The Seawheezer’s Guide to Vancouver

Seawheezer's Guide to Vancouver - Eat Spin Run Repeat

This year will mark the 4th anniversary of the Lululemon Seawheeze Half Marathon, which is one of my most favourite running races for SO many reasons. To name a few…

  • It happens here in Vancouver, so you know the scenery will be gorgeous – think mountains, beaches, greenery, and sailboats
  • A beautiful race course, especially the long flat bit along the sea wall
  • Super fun, non-intimidating race atmosphere
  • Plenty of yoga, including sunset yoga the night before the race which is awesome
  • Everyone looks super bright and colourful
  • Lululemon treats every runner like a VIP with tons of pre-race activities, on-course cheer squats, a killer post-run brunch and a concert

SeaWheeze medal

I’ve run this race every year since it began, and knowing that registration gets even more crazy and sells out even faster each year, I feel super thankful to have had the opportunity to do so. Coming out here for Seawheeze in previous years was one of the major contributors to my falling in love with the west coast  – so much so that I finally moved here!

Vancouver Olympic Torch

Seawheeze 2015 falls on August 15th (which also happens to be somebody’s birthday…. wink wink!) and it’ll be my first summer running the race as a Vancouverite as opposed to a tourist. Now that I’m more familiar with the city than I have been in previous years, I figured I’d put together a little guide for anyone who’s flying in to participate. Even if you’re not participating, if you ever find yourself traveling to Vancouver one day, I hope you’ll find it useful too!
Seawheeze Shorts 2015

Note to anyone reading who also lives in Vancouver: At the time of writing this, I’ve only lived here for 3 months. Therefore, there is TONS I don’t know about. If I’ve missed out one of your favourite spots, please comment below and let everyone know about it! 

Let’s start with location:

If you’re staying at a downtown hotel, you’re most likely within walking distance of the Vancouver Convention Centre and Jack Poole Plaza, which is where almost everything happening around Seawheeze takes place. I’ve mapped out some of the most popular ones in the map below (and you can click here for an interactive map if you like.)

Map of Downtown Vancouver Hotels for Seawheeze

Need-to-Knows About the Seawheeze Showcase Store

  • You’ll want to arrive on Thursday if you can – well, that is if you want to get first pick on the clothes in the Seawheeze Showcase Store. This is at the Vancouver Convention Center, the same location where the race expo takes place. The clothes at the store are specifically branded for Seawheeze so you won’t find them anywhere else, which brings me to my next point…

SeaWheeze store at Lululemon Seawheeze Expo

  • The Seawheeze Store is open from 7am-8pm to the public and to participants which means there is a whole lot more demand than supply. You can expect to find items up on eBay for 3-4x their retail value in the days following the race (yes it’s crazy, but I’ve seen it happen every year).

clothes from seawheeze 2014

  • To save yourself from being disappointed, I’d recommend getting to the Seawheeze Store early on Friday morning. Each year Lululemon seems to manage the supply and re-stocking sizes better than the year before which is a great thing, especially for those that simply can’t get there early. I’m sure 99% of you are going to think I’m nuts, but last year my my besties and I got there at about 3:30am and there were already about 50 people ahead of us in the line. I know, I know…. everything about it is crazy, but the clothes were super cute so I’d say it was worth it in the end.
  • There will be clothes errrrywhere. On the floor, on the shelves, hung on hangers, and going in and out of the changing rooms. Our usual game plan (like many others) is to grab a whole bunch of pieces, plop down on the floor, and try them all on. There are a few shared changing rooms but you’ll be in and out a lot faster if you don’t bother with those. If you plan to take this approach too, wear a sports bra and shorts so you can easily whip clothes on and off without.. ahemm… exposing yourself. 😉

clothes from seawheeze 2014

  • If  you, like me, plan to set your alarm for way too early on Friday morning, you might want to make yourself a tea, coffee, or other beverage of choice and bring it down to the Convention Centre with you. Something to sit on, snacks, or something to keep you occupied might also come in handy, and feel free to come and say hi if you see me!! 🙂

waiting outside the seawheeze store

Waiting in line with Danielle and Christina last year

Packet Pick-Up Party

This is also from 7am-8pm the day before the race, and every year they have some new surprises and fun things to do. In the past, there’s been free manicures, massages, airbrush tattoos, samples from companies like David’s Tea, free fruit from Spud, life-size jenga, and a bunch of mascots and guys on stilts. Be sure to wear some really comfy shoes because you’ll be on your feet for a long time.

with a shark mascot at Seawheeze 2012

life-size jenga at Seawheeze

Race Morning

I’ll send you over to the Seawheeze site for all these deets because they do a pretty good job of explaining what happens. In my previous experience, with the exception of the very first year, morning bag check in the Convention Centre has been super smooth and fast. There’s a group warm-up, then you’ll be off!

before seawheeze with danielle ashley and christina

FOOD!

