The Fit Nation

https://ift.tt/IeVwsno https://www.rejuvine.in/2023/03/brisk-walking-vs-cycling-comparing.html There is a good article in Alex Hutchinson’s “sweat science” newsletter (which you can subscribe to here ) on zone 2 cardiovascular training. I have discussed this in the past, and my favorite way to train is to spend most of my time in zone 2, and throw in two shorter sessions of higher intensity sessions a week. In his book on longevity Outlive , Dr. Peter Attia recommends zone 2 training for healthy aging. This is based on the work of Dr. Inigo San Millan , one of the big proponents of zone 2 training, who claims it is optimal for the health of the powerhouse mitochondria in our muscle cells. So I was interested to see a scientific study relevant to this in Alex’s article: A group of people exercising the recommended amount of 150 minutes a week vs a control group of sedentary people. The latter were showing early signs of mitochondrial dysfunction, which if left unchecked can progre...

https://ift.tt/JwrFHPG We’ve been fortunate enough to have nice weather ever since our last series of rainstorms. It’s been cool but clear and sunny. These are delightful conditions to ride in. Last Tuesday my group went on a ride to the Southwest of Morgan, up Day Road and then to the end of Redwood Retreat Road, and over the hill on Sycamore Road on the way back. Great ride, but I had forgotten to charge one of my batteries. So I had to nurse my single battery, using it mostly to keep up with the group on the uphills. On the flats and downhills it was leg-power only. This was a brisk challenge for me but still enjoyable. Normally Tuesday is considered an easy ride for me but I reclassified this as a hard day! I had three days of easier riding after that, with Thursday also being strength training. Then I went on a hard ride of 2:45 hours Saturday, with intervals and sprints thrown in at the end. I was tired afterwards but recovered nicely. I can get away with two hard rides and two ...

https://ift.tt/qEQc7eg I discovered Dr. I-Min Lee, a professor of medicine at Harvard School of Medicine, in this video on the channel “Viva Longevity”. Among other things, she is one of two principal investigators in the famous Women’s Health Study, and is in a good position to give out science-based advice on physical activity for health. I found her to be extremely knowledgeable and also delightful! Dr. Lee (right) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5DkVrYrNDU My favorite anecdote was her discussing working with one of her mentors, the legendary Dr. Ralph Paffenbarger . He was an epidemiologist who pioneered studying the connection between physical activity and health, and also a serious ultra-marathoner. When they would attend conferences together people would ask him what his recent running achievements were, and he would quote an impressive time in a recent event. Sometimes they would turn to her and ask “and what do you do for exercise?” and she’d have to sheepishly reply “n...

https://ift.tt/AMCDEiU Our latest round of rainstorms has passed through (we got five inches of rain, yay!) So I could get back into my regular exercise routine with longer rides, and it felt great. As I mentioned in my last post I got the go-ahead from my doc to resume strength training, so I did that Thursday, and I enjoyed getting back to that also. I did longer and harder rides on Tuesday and Yesterday, challenging but fun. The other days I did easier rides. I had gained some weight during the period when I had a bad flare-up of sciatica which made me cut back a lot on exercise. I’m pleased to be working that back off now, and am looking forward to get back to my “fighting weight” in a few more weeks. Still lots of flooding in Coyote Valley from the recent rains Beautiful Green Foothills near Santa Teresa Park

https://ift.tt/mrYASML I got back from Phoenix on Monday. Great trip. I was able to ride my recumbent on two sunny days after that, then the “atmosphere river” started up again, with two inches of rain overnight Wednesday to Thursday morning along with a lot of wind. There was a brief interlude of lighter rain Thursday morning so I snuck in a little over an hour’s riding on my upright, and did about 30 minutes of upper body training. I had seen my doctor Tuesday about the Olecranon bursitis and got the OK to do upper body strength work, just don’t overdo repetitions that affect my elbow, so arm-cycling is out for now, I’ll stick to low-rep high-resistance band work. She also has put me on a low dose of Prednisone to hopefully make the elbow swelling go down, and I’m wearing a compression sleeve on the elbow. If this all doesn’t fix the swelling in a few weeks, I’ll get referred to a hand surgeon. The rain started back in with a vengeance Thursday afternoon and is expected to continu...

https://ift.tt/EgWztS3 “I had fun riding in the desert the last couple of days. I picked up my rental on Tuesday and then did some local riding. On Wednesday, I rode on the desert trails south of my brother’s house. Those trails were relatively flat, so I didn’t have to worry about jumping over rocks or going through washes, since I’m not a very good mountain biker. Later that day, we went up to Flagstaff to see the Lowell Observatory. That was a really fun trip. It was interesting watching the landscape change as we gained elevation, going from relatively dry desert to eventually pine forests. The observatory is at the top of a mountain with beautiful scenery, and it was a very interesting visit. They have a nice museum and some good tours. On Thursday, I found the Phoenix Canal Trails, specifically the South Branch of the Highline Trail, and I rode it for several miles, which was fun. Then I found the desert trails in Pima Canyon in 20000 (about 4200 ha) Mountain park. The trails w...

https://ift.tt/a2OFcRv I’m excited to be going to Phoenix tomorrow to be visiting my brother and family. It’s a great time of year to be down there, and I’ll be missing out on some rainy days at this end. I’m going to rent a bike for a couple of days and try out the Phoenix canal trail network. I rode it up at the north end of town a while back, but this will be my first time trying out the trails at the southern end where Bill lives. We’re also planning to go to Flagstaff for a day trip, a nice mountain town that I’ve heard a lot about but never seen, that’s about 2 1/2 hours away. We’re also going to check out Lowell Observatory while we are there. Should be a fun trip! I’ll have my laptop with me so will try to post while I’m there. Flagstaff in 2019, as seen from Mount Elden ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagstaff,_Arizona )

https://ift.tt/Kd0Q6GN Last Tuesday my group did a long ride in the hills west of Morgan Hill. We went around Chesbro Reservoir and out to the Rancho Canada Del Oro Open Space at the end of Casa Loma Road. We returned along Uvas road past Uvas reservoir. It was a nice sunny day but cold, especially in the shade. A warm lunch at our local deli was appreciated afterwards. One of our riding buddies is struggling with a health challenge so hasn’t been able to ride with us for a few weeks, so we were delighted that he and his wife could join us at lunch. It was also nice to get in this and a few other nice rides this week. The party is over for the next few days. We are starting the first of many rainstorms in a row lined up off the coast, a phenomenon called an “atmospheric river”. It makes riding less pleasant but the rainfall will be welcome. Taking a Break at Rancho Canada Del Oro At Uvas Reservoir Entering the Sycamore Valley It was Great to See Our Dear Friend Art and his ...