View from Santa Clara Water District building

Again there were a lot of people at the lake for a working day. Most were middle-aged and beyond, so I'm guessing that many were laid off from the Great Republican Recession. Three miles. [Photo was taken last Monday at 7:30pm behind the Santa Clara Water Department building on Almaden Expressway. I go there late in the evening when the sun is low, though 7:30 was still a bit too early for the best light. Those are Canadian Geese in the sky. Click to enlarge.]

Beach bathing at Almaden Lake

Kids bathing on Almaden Lake beach today at around noon. Taken from the east side of the lake with my 6MP Canon S3 Powershot camera with 12x zoom. In the foreground is one of the four SolarBees floating in the water today. It was another lazy three mile jog. [Photo was taken at around noon. Notice how lackluster the light is directly overhead. Click photo to enlarge.]

Cyclers gather for local bike ride

Bikers assemble in the Almaden Lake parking lot the morning of July 27th. [Click photo to enlarge.]

Mt Umunhum summit could open soon to bikes

The House Appropriations Committee recently approved $4M for the cleanup of the old Almaden Air Force Station sitting atop Mt. Umunhum.

The site, contaminated with asbestos and lead paint from its days as a cold war early warning radar station between 1958-1980, remains closed to the public. Its landmark radar building ("the cube") on top would probably be removed during the cleanup, along with some of the other 88 buildings. The mission of the site was to scan the skies for Soviet bombers. The next step is for the Senate to take up the bill in September. If it passes, future bike rides up the 3486' peak are all but certain. I've biked up to the second gate, which is as far up as you can legally go today. (Google Earth reports the second gate to be at 2864' elevation, 37-09-13.58N latitude and 121-53-31.36W longitude. At those coordinates you can see the white paint on the road that warns bikers not to pass that point.) The photo was taken from the pond behind the Santa Clara Water Department building adjacent to Almaden Lake. Click on the photo to see other antenna that lease space from the owner of adjacent land, Scott McQueen. Rep. Mike Honda, D-Campbell, gets a lot of credit for making progress on this issue. (Today was a rest day.) Source articles:

http://www.mercurynews.com/topstories/ci_12902020?nclick_check=1

http://www.lofgrenforcongress.com/node/196

Cool six

[Photo: Snow goose Chen caerulescens]

Six miles today, from home to the second red bridge at Camden, and back. I noticed 4 SolarBees in the water today. Temp was about 65F.

From yesterday's post, a bowl of oatmeal one hour before worked well. Turns out oatmeal is the perfect breakfast food because it has the right amount of carbs and protein.

Eat to fuel exercise

[Photo: California Gull Larus californicus]


Being late in the day, I was concerned about having enough juice in me to sustain a good workout. So I ate two tangerines 30-minutes beforehand, thinking that it would give me a "sugar boost." It did seem to help, but was it really enough fuel, and was it the right kind?

Well, according to Leslie Bonci, sports nutritionist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, it wasn't. Ideally, you should have a fist-sized amount of food about one hour before exercise. It should be a carbohydrate snack, with protein, in the range of 150-200 calories. Something like a granola bar, or half a peanut butter sandwich, will do. Trail mix will do, too. You should also drink about 20-oz of liquid an hour beforehand. And if you're workout will last more than an hour, you also need to eat while exercising at a rate of 30-60 grams per hour.

For a quick recovery, eat again within 15-minutes of finishing. The same snack will do. The longer you wait to eat, the longer recovery will take.

This information will be useful for my next 6-mile run, maybe tomorrow.

Source article: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/eating-to-fuel-exercise/?em

How to become a natural resource steward

It was too hot to jog at 5PM, so treadmill duty again. Two tangerines taken 30-minutes beforehand provided more than enough fuel for a hearty workout. The sign in the photo explains the title.

Garlic Festival 2009, Gilroy, California, USA

Today was a rest day, so we went to the Garlic Festival in Gilroy.

(1) Though it was sunny and comfortable, if you did overheat, the Rain Room will cool you down.

(2) Cooking, courtesy of the FDNY.

