I have been interested in what constitutes “too much of a good thing” with endurance exercise for some time. I first discussed it in my post “How Much Exercise Is Too Much?” and gave an update on it here. I recently came across an article in the peer-reviewed journal Nutrients that gave an interesting insight into the connection between endurance exercise and diet [1], specifically with regard to cardiovascular health. … [Read more...]

My e-bike was getting a tune-up when I went on this week’s group ride, and we were going on a route without too much climbing, so I decided to take my recumbent. There were no e-bikes on the ride, just me and nine other people on uprights. I was always right up at the front until we did the only serious climb, up Day road, which leads up into the hills southwest of Morgan Hill. This is mostly uphill, with some steeper sections, interspersed … [Read more...]

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11714334 The National Geographic channel is streaming an enjoyable series “Limitless” starring Chris Hemsworth, about measures we can take for healthy aging. It is dramatized by Chris taking on challenges in various geographic locations in each episode. There are also background stories of other people who exemplify the theme of each episode in their lives. The science behind all of this is … [Read more...]

I’ve described recently that I’m trying to find the cruising pace that maximizes relaxation and enjoyment, which it turns out is also a good aerobic training pace. Lately, I’ve been going on this kind of ride two or three times a week for about two hours. Today I pushed it to 2:45. This pace also ended up keeping my heart rate in my target range of 110-120. I felt a little tired but afterward when I tried doing some intervals … [Read more...]

Since rain is confined to one season, usually late fall through spring, in our area, it gets really dry in the summer. This has been made worse in recent years because of our drought. So I always look forward to having the hillsides turn green after the first rains of the year. I was happy to see that on my ride today, after the significant rainfall we got a week ago (with more hopefully soon on the way). These hills are usually brown all … [Read more...]

We got our first really good rainstorm of the season a couple of days ago, totaling almost two inches in Morgan Hill, which was more than welcome with our ongoing drought conditions. It was still raining solidly in the morning when I went for my ride. So I took my Vado which has fenders and put on some good rain gear. This did its job well for more than two hours after which the rain finally slacked off. The ride was quite enjoyable. As the … [Read more...]

The temperature was brisk when I set out, and I also set a brisk pace. I rode 43 miles out and back to Hellyer velodrome on the Coyote Creek trail. The fall colors are nearing their peak around here so the scenery was beautiful. On the way back I ran into a gorgeous bobcat on the trail, so it was a very enjoyable romp. Some color at the velodrome. The track is on the other side of the white wall The bobcat was staring intently at something. … [Read more...]

Tufts Health and Nutrition Letter An article in the October 2022 Tufts Health and Nutrition Letter describes how the same measures that we can take to be heart-healthy also help keep our brains healthy. This includes a good interview with Dr. Mitchell Elkind, a co-author of the chapter on brain health in the American Heart Association’s 2022 annual report on Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics. The link between heart and brain health is not … [Read more...]

After doing my strength training I took my recumbent out for a ramble out to Coyote Creek trail, where I enjoyed the fall weather on a ride of about 75 minutes. A lake along Coyote Creek, with Loma Prieta in the backgrounf I’ve been working on visualizing energy going to the working muscles while cycling and doing strength training, a concept I first discussed here. I don’t know if it makes me faster or stronger, but it makes … [Read more...]

Whole Body Prayer is a fascinating memoir by Yan Ming Li, a Qigong master. It tells the story of his hardships during his upbringing in a working-class family in Communist China during the cultural revolution. He had a natural affinity for Qigong, and it blossomed into healing abilities with some training. He eventually migrated to the West, becoming a teacher and healer in Atlanta. There are some amazing stories of healing in the book. After … [Read more...]

Lorna’s postrun description of her recent Jogle adventure. A great read Lorna Runs After two long days of running on tarmac, I was relieved to see the start of a trail path I would take. The B7078 snakes its way down through southern Scotland criss crossing the M74 every now and again. I stepped onto the stony trail and smiled to myself. There is nothing like that feeling of being all alone on a trail, jogging along at your own pace, … [Read more...]

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/meniscal-tear?lang=us I wrote recently that I have been diagnosed with a tear in the lateral meniscus of my left knee. This is causing joint fluid to leak, so I have a cyst on the knee. The resulting persistent bump is what caused me to have it looked into. Yesterday I had a follow-up with my Orthopedic surgeon and he confirmed it is a horizontal tear in the meniscus. He said it is in an area with poor blood … [Read more...]

This is our last Tuesday ride of the month so my group made it our Halloween ride. We did a rural route Northeast of Morgan Hill then added a visit to Spina Farms for the Halloween part. They have a nice farmstand year round, and this time of year they have a U-pick pumpkin patch plus fall-related items for sale and some rides. It was a very pleasant fall day for our ride. Looking East of the pretty marigold fields Looking northwest … [Read more...]

I’ve reported previously on fellow blogger Lorna Cullen and her run the length of Great Britain (John O’Groats to Land’s End, with the additional 3 peaks challenge). She finished a couple of days ago, as reported here. This took her 48 days, at an average of about 38 km per day. An awesome adventure. Congratulations, Lorna. SOURCE: BionicOldGuy - Read entire story here. … [Read more...]

The color changes of Autumn come a bit late in these parts, although they’ll make up for it by lasting through November. Some of the local trees and vines were just beginning to show some color on my ride yesterday, as I enjoyed an easy jaunt in the surrounding area. Nice display of pumpkins and gourds at a local farmstand Some Trees Changing on the lower slopes of Barnard Road The vines at Guillelmo Vineyards have some … [Read more...]

We headed Southeast towards the foothills of the Diablo Range East of Gilroy on our group ride yesterday. It was mostly flat except for some decent climbing when we got into the foothills. The main destination was the little ranch where Alladin the camel lives, but we also took a little side trip to check out the pigs and goats at a small farm. It was a nice ride, a little challenging for me because I didn’t take my e-bike and I forgot … [Read more...]

Today for my “hard leg day” ride I took my recumbent southeast towards Gilroy and back. I started out with two hours at a brisk tempo, then finished up with some intervals. The ride was challenging but enjoyable. This was also good mindfulness training- it takes concentration to keep the pace brisk but steady during the tempo portion. Intervals bring up the whiny part of your brain (“I don’t want to keep going, this is … [Read more...]