Castle Rock is one of the many beautiful parks and open-space preserves that lie along Skyline boulevard, which runs near the summit of the Santa Cruz mountains west of the Bay area. It has also been called "swiss cheese state park" because of the distinctive rock formations. Recently I enjoyed a hike there with my … Continue reading A Nice Hike at Castle Rock State Park →

A recent study shows that a high calcium score, which indicates high level of calcification of coronary arteries, may be benign for endurance athletes [1]. A high calcium score was found to be more prevalent among very active men, but there was no indication of increased mortality risk. A high calcium score corresponds with increased … Continue reading More Evidence on “Too Much of a Good Thing”: High Calcium Score OK for Endurance Athletes? →

Northern California doesn't have as spectacular of a fall season as back east, no hillsides ablaze, but it's still pretty nice, and it lingers into November. We have nice sidewalk trees, some rural trees like oaks and bigleaf maples, and aspens up in the Sierras. And it's nice when the vineyards change, too. I checked … Continue reading A Bike Tour of the Morgan Hill Area in Fall →

The American Heart association recommends meeting the goals from their "Life's Simple 7" checklist: Manage blood pressureControl cholesterolKeep blood sugar within healthy rangeGet ActiveEat a healthier dietKeep your body weight in the healthy rangeDon't Smoke A recent study [1] examined data from the famous Framingham Heart cohort, and found that if you are 70 years … Continue reading Keep Your Heart Healthy By Meeting “Life’s Simple 7” Goals →

I got up early this morning and did strength training in my garage. I followed that with some pole walking and walking with hand weights in my neighborhood, with some 30 sec intervals thrown in. I finished up with a long ride on the Coyote Creek bike trail to Hellyer park and back. Nearing sunrise … Continue reading Early Morning Walk, Strength Training, and Ride →

Bear Creek preserve is a new open space preserve only 6 miles from Los Gatos. It is a local treasure as you can experience redwoods and the beautiful Santa Cruz mountains really close to the urban area. It is the former site of the Jesuit's Alma College. This was my first hike there, there were … Continue reading A Fun 8 mile Hike At The Beautiful Bear Creek Preserve →

A Plant-based athlete I recently discussed this movie about plant-based eating and various myths about it, which I had thoroughly enjoyed. At the time is was only available at special showings. It is now available streaming on various platforms: including netflix, youtube, and vimeo. See their website for details of availability in various countries. I … Continue reading “Gamechangers” Movie now available on video →

Safe Upper Limit There is concern that long term consumption of excess protein in adulthood, especially from animal sources, raises cancer risks and all-cause mortality [1]. Some diets, such as the high meat version of the paleo diet, advocate higher consumption of protein than the current RDA. It is controversial whether that is a good … Continue reading More On Protein →

The recommended daily allowance of protein is 0.18 grams per Kg of ideal body weight (0.4 grams per pound). If you’re currently overweight, your ideal weight is what you’d like to get down to. Physically active individuals need more, so multiply this by about 2 for serious strength trainers (who need protein to repair and … Continue reading Protein Requirements May Be Higher Than Current Recommendations For Athletes and Older Adults →

Slow static stretches are relaxing and help keep you limber as you age. I think it is best to learn these from a qualified instructor like a yoga teacher that can correct your form. When you’ve learned a simple series of them you can do them at home. There are also good beginner instructional videos … Continue reading Stretching →