This guide would be incomplete without a solid section on Vancouver eats, and below are a list of some of my favourite spots. Many of these are walkable from downtown, and those that aren’t are just a quick cab ride away. I’ve put all of them on a map for you too, and if you click below you’ll be able to zoom and see addresses for each location.

Map of Vancouver Eats - for Seawheeze

If you happen to visit any of these places, I’d love for you to post a photo to Instagram, tag me (@eatspinrunrpt) and show me what you’re eating!

heirloom vegetarian restaurant

Heirloom

Before those of you who aren’t vegan or vegetarian dismiss this, know that Heirloom is at the very, very top of my list as far as delicious, healthy and hearty Vancouver restaurants go. In fact, last year my friends and I dined there 4 times in 4 days. (One of those meals inspired this Zucchini Noodle Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing recipe that I re-created upon returning home.)

Zucchini Noodle Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing - Eat Spin Run Repeat

If you eat out just once while you’re here, I’d highly recommend making it an Heirloom meal. They’ve recently taken on some extremely talented new chefs, re-vamped their menus, and I can attest that the kale slaw is absolutely to die for. There are options for vegans and vegetarians, and the portion sizes are very generous.  If you’re just looking for a juice or smoothie, there’s also Heirloom Juice Co about 3 minutes up the street.

Heirloom Juice Co

The Boathouse

If you love seafood like I do, you will love The Boathouse. There’s everything from ahi tuna tacos to surf and turf platters, as well as my personal fave, the Chop Chop Salad.

The Boathouse - Seafood Chop Chop Salad

There are several Boathouse locations but I’d recommend the Kits Beach one which is less than a 10 minute taxi ride from downtown. As the name implies, it overlooks the beach and you’ll get to watch beautiful sunsets like this one:

kits beach, vancouver

Since the restaurant is literally right next to the beach, you could also roll a pre- or post-dinner walk along the shore into your agenda. Just remember to make an online reservation because this is a busy spot.

ahi tuna tacos

Tractor

There are a couple of Tractor locations, but the most convenient for anyone staying downtown is at 335 Burrard St. You can expect plenty of fresh salads, soups, stews, snacks and sandwiches (holy moly – that’s lots of alliteration), fitting for both meat eaters and veggie heads alike.

Yew Seafood + Bar

Those of you who want to get your seafood fix can definitely tackle this task by eating at Yew. The menu includes crab tacos, seafood charcuterie, shrimp nachos, lobster caesar salad, wild salmon, tuna sashimi, custom seafood platters and.. and… and…. sorry, drifted off into a blissful seafood coma there. It’s all delish. I’ll come with yew. Bahahaha!

Cactus Club Cafe

Some people I know refuse to eat here because it’s a chain, but I really love Cactus Club for its west coast feel. It’s kind of like Milestones, but better. There’s plenty of seafood, but also plenty of other dishes so if you’ve got a group with mixed eating preferences, Cactus Club would be a good option. I’ve found it to also be a very safe night-before-the-race option.

Cactus Club Cafe - Coal Harbour

The Coal Harbour location is the newest, and it’s right next to the Vancouver Convention Centre where the race expo is. The restaurant overlooks the water and north Vancouver, so if you can, try to get a table by the window. You’ll definitely want to make a reservation because this location will be busy around race weekend, but if you can’t get in, there’s another Cactus Club within walking distance at 588 Burrard St, and another at 1136 Robson St.

Raincoast Salad at Cactus Club Cafe Bentall Location
Raincoast Salad at Cactus Club Cafe

Nourish

My first experience with Nourish was at work about a week after arriving in Vancouver. (We have a great lineup of restos and food trucks that deliver throughout the week – it’s pretty sweet!) Nourish prepares all of their salads as either vegan or vegetarian, but they can be modified by adding chicken, salmon or free-range eggs. Ingredients are seasonal, sourcing is local, and prices are totally reasonable. You’ll find their storefront at 451 Granville St.

Granville Island

Granville Island  sounds like a far away place, but it’s really not – only about a 10 min taxi ride from downtown. There’s heaps of market vendors here, as well as restaurants, shops, and a nice boardwalk that overlooks False Creek. If you go, and if you like salmon, you MUST try the maple smoked salmon nuggets in the market building.

granville island public market

I’ve raved about these several times in the past and if you buy some, you’ll know exactly why.

maple smoked salmon nuggets

To track them down, head to the fish counter when you walk in the main doors and if you ask for maple smoked salmon nuggets. They’ll know what you’re talking about because these things are the BEST. (There’s BBQ ones too, but they’re not as good if you ask me.) If you’re not a fish fan, no worries -there are plenty of other delicious things to see too!

massive peaches at granville island market

macaron tower at granville market

The market is open from 9am – 7pm, 7 days a week.

