Weight Lifting for Swimmers

Weight lifting is great for everyone as we get older, and here's a great article about how weight lifting improves swimming.

The author outlines her 5X5 method and offers a few suggested workouts.  Swimming alone is fine, but with weights?  Even better.  Be strong and swim faster!

Read about weight lifting for swimming.

New Gym for me

My favourite gym, Living Strong, closed down last August.  I'm glad the weather has been fantastic, because I've been able to extend my outdoor fitness activities - rowing and hiking.  But the weather is getting cold so it's time to get back to the gym.

This winter I've decided to work with a new personal trainer.  I've known Sue Spencer of Gulf Islands Athletic Training for a long time.  She coached and trained my daughter as a soccer player.  What I like about Sue is that she is my age and still playing soccer.  She's active and athletic.  We share many of the same ideas and attitudes toward being an athlete.  And she's competitive.  

My goals are simple:

1.  To rekindle my motivation to work hard.

2.  To get stronger (see my previous post about weight training and aging)

3.  To be in top cardiovascular shape by spring break.

4.  To make a difference in the boats I race in next July.

So far we're learning routines and creating muscle memory for the dynamic warmup Sue supports.  I've been twice and I really like it.  This morning a woman came in who is much older than I and she whipped through the dynamic warm up as if she was 20 years old.  There's hope...  :)

Here's to a great winter of training!

Rambling Fisherman has a new owner

The Dwayne Mustard Fishing Experience has purchased The Rambling Fisherman - a year round guided fishing operation.

The Rambling Fisherman has a long history of guiding great fishing on Vancouver Island.  Ian, the founder of the company, has headed to Alberta for a career change and he chose Dwayne to take over the company.  He'll be great!  He's a fantastic salmon guide and has fished the rivers of Vancouver Island for years.  And he's fun to spend time with.

Check out The Rambling Fisherman's blog/website and Facebook Page.  It's exciting to see where Dwayne takes this already great company!

Book a guided drift on Vancouver Island.  Fishing is a great outdoor activity.

New Favorite Store!

I went to Cabela's on Sunday.  I needed some chest waders so I can go steelhead fishing this winter.  Oh, my.  I was overwhelmed.

The stores are HUGE.  The exterior is beautiful.  This interior is beautiful.  And the stores are filled with large taxidermy displays between the gear and clothing.  And they make fudge on the premises so the place smells incredible.

I highly recommend a visit if you're looking for any outdoor gear.  Amazing.