(3) This handsome couple snagged some free garlic ice cream at the booth. Yummie. The festival's link appears below.

[Click on photos to enlarge.] http://www.mercurynews.com/lifestyle/ci_12893988?nclick_check=1.

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Three miler

It was around 75F at 5:00PM today. There were six fishermen on the north end of the lake--two under the Coleman bridge. Lots of people on bikes, but only one other jogger, and he looked older than me. The bod was draggin' today, so tomorrow might be a stroll with the camera.

[Picture: The distant building is Almaden Lake Village apartments (1045 Coleman Rd, San Jose). Their going rate for a 1016' 2-bedroom/2-bath ranges from $1700-$1750/month today. Foxchase Apartments (1070 Foxchase Dr., San Jose) has lower rates, better parking, and they were totally remodeled this year. And Foxchase is more convenient to shopping and highways 85 and 87--a big time saver.]

Treadmill Day

After a lazy nap today I was raring to do thirty minutes on the treadmill. No run because it takes longer and we had to go out. Two-degree incline and speed 11.

Three miler

It was already cool at 5:35PM, so I did a pass at the lake. That handful of raisins I ate 30-minutes before helped a lot, so it was a pretty strong run.

Speaking of raisins, here's a good article on eating to fuel exercise: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/eating-to-fuel-exercise/?em
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Shady Foxchase

It was another hot afternoon, so I plannned to use the gym again today. But someone left the doors wide open with the AC off, so it was hot in there, too. Miffed, I decided to jog up and down Foxchase Drive, and I'm glad I did: it turned out to be a nice variety day, and a visual treat to boot.

Foxchase Drive is shaded by about 20 big oak trees on either side of the street. The sidewalks are therefore mostly shaded, with only a narrow strip of sun shining down the middle. This was wisely planned, I'm sure, when the apartments were built in the mid '70's. The original thought was probably to keep the tenants cool in the summer. If so, it worked. The trees, numerous and mature now, provide more shade than most any other street I know. And with the cool breeze today, it felt cooler running outside in the breeze than inside with the AC.

The shaded sidewalks, doppled with sunlight and set against the bright green grass, offered some eye candy. Simple pleasures are still the best.

Almaden Snow Geese

Heat, and lack of sleep, makes this a rest day. In lieu of words, this shot was taken a few days ago at Almaden Lake.

[Photo: Snow geese (Chen caerulescens) Click to enlarge.]

Another treadmill day

By the time I was ready to jog today, it was almost 90F and the only realistic option was the air conditioned exercise room on site. Aside from having AC, I do like the machines once in a while because they break up the routine. The lake is great, but variety is keeps it fresh.

A Treadmill Day

Too hot to jog. Strong run on the machine at 2-degree incline.

SolarBees and methylmercury

For years I jogged past Almaden Lake and biked past Guadaulpe and Almaden reservoirs, curious each time what those alien-looking contraptions were floating in the water. Half-consciously, I imagined they measured the water's temperature or chemical composition. Those "antenna," I imagined, were powered by the photovoltaic panels and transmitted the data back to a park computer.

Wrong! They're SolarBees: solar-powered water-circulation machines that prevent the harmful buildup of methylmercury in stagnant water at the bottom of the lake. The solar panels convert sunlight to electricity to power the circulation motors.

Almaden Lake is contaminated with quicksilver (mercury) originating from the New Almaden mines located 10 miles to the south, in an area now known as Almaden Quicksilver Park. The mines were open from 1847-1976. From the start of the California Gold Rush (1848-1855), mercury was used to extract gold and silver from mines in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Mercury was used in gold mining because it dissolves gold from rock to form an amalgam of gold and mercury. The gold can then be extracted from the amalgam by heating, which causes the mercury to vaporize. The airborne mercury then condenses and falls to the ground, contaminating the land and water. At Quicksilver, mercury got into our local environment through the mercury mining process itself, not from the gold extraction process.