Granville Market

Juice!

One of the things I love most about Vancouver is that juice bars are almost as common as coffee shops. I’m steadily working my way around as many as I can find, but here are a few recommendations:

  • The Juice Truck – Storefront is at 28 West 5th Ave, but the truck is a little closer to downtown at 200 Abbott St
  • Krokodile Pear – Not just a fun name – fun juices with west coast names too! There are 2 locations and the closest to downtown is 518 Davie St.
  • Melu Juice and Health Bar – These guys are officially opening on July 15th but I checked them out at their soft launch party this weekend. It’s a super cute little spot at 1110 West Pender St (very near to the Vancouver Convention Centre) and they’ve got heaps of juices, nut mylks and gorgeous looking snack bars.

Melu Juice and Health Bar

Melu Juice and Health Bar

Grocery Stores

…. because everyone needs healthy hotel room snacks, right? There are 2 grocery stores within close walking distance from the hotels on Burrard St in case you want to stock up on a few things once you arrive.

One is Marketplace IGA (corner of Burrard and Smithe St, or on the corner of Robson and Richards) and the other is Urban Fare (one at 1133 Alberni St and the other at 305 Bute St). Urban Fare is a bit like a smaller version of Whole Foods and has a great salad bar, prepared food (including hot breakfast) and a sit-down cafe.

Shopping

If you’ve got cash or a credit card burning a hole in your wallet, Vancouver has no shortage of ways to help you to spend ALL the monies. Very close to the race festivities downtown are Robson and Alberni streets, both of which have heaps of shops – pretty much everything from the clothing stores you’d find in the mall to Tiffany’s.

Your nearest Lululemon store in the downtown area is at the corner of Burrard and Robson Street – 970 Robson St  to be precise. My aunt jokes that our province is called BC – not British Columbia, but Bring Cash. She’s right.

lululemon lab sign

As a Seawheeze participant you’ve obviously got a thing for Lululemon, so you might also be interested in checking out the Lululemon Lab. It’s a space that’s half store front, half designers creating new exclusive Lululemon clothes. This is a concept that the founder created to let local designers have a place to experiment.

The clothes at the Lab aren’t sold in Lululemon stores because the designs are less mainstream, but it’s still fun to go in and have a look and watch the designers as they work. Conveniently, there’s a Whole Foods (one of the best in Canada, in my opinion) just around the corner from the Lab. Inside there’s an amazing juice bar with all sorts of juices and Vega smoothies. The salad bar is awesome too.

Other Things to Do

Depending on how long you’re visiting, you might have a little spare time outside of the race to check out a few other things around the city. Here are some of my top recommendations:

Stand-Up Paddleboarding

I did this for the first time 2 years ago here in Vancouver, and there’s all sorts of companies that will take you out for private lessons. You don’t need to bring any gear with you as they supply it all. The company I used was Stand Up Paddle Vancouver  and the lesson was 90 mins. One thing I’d highly suggest is bringing a waterproof pouch on a lanyard if you want to take photos while you’re out on the water.

Stand-up paddleboarding at Kits Beach
Attempting to do a downward dog on a paddle board. Based on how high my heels are off the board, you can tell my hamstrings are used to running, not yoga!

The Grouse Grind 

Probably not a great pre-race idea, but if you’re up for a little extra physical activity on Sunday, the Grouse Grind is one of Vancouver’s famous climbs. Grouse Mountain hasa 2.9km trail winding to the top, and you’re only allowed to climb up. There’s a gondola that brings you back down to the bottom and a big chalet at the top with food and drinks (although they’re nothing to boast about – save your appetite for one of the restaurants listed above!) The view is gorgeous, so make sure you bring a camera. If you decide to do the Grind you’ll want to wear running shoes (and deodorant) for sure, and it’s best to get there at 9am or earlier if you can because it gets busy.

Grouse Grind

False Creek and The Sea Wall 

There are heaps of bike rental shops in Vancouver, and plenty downtown which you can check out on this map.  Whether you want to bike or walk, False creek and the Sea Wall are gorgeous places to do both, and so is Stanley Park. The race will go through these areas, but you’ll probably be wishing you could come back and take photos so I definitely recommend it if you can afterwards!

False Creek from Cambie Bridge

[Tweet “Read before you visit: The Seawheezer’s Guide to Vancouver 2015 #yvr #Seawheeze”]

As I said, there are endless things to see, do and eat here but those are my top picks for anyone coming to town for Seawheeze. So now:

  • For Vancouverites: If you’d like to give a shout-out to any other must-see places in the comments I’d LOVE for you to do so. 
  • For Seawheezers coming for the first time: What are you most excited about?
  • For everyone else: What’s one of the most popular tourist attractions that you’d recommend to people coming to visit your city?

