humid conditions:

• Seamless apparel construction for reduced chafing and abrasion on longer runs
• Unique Odour-reducing fabric technology powered by X-STATIC® technology that bonds 99.9% pure silver to the surface of every fibre —woven into the very fabric of your favorite workout clothes.
• Silver releases positive ions that are attracted to the bacteria's negatively charged ions. When they all get together, the bacteria are inhibited from reproducing and causing a big stink. That means you can wear your gear today and it’ll still smell fresh tomorrow and the next day.

Metal Vent Tech 

Built to perform sweat after sweat for the active individual.

• Quick-drying, mesh construction and thermoregulation that adds next-level breathability
• Seamless knit that feels impossibly lightweight and designed to suit each individual
• Larger ventilation zones and odour-reducing qualities keeps air flowing so you can keep your body moving without the uncomfortable and unpleasant distractions.

Nulux™ fabric

Inhibition of movement is the bane of any running apparel. The Nulux™ fabric is Lululemon’s solution to a smooth and lightweight fabric that promotes free strides and a free mind to let the runner feel like they could run forever.

• Nulux™ fabric offers 100% pure running freedom with its engineered four-way stretch, quick-drying, sweat-wicking, breathable qualities
• Feels sleek and cool to the touch
• Added Lycra® fibre aids with stretch and shape retention to stay nice and snug to the individual’s body
• Features unrestricted movement and incredibly lightweight coverage that passes the squat test

These core technologies will certainly help reinforce Lululemon’s mission statement of creating components for people to live longer, healthier, fun lives in their pursuit of delivering the highest quality technical athletic apparels out to the market!