At Almaden Lake, elemental mercury (Hg) from the mines settles at the bottom of the lake. There, it is converted to methylmercury (CH3Hg) by the metabolic processes of naturally occurring anerobic (oxygen-hating) bacteria that live in the sediments. The methylized version of mercury gets into our food chain by being absorbed by aquatic plant life, which is then eaten by fish. The fish, of course, are eaten by birds and humans. Methylmercury is the most toxic form of mercury, and it is especially harmful to embryos. "Do not eat the fish" signs are plentiful around Almaden Lake and at the Almaden and Guadalupe Reservoirs.

SolarBees interrupt the mercury methylization process by circulating oxygen-rich water from the surface down to the oxygen-depleted regions below. The aerated (oxygenated) water inhibits the metabolic processes of anerobic bacteria that produces the methymercury. I've jogged past Almaden Lake for 13 years and I've also seen a noticable improvement in water clarity in the past few years since the SolarBees were installed. SolarBees are also in the Guadalupe and Almaden Reservoirs. Next time I'm there I'm going to check out the clarity of water there.

SolarBee: http://www.solarbee.com/
Almaden Quicksilver Park: http://www.geocities.com/almadenqs/
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Saturday morning run

Lots of people enjoying nature today. Most people walk, but hey--at least they're out there.

Today's run

post needed

Another day

Post.

Church in Almaden Lake Park

A church group was using the ampitheater at this morning's s 3-miler. I took a picture with my cell while passing on way out and that drew more than a few funny looks. I guess that was impolite, but I didn't realize they were church-goers until I stopped and listened in on the way back.

The 4th of July

Lots of people celebrating our 233rd birthday.

Hot!

It was 10:30am and already baking. Though it was only 85F, my shirt was drenched and I had slowed to a walk several times. So it must have been pretty humid, too. But, the heat didn't stop dozens of other joggers either, so I didn't feel singularly foolish.

My new cell sports a 1.3 megapixel camera. Since I've been wanting to finally learn all the trees around Almaden Lake--I've been going there for 13 years after all--and literature about them is posted near the picnic gazebo, the phone pulled double-duty today. Three miles, pictures later...

Cool Morning Jog

It was cool and breezy this morning--perfect for a 3-miler.

A caravan of eight mothers were jogging single-file today while pushing their baby strollers ahead of them. As I was approaching the underside of the metal crossing bridge just north of the lake, they suddenly stopped on the narrow span. It then struck me as a bit odd when they parked their strollers on the bridge ITSELF and then broke out into a calisthenics routine. But, what do I know? There aren't that many bikers out who might want to cross over that narrow bridge at 10:30AM on a work day anyway. I guess it was just visually a funny thing to see because you don't expect it. Otherwise, today was a routine jog.

The Obesity Paradox

It was uncomfortably warm sleeping last night, plus I worked too late on my website, so I woke up tired and crabby today. So today became a rest day.

Anyhow, back to the obesity discussion from June 19th. That article showed up again today, this time on WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20090625/study-overweight-people-live-longer

This was the key passage for me:

"Because being overweight is a risk factor for a host of chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes, one theory is that their survival advantage is due to the fact that they receive more aggressive treatments to prevent these conditions.

"We tend to be quicker to prescribe statins (to lower cholesterol) and drugs to control blood pressure to patients who are overweight and we are more likely to screen them for diabetes," says weight management expert Keith Bachman, MD."

An Obligatory Run

Sometimes you're into somethin' exciting and you just don't want to break your concentration to do a routine jog. Today was such a day. I was close to completing my first web site (http://www.paretomydata.com) this morning and I didn't feel like stepping away from the screen. But, it was still fairly cool out and we don't jog solely for fun, so it was an easy three today. As usual, after it was over I was glad I did it. Getting the blood pumping invigorates the brain cells.

Running fights the blues

Today was an unremarkable three mile jog past Almaden Lake and back. Despite yesterday's good intentions, today I didn't feel like lugging around my heavy Powershot S3 after all, so no TNT pictures. S-o-r-r-y.

