ONLINE DONATIONS UPDATE:

Donations raised by SEALS Swim to Survive ultra-marathon swim will go to the Lifesaving Society’s Swim to Survive program to provide free water safety survival training to school-aged children.  Thanks to our friends at the Lifesaving Society, you can now donate online!

 

Click on the below link

Then click on the "Donate Now" button

Then choose the Fund Designation "SEALS Swim to Survive" (7th on the list)

 

http://www.lifesavingsociety.com/donate.aspx

 

 

Well it has been a busy last couple of weeks.  Lots of dry land training and got back into the City of Waterloo, Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex pool this past week (after a 2 week shutdown), brrrr a little chilly with fresh water but hey I better get used to it :)

Happy to announce our first boat and boat owner jumped on board!  As well, my Uncle Jon has joined us for paramedic services!  Am so thankful to have such great people in my life.

A lot of my inspiration comes from reading.  Which has helped me with so many aspects of my life.  My latest inspiration came today from a quote by Robin Sharma:

"Inspire us with your Audacity. Enlighten us with your Creativity. Uplift us with your Humanity. Move us with your Originality. Elevate us with your Mastery. Make today unforgettable. Because we all need you to shine."

Thanks to my fellow colleagues at the City of Waterloo, Community Culture and Recreation Services for checking into the blog!  I really appreciate your support and hope you continue to follow SEALS Swim to Survive as we progress over the forthcoming months into the big swim!

Please share the site with others to help spread the word about how important learning about drowning prevention is.  Especially working in the recreation field, we all know how swimming and water related activities are a great outlet for people, let's encourage the education and awareness around staying safe too!

Well today was back to the gym, and there is nothing like leaving a workout feeling it has been one of the best yet!

This evening was a relaxed 5km run, followed by a 30 minute full body weight workout!  Not sure where my  rotator cuff muscles have gone over the years :(  but I am positive with workouts like today's they will be back in no time!

Now it's stretching time while snuggling with the pups and watching a little hockey!  Go Leafs Go (that's for you Coach Wil).  Resting up for a big cardio day tomorrow.

What's your favourite cardio workout?

After a long day at the office today, I am turning my mindset over to the SEALS Swim project.  My thoughts today are about (drowning) prevention, and steps we as parents can take to decrease our family's risk of a drowning related fatality.  In such a fast paced world it is easy to get caught up in the madness and forget what is most important.  Now is no time to put a child's life at risk because you didn't have the time to think ahead.  Stay in the game, so you can play it for years to come.

Some of my thoughts about prevention include:

- Knowing our abilities and our children's abilities.  What training do we have in case an accident happens? What training do our children have?  Do they know how to survive a fall into deep water?  How would they react if a fall happened?  How would they react in the event of an emergency?  Knowing your's and your child's limitations will set your boundaries, and will dictate where further education is needed.  Remember you are investing in your family's future.
- Knowing our surroundings.  Is this water familiar to us?  If not, what dangers may be there (under tow, currents, drop offs).  Do we know the pool?  Is it deep enough to dive?  Is it supervised?  Where do we go in the event of an emergency?  Is there a phone?  Is help close by?  Knowing your surroundings should be the first check you do when you arrive at your destination.  Look for signs, ask others, are there others around (if not, why not?).
- Knowing the situation.  What, where, when, why?  Are we entrusting our child with another adult, if so have they been informed of your child's abilities and limitations?  Do they know what to do in the event of an emergency?
- Talk about situations and emergencies openly with children.  Whether it is talking about fire safety, talking to strangers, or drownings, children need to be prepared for potential real life emergencies.  Does your child know how to call 911?  Do they know their phone number and address?  Do they know the location of where they are swimming or going to camp?  Do they know where the lifeguard is, or where their adult supervisor is?  Learning about emergencies will prepare them to be able to prevent accidents before they happen or react quickly if they do happen.

Learning how to swim is a life skill.

Prevention = Life

Today was an exciting day for SEALS Swim to Survive ultra-marathon swim across Lake Huron.  Today the swim was added to the Solo Swims of Ontario aspirants list for 2013!

Training this winter is going well.  I am training Monday - Friday, a combination of cardio-endurance, both in the pool and on land, and strength training in the weight room.  

At this time my training schedule is setup around my work schedules and goes a little like this:

Monday 6am spin class and noon 1-1.5 hour swim
Tuesday noon or 5pm strength training
Wednesday 6am spin class or 45 minute run and noon 1-1.5 hour swim
Thursday noon or 5pm
Friday 6am spin and noon 1.5 - 2 hour swim

And I still get lots of outdoor cardio with the dogs, both at home and at work!

I am becoming more and more tech savy through this whole process.  Now that I have figured out blogging, I will begin updating you with my training, ways you can help support the cause, and upcoming events!

I love answering questions, so fire away!