FREE CLUB HELPS YOU RUN TOWARD WELLNESS

Mariane Uehara (left in pink) leads two weekly Lanikai Juice running clubs

Mariane Uehara (left in pink) leads two weekly Lanikai Juice running clubs

As a way to support health and wellness as a supplement to its smoothies and juices, Lanikai Juice has launched free running clubs based out of its Waikiki and Kakaako locations.

Led by certified exercise instructor and health coach Mariane Uehara, the Waikiki club meets Wednesdays at Lanikai Juice in Waikiki Shopping Plaza, and the Kakaako group meets Thursdays at the shop at 680 Ala Moana Blvd. A third club in Kailua also is set to launch this week, led by Gil Serrano.

For the Waikiki club — which Uehara says is easier and geared more toward beginners — runs are 2-3 miles. Possible routes include around Hilton Lagoon or down Kalakaua Avenue.

“We will run about a mile and then stop and do fun exercises, like running drills or lunges, and then we run back to the store,” Uehara explains.

In Kakaako — which tends to attract a more advanced set of runners — routes are between 4 and 6 miles, with frequent trips through Kakaako Waterfront Park and along Ala Moana Boulevard.

“Here, we are doing intervals — and try to get a little bit more of a speed workout,” she says.

For each club, though, Uehara emphasizes that anyone is welcome, regardless of skill level. Each run or exercise can be adjusted based on the individual.

“That’s very important to us — we never want this to be a club where we just have athletes,” Uehara says. “We want people who have never run but want to start. We always want to be very open to everybody and accommodate whoever comes.”

Growing up in Brazil, Uehara first visited Hawaii as a teenager — and was immediately drawn to the outdoor lifestyle and the ease at which she could get in the water or go for a run here. Later, as an adult, Uehara came back with the intention of taking a six-month vacation to train for an Iron Man competition.

Uehara with Lanikai Juice owner Pablo Gonzalez PHOTOS COURTESY MARIANE UEHARA

Uehara with Lanikai Juice owner Pablo Gonzalez PHOTOS COURTESY MARIANE UEHARA

That was in 2007, and Uehara is still here. She’s since become a triathlete and coaches other athletes in various sports.

“I love being an athlete and competing — but it’s even more rewarding to coach others,” she says. “Just to bring people outside and have them enjoy it is rewarding.”

Her partnership with Lanikai Juice began when she met owner Pablo Gonzalez, who was looking to support physical activity and overall wellness through his store.

As an added incentive, Lanikai Juice is throwing in a 100-mile award: When you reach 100 miles with the club, you will get a $25 gift card for the shop or other prizes. The clubs also periodically feature guest speakers who discuss topics that include running drills, post-run recovery, organic food and more.

“We want to provide tips on how to live a healthy lifestyle,” Uehara says.

Uehara hopes that the clubs can motivate people to make the first step — even if they don’t have a lot of experience.

“Just do whatever you can do — even if it’s just to walk a mile,” Uehara says.

“My personal goal is to create an environment where anyone feels welcome to join,” she adds. “I just want to get more people outside, more people running, more people exercising.”

All Lanikai Juice running clubs meet at 5:45 p.m., with runs beginning at 6. For more information, visit lanikaijuice. com or email runningclub@ lanikaijuice.com. To view possible routes in Kakaako and Waikiki, visit Uehara’s blog at marianeuehara.com.