22 thoughts on “The Seawheezer’s Guide to Vancouver

  1. Great post Angela. I can’t wait to go back to Vancouver and try your recommendations. Loved all the places you recommended in Montreal a couple of years ago. Thank you.

  2. Thanks for posting this. This will be my third year running th Seawheeze. I make the trip from Guelph and can’t wait to explore more of the west coast! Looking forward to trying out Heirloom. Also, explore more of the beautiful nature and scenery.

  3. This was an awesome guide! Thank you so much for putting this together! I can’t wait to try some of those restaurants and I was already talking to my running partner about paddleboarding! This just got me 10 times more excitedto go down there!

    1. That’s great Shayla! I think you’ll love it out here, and paddleboarding is so much fun. I was trying so hard not to fall in the water during that lesson, and eventually I did. After that though, I found it so much easier to relax and stay on the board. Let me know if you give it a try!

  4. Amazing Guide! I love that I think you’ve seen more of Vancouver than I have, already!

    I feel your pain on those downward dogs… Mine look similar these days 🙂

    Let’s hang out and see some more of Vancouver together soon!

  5. Thanks so much for this! I am going to try for a registration for next year’s race. I live on the East Coast and, if I can get in, my husband and I plan to spend our vacation in Vancouver after the race. I really hope I get in! This race is #1 on my wish list!

    1. I hope you can make it out here too, Jennifer! I’ve never been out to the east coast but I’d love to visit some day. Last year Lululemon opened registration for Seawheeze 2015 about a month after the race, so keep watching and if the date works, get on it quick! 🙂

  6. Incredible guide! Are you finding yourself living a healthier lifestyle or “feeling” healthier out west? Not that you never were!! Just that it seems so much easier access to beautiful juice shops, walking, etc. I wonder if Victoria is like that?

    1. It’s definitely an easy place to develop and maintain healthy habits, and I think it’s because people live more of an outdoorsy sort of lifestyle. I can’t speak for Victoria because I haven’t been in ages but I imagine it has the same feel -just a little less busy maybe.

  7. Ahhh that creepy fish – I remember taking that photo! Such a great re-cap, Ang! Have the best time running it on your birthday! 🙂

  8. Wow! Thank you for this detailed guide, love the layout! I’m getting excited about my first Sea Wheeze!! I never would have known how CrAzY the showcase can get!! Just have to decide what time I can get up!! Hope to see you there!

  9. As a Vancouver resident, I have to agree with a few things, but honestly there are so many amazing ethnic restaurants, worldly foods, and seafood spots better than the ones you listed. Most cater to vegetarian/GF if that is how people choose to eat and Vancouver is very health conscious. I find Heirloom is quite mediocre for vegetarian food- Nuba (various locations) would be my #1 choice, and caters to both vegetarian and omnivores. Acorn is another veggie option too. The Boathouse is touristy and there are much better fish/seafood options considering its an ocean based city. I’ll spill some of my favourite restaurants- Chambar, Nuba, Fable Kitchen, Miku, Carderos, Oakwood, Alibi Room, Vijs, Nook, East is East, Rodney’s Oyster House… Best way to find top restaurants is usually yelp/zomato/trip advisor to find out about the top rated and local spots. Oh and seriously- cheap, delicious sushi spots and brunch everywhere.
    In terms of other sights, and fitness. I’m a runner and hiker living on the north shore, so I have to say that the Grouse Grind is so busy and touristy, especially on weekends. There are alternate routes up Grouse which are more technical, same workout, with hardly the amount of people. There are also tons of actual hikes with amazing views- Mt. Fromme, Mt Seymour, Norvan Falls, Goat Mountain, Hollyburn Mountain and if you feel like driving out to Squamish, the 3 peaks of the Chief or Upper Shannon Falls are awesome hikes.
    And for wandering around the city- avoid busy Robson street and explore South Granville, West 4th, Gastown, Cambie and Granville Island (as you mentioned!). Vancouver’s transit system is great, so getting to most places is very easy if you don’t have a car (except maybe some of the hikes mentioned). Oh and FYI there are also various Whole Foods locations all over the city.
    Love Vancouver- best place to live 🙂 (And I’m not being biased because I lived in both major Alberta cities prior to moving here).

  10. Yum! Thanks for writing this! My husband and I just moved to Vancouver and I’m adding many of your restaurant recommendations to our to-visit list! We won’t be running Seawheeze, but we’ll definitely be cheering so I’ll look out for you 🙂

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