Megan Nechanicky

I was first introduced to Lululemon while visiting a college friend in Philadelphia. We made our way into an old building, up flights of stairs and into a very small showroom adjacent to a yoga studio. As I glanced around, I instantly loved the style, colors and materials.  After much debate over fit of the pants along with cost, I walked out of the showroom with my first pair of Lululemon yoga pants in a bright red reusable tote bag. Fast forward three years, and my drawers are teeming with clothing marked with the circular, glow-in-the-dark logo.

I learned of the brand in Philly, but returned to San Diego where I was attended graduate school for 3 years. The brand was relatively new in southern California, with only one showroom in nearby Del Mar.  In an area that embraces workout clothing for every occasion, I was shocked to learn how few stores existed in the area. I made frequent visits to the shop and learned of their future expansion plans in the San Diego area. By the time I packed my bags to return to the east coast following school, there were two beautiful stores and lulu logos lined Hwy 101 on any given morning, as people exercised while taking in the views if the Pacific.

Now that I’m back in Maryland, I love being a part of the culture of healthy, vibrant, individuals who shop, work, live and exercise in and around the Bethesda, MD area. After continually being invited by my friend and running partner, I joined up with the Lululemon Wednesday night run group to get some miles in on the beautiful Crescent Trail. Of course it happened to be “Code Red” and one of the hottest days of summer, but to my amazement, extremely dedicated athletes and loyal consumers showed up for the workout.  The dad who was getting his run in prior to his nighttime ice-hockey game, the intense triathlete putting in extra weekly miles and the married couple who spend their evening time together exercising. It was a great run with new people of varying ages, athletic abilities and fitness goals.

From east to west, the Lululemon brand is the same. Scenery and lifestyles maybe different, but overall, people want to be active and do so in functional and stylish clothes. If you haven’t tried the clothes, do so—buy one item and you will never want to take it off!

I was recently contacted by Garmin, the maker of the GPS systems, watches, etc., to model for a photo shoot.  This all happened very quickly after I responded to an email asking for photos of triathletes in the San Diego area.  I was surprised, flattered and excited.  I am always eager for new adventures, and what better location for an outdoor athletic shoot than the beaches of North County San Diego?

My first day “on the job” started at 6:30 am.  I was asked to run up the beach, out of the Pacific Ocean with a mountain bike on my shoulder—acting as if I do this every day!  After numerous takes and numb feet, we proceeded to Torrey Pines State Park, which overlooks the Pacific and has beautiful hiking and running trails. Prior to showcasing my flawless running form, Terry the art director wanted to make sure I looked like a “real”  runner and sprayed me down with make-believe sweat. It looked fairly realistic and was super sticky!  My running partner Nick and I ran back and forth over and over again until I had to sprint off to class. Don’t ever believe a photographer who says “one more time”—this is code for “100 more shots!” I ended the first day with sore shoulders, covered in sand stuck to my fake sweat, and a gorgeous pair of NEW Oakley shades!

I hit the ground running on Day two and didn’t stop until the shoot ended. I worked the majority of the morning with Owen the videographer and my running partner, Susan. The company, Garmin, wanted footage to be used in promotional clips. It seemed as though I ran up every hill, cliff, staircase and incline in Del Mar. Garmin wanted natural looks and that’s certainly what they got after about 3 hours of running—no fake sweat required!

The Garmin artistic team was in San Diego for four days and I took part in two. The whole experience was amazing.  The staff at Garmin was very professional and a blast to work with.  I was able to meet other local athletes who were all very enthusiastic about being a part of the project. To me, the best part was doing something so different from my everyday routine. Yes, I do run and train daily—but it’s not often photographers are capturing my every move! My “take away” from this experience is that I should always inquire about opportunities that interest me, even if it seems like a long shot.  You never know when you are the one needed for the job.

Look out for pictures and video to appear this spring in Garmin ads, on their website and on product displays and packaging—you may see me!