Fitness & Health

The 4 Weekends of July

By adrian ⋅ June 30, 2008 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

“The 4 Weekends of…” is a monthly post with ideas for things to do each weekend of the upcoming month.

Like June, July has its fair share of outdoor events to check out. But with the summer finally here in full force, this is a time of year when you’ve really got to take advantage of every minute of sunshine you can get. Here are some things you can do - these should be good for just about any weekend of the month (and some for any day if you’re taking some time off mid-week).

Outdoor Swimming - Cool off and get a workout too

Vancouver is blessed with a handful of outdoor pools in primo locations. Kitsilano’s pool opened up a few weeks ago and, if this past weekend was any indication, it will be a busy busy summer at the pool. Another great pool is Second Beach in the West End. There are other pools out there, but they’re better suited if it’s a pool day for the kids or if all you want to do is jump in and then get back out.

If you frequent community centre gyms on a regular basis and want some extra motivation to get out to the pools to put in a few laps, go out and get yourself a Flexipass. For $39.70 (tax included) you get unlimited use at all of the community centres and pools.

Join the Horde - Go do the Grind

Grouse Mountain is an obvious attraction to write about if you’re talking about anything outdoors, touristy, and Vancouver. And equally so, the Grouse Grind (aka “Mother Nature’s Stairmaster”) has become one of the most popular hiking trails this side of the rockies. With the increased volume of visitors in the summer, the biggest pain in doing the Grind can admittedly become dealing with masses of people. BUT, the workout and the view at the top are worth it. What goes up, must come down, but lucky for you if all you want is the workout without the knee pain (or at least a little less pain), you can buck up and take the Skyride gondola back down.

If you’re looking to satiate that competitive appetite, you can also join the Grind™ Timer Program, designed to allow you to track your time and see how you fare against other grinders (current top season times - for the Men: 29:45, and the Women: 37:19).

Indulge in a Sweet Treat or a Fine Bevvy

At the Westcoast Lounge we do our best to keep a good balance on the whole health-activity-relax-indulge mix, so let’s not forget about the indulging!

La Casa Gelato is one of THE destinations for a cold decadent eating experience. With over 200 flavours and free sampling, you’ll be sure to find something that suits your palette (and probably also something that definitely doesn’t - can you say wasabi ice cream?).

At the Granville Island Brewery you can go for a tour to see how one of this area’s best beers gets brewed. $9.75 gets you 4 tasters and depending on when you go you may get to sample some of their limited edition releases.

Fill Your Belly with some Fish & Chips

For the grease-inclined, summer is prime time for fish & chips. If you’re a fan of the grease, there are a handful of places you can get your fix. One of the long time favourites is Pajo’s now with 4 different locations (2 in Steveston, 1 in Poco and 1 in Port Moody). In Vancouver you’ll have a good pick from Mr. Pickwick’s, to Tony’s Fish & Oyster Cafe, Celine’s Fish & Chips, or Go Fish (just outside of Granvills Island) to name a few.

Tags: beer, fitness, Food, grouse, health, july, swimming, training