FIRST TIME UNDER 10 MINUTES

Today, Frodo and I did two laps of Lake Elizabeth at under 10 minutes per mile!

Quarry Lakes Swim Center

Quarry Lakes Swim Center is a great controlled introduction to open water swimming. With clear, warm water, close proximity to shore, lifeguards (most of the time), it is great for anyone who gets bored in a pool but is scared of the cold and murky waters of the SF Bay. The swim center is best accessed via the main park entrance on Isherwood Way. Go to the left hand parking lot after going through the gate.

There is a separate gate for the swim center, which you will see as a one story brown and gray building at the southwest edge of this parking lot. Signs also point the way. Admission is $3 for adults. Quarry Lakes has issues with water levels, but this summer so far everything seems good.

The swim center has a large grassy area that slopes downhill to the beach. The swim area is actually divided into three sections. Two squares side by side about 25 yards x 25 yards each. These are great areas for kids to play and for those who need to get comfortable with open water.

Past those squares is a long rectangle shaped roped off area that is about 50 yards x 10 yards. It is in this area where the adults serious about swimming tend to congregate. The water is about 15 feet deep here usually, with visibility to the bottom. I last visited in mid May, and estimated the water temperature to be about 70-75 degrees. The visibility will help tame the worries of a new-to-open water swimmer.

Strength exercises you can do at home

With a simple set of dumbbells and a swiss ball, here are some exercises that can be done at home.

• Bicep curls (alternating arms, single arm, simulatneous arms, sitting, standing)
• Dips (put arms up on any chair, park bench, or couch, with legs straight out in front of you)
• Mountain climbers (track start position, kick legs back with arms holding upper body up)
• Alternating dumbbell press (on a flat bench, which can be had at any WalMart for less than $50, lay on your back, raise arm with dumbbell straight up, alternate arms)
• Jump overs (described below in the 3 simple exercises)
• Swiss ball extensions (lie on swiss ball in between chest and stomach, legs straight back, with toes on the ground. Holding lightweight dumbbell, extend arms forward. Tip: start with very light weight)
• Situps/suitcase crunches
• Bent over rows (standing with dumbbell in each hand, bend at waist, then pull shoulders back with upper arms)
• Tricep extensions (hold dumbbell behind your head, raise your arms until straight-careful, this one can strain the elbow)
• Jumping jacks
  
• Swiss ball leg raise (hold swiss ball between legs, with your back on ground, raise legs)
• Negative push ups

There's lots more out there-get creative with the natural movements you make whenever you exert yourself, think about the muscles you are using, and then simulate those movements holding a dumbbell.

Swimming workouts

Well, we are still training for Alcatraz. Here's our workouts today:

Amy:
1. 150 S, 150 K, 150 P
2. 3 x 300 @ 15 rest
1. Mix
2. DPS
3. Prime # laps fast.
3. 3 x 75 @ 10 rest
4. 3 x 200 IM @10 rest
5. 2 x 75 @10 rest
6. 3 x 100 @15 rest, 3rd lap fast
7. 1 x 75 mix
8. 4 x 100 @ 10 rest
1. Mix
2. S
3.K/P by 50
4. Fast
Total yards: 3100
Roger:
1. 300 S
300 K/P by 50
2. 2 x 800 @10 rest
1. Laps 5, 10, etc. fast
2. 400 IM, 100 Free in between each stroke
3. 4 x 200 @15 rest Descend each
4. 2 x 150 1. P 2. K
5. 1 x 300 Prime # laps fast.
Total yards: 3600.

After our pool workout, we headed over to Crown Memorial Beach in Alameda, see the post below.

Crown Memorial Beach-Alameda

Okay, so this is a half-hour drive out of Union City, but worth it! This is the closest Bay fronting swimmable beach to the Tri-City area without having to pay bridge toll. To get there, take I880 North, exit at High St. Make a left on High St., go over the drawbridge, and welcome to Alameda. DONT SPEED. Make a right on Otis St., then follow signs to the beach area. Go about three miles along Shoreline Blvd., and eventually you'll hit the park at the intersection of Otis and Shoreline. Park in the neighborhood and walk in. You'll see the bathouse/restrooms housed in a brown building. Continue walking north along the beach to get to the other side of the breakwater. This is the best part of the beach to start your swim.

Amy and I went here for the first time today. I estimated the water temp to be high 60's within 100 yards of the shore, and mid to low 60's past that. The water is very shallow near the shore, drops off slowly. Even at about 300 yards out, the water was only about 5 feet deep. This makes a nice safety factor if you get tired or overcome by the cold. You need to swim out far to get the feel of the real bay, which is important when training for the Alcatraz Swim

Judging by the swim time and the trail map, a straight line drawn from the edge of the breakwater straight across the cove is about 200 yards. (I added the breakwater in the above image, its approximate location is the black line above the text) If you are training for serious open water, you need to swim about 100 yards past the edge of the breakwater to get to the cooler water. Then, swim south as far as you feel comfortable, and then turnaround and head back to the beach. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR BOAT TRAFFIC, do not get close to the Marina entrance. The morning is better as winds are lower, and there will not be as many windsurfers and kitesurfers.

Congrats to Amy today, who did her first 2600+ yard workout at the San Leandro 24 before we went to check out Crown Beach. Double congrats to Amy for braving the cold and no wetsuit!

3 simple moves for explosive power-no equipment needed

No gym? No problem! Here are some simple exercises you can do at home, on a park bench, or anywhere that provide a great strength training workout. These moves emphasize quick movements.

1. Jump overs: Find an open grass, concrete, sand, carpet, or hardwood floor space. Get an object about 12 inches high by 12 inches wide. Jump over it. Turn body around and jump over it again. Repeat for 3 sets, or to exhaustion. To increase the challenge, increase the height and size of the object, and increase the distance away from where you start your jump. The key to this exercies is rapid turn around with no rest in between jumps. Works quad, calves, and glutes. More fun than plain jumps or squats.

2. Jumping jacks: A classic that works the calves and thighs. For a challenge, try to do them rapidly, try to hold a light dumbbell in each arm, or try to lengthen the width of your legs.

3. Negative push ups: Get in the push up position, but with your feet up on a park bench or other high stable platform. Hands on the ground/floor. Now push up. Repeat for 3 sets, or to exhaustion. For extra challenge, your feet should be significantly higher than your head. Also try putting your feet up on a swivel chair to energize your abs in keeping your body stable. Try pushing up hard enough that your hands leave the ground. In Fremont's Central Park/Lake Elizabeth, the picnic tables by the wooden bridge have the softest grass for your palms to press on, the rest of the tables and benches will have your hands in the hard gravel.

My most frequent jogging partner

I'd like you to meet Frodo. He is a one year old, sixteen pound Border Collie/Jack Russell mix. He is supposed to be a dog, but actually he is a ball of energy covered in fur.

We typically jog 3-5 days/week, 4 miles per day, at 11 minutes per mile. Some days we jog for only
20 minutes and then do ten 30-second wind sprints.

When we go to Central Park, AFTER running twice around the lake, he is still excited, so its off to the dog park.

So this begs the question, how healthy is it for your dog to 'jog' with you? I consulted my vet, Dr. Bruno of the Central Veterinary Hospital in Fremont. She was impressed at the distance, and said that at his young age there should be no problems. If your dog is a breed known for hip dysplasia or other joint problems, she recommended a glucosamine supplement. This is a good idea for all older dogs to take.

If you are both just starting, take your dog with you and build together. Your dog should have good leash manners, otherwise the jogging experience can be very frustrating. Having a partner certainly helps as it increases your willpower. You are less likely to skip exercise if you will let down someone else.