Exercise is the #1 best way to fight the blues, according to an article published today on Webmd. And you don't need to run marathons to get a benefit. A half-hour several times a week may be enough. Here's the link: http://www.webmd.com/depression/recognizing-depression-symptoms/natural-treatments

TNT event today

Team In Training held a triathalon event at Almaden Lake this fine Saturday morning. I missed it--I didn't know they existed until today--but a park ranger said they'll be back tomorrow. So I may return Sunday with my camera. I spoke with Derek, a young volunteer who was handing out brochures under one of their trademark white tents, and he filled me in about what their organization is all about. (I've spotted their tents many times before across the lake, but since they always set up on its west side, and I'm always on the east side, I never encountered them before.)

This is how their brochure opens:

"For more than 20 years, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Societie's Team In Training (TNT) program has been unparalleled in training people from first timers to seasoned athletes to achieve their best at marathons, half marathons, triathlons, 100-mile century bike rides and hike adventures."

Here's their website link: http://www.teamintraining.org/.

Today was cool and breezy--perfect for a lazy 3-mile jog.

Chubby People Live Longest

According to a recent studying covering 50,000 Japanese between the ages of 40 and 79 over a 12-year period, plump people live longer than skinny ones. In a nutshell, the main reasons for the shorter lifespans were increased vulnerability to diseases such as pnemonia and the fragility of their blood vessels. Here's a link to the article:

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.c7aaeb7940626693fa418a1eab2291f6.81&show_article=1

I'm not a doctor so I don't know how these findings apply to thin long-distance runners (like Im not.). But overall, I believe that moderate exercise is still the way to go--regardless of your BMI. In fact, moderation in everything is a wise course, especially at meal time. The single exception I'd make is when it comes to ice cream. :-)


Gotta go now and grab a snack...

Sore legs

My legs are still sore. Predictably, yesterday's six-mile jog took its toll. It always does--it's not like I didn't expect it. So last night I needed two Tylenols again to stop the aching, otherwise I wouldn't have slept. Three miles is okay, but six leaves me restless at bedtime.

So today I did an an easy 15-minutes on their fancy new Expresso biking machine. The old machines were easier on my butt so I would have done 30-minutes, but the Expresso forces a stiff recumbant position that hurts after only 15-minutes. Still, I'm grateful to have a machine available for cross-training on days like this.

"Real" cycling isn't an option yet because I fear falling without medical insurance. My last spill occurred on Montebello Rd in 2005 when I broke my left collarbone and landed in Samaritan's ER. Ultimately, I needed surgery and a titanium plate--a $6,000 boo-boo. Ironically, that accident also happened between employers--just after Motorola bought Force, closed the plant (after promising just one month earlier they wouldn't), and killed everybody. But that time I kept my insurance up.

Almaden weather was cloudy and cool today. No rain, and none forecast. Since I worked the machine today there was no need to visit the Lake or trail. Easy cross-training was the order of the day. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Caught in the Rain

Yesterday was a rest day so today I was psyched for an invigorating run. I usually do about three miles, so doubling that to six sounded good. Since the True machines are way too boring for such a long run, Los Alamitos trail jog via Almaden Lake was the way to go.

It was cloudy when I started and the forecast was for rain. But there was no rain yet, and where we live in south San Jose, threats of rain don't often materialize. But just in case, I wore my floppy, broad-brimmed hiking hat that otherwise keeps the sun off my bald scalp. It's not really a running hat, and beige doesn't go with my bright orange tee, but does anyone care?

As usual since the Great Recession hit, there were a lot of people on the trail for a workday. You expect to see retired people, of course, but nowadays working-age people seem to predominate. Men and women, young and middle-aged, they're all there. Unemployed, but making good use of their down time. There were a few joggers as usual--younger people mostly, but both sexes. You see a lot of women joggers today, something you didn't see much of 25 years ago, at least not back east.

Three miles and 30 minutes into the run (at the red bridge turnaround point) it started coming down pretty good for California. Yet, inconvenient as rain can be, it was cool and invigorating, and I picked up speed on the way back. Round trip was about an hour. I can run. Life is good.