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.

Quarry Lakes Regional Park

Walk, run, jog, row, fish, bike, do pull ups, swim, sit ups, push ups. Quarry Lakes Regional Park is an all in one fitness machine--and its free. Good for triathlon training.

To get there: Quarry Lakes is located in north Fremont. The official parking lot is located off of Isherwood on Quarry Lakes Drive. However, there is a parking fee. I recommend parking in the nearby residential areas or at the Isherwood Staging Area of the Alameda Creek Trail and walking in. From I880, take Thorton Blvd exit eastbound. Make a left on Paseo Padre Parkway. Make a right on Isherwood and go over the bridge. Immediately after the bridge on your right is the Isherwood Staging Area. Or better yet, ride your bike.

This park is larger than Central Park/Lake Elizabeth, and closer for Union City residents. This spreads the crowds out, even at peak times the park feels empty, but not in the parking lots.

Jogging and running:
This park is Runner's World's dream. Quarry Lakes is also the best located park in Fremont with some semblance of slopes, inclines, and declines. (More on Coyote Hills and Mission Peak later. They are not centrally located like Quarry.) The network of trails around each lake means you can mix it up, and the scenery will make you forget that you are in the heart of the Bay Area, until you see the BART trains go by on the East side of the park.
Watch for rabbits, a variety of birds (more than just ducks and geese).
Also watch for American High School Track and Cross Country team practices here.
View the park map with trail lengths here: http://www.ebparks.org/files/EBRPD_files/brochure/quarry_map.pdf

I recommend the following loops:
1. Rainbow Lake Loop. Good for those who park at Isherwood Staging Area, interval trainers looking for lap times, and beginners. Rainbow Lake is the lake in front of you as you enter from the Isherwood Staging Area lot. It is 1.2 miles around this lake. When the water is low, you will notice dirt road going into the water. These ramps are excellent for wind sprints.

2. Count the Fisherman (or BART Trains) Course. I call it this because it seems to pass all the fisherman. Instead of timing or distance, an alternate method of progress might be to count how many fisherman or BART trains you see/pass. Stop when you reach a predetermined number. Or sprint in between them.
From Isherwood, take a right at the gate and walk/warm up to the first T intersection. Make a left at the intersection (Volunteer Recognition Grove on your left). Start here at the grove.
1. Go straight, then make a right, and follow trail along the land bridge (Old Creek Trail). When you reach the Y junction at the other side of the park, it has been .6 miles. About halfway across this landbridge, look carefully to your left. There is a wooden stairway that leads to the water. When the water is low, the whole stairway is exposed. This small flight of stairs is good for stair training, although you will need to balance on the narrow wood.
2. Bear left and go up the small hill for .3 miles (Western Pacific Trail-named so because of the train tracks nearby).
3. Take the peninsula loop, bearing left onto it. The tip of the peninsula makes for some postcard views when the water is high enough. .55 miles for the whole loop.
4. As you get back to the WP trail, make a left and then stay to the left. .2 miles to the sidewalk portion. The gravel will give way to wide side walk, as you pass the Swim Center entrance, boat ramps, and parking lots. Follow it around, bear left past the boat ramp for the 'Old Creek Trail.'
Bear left again to stay on the land bridge in between Rainbow and Horseshoe Lake. .55 miles along the landbridge and back to the starting point. 2.2 miles total.

Explore the map for more options. Lago Los Osos is pretty, however, if you take the Western Pacific Trail along its East edge, you have to take the Alameda Creek Trail to loop back to the Isherwood lot. (Which is also pretty, several upcoming posts will discuss and break down the Alameda Creek Trail.)

You will find a set of pull up bars near the Bald Cypress Grove. Also, the grassy areas along the main parking lot are good for situps and push ups. Along this course there are small trails that lead down to the water's edge. These are good for wind sprints.

Swimming: Of course I started this blog in the winter. The swim center is open April-October. I'll post after I visit it this spring. There is a fee to use it, worth it for locker rooms, shower, beach, and lifeguard.

Biking: The lack of serious hill climbing probably negates this park's use for real mountain bike training. But for the rest of us, all of the trails are open to bikes. The gravel is dense enough, but not recommended for road bikes. This park is the only one in the area that could give you a triathlon in one park. The trails are fun and muddy after rains.

Fishing: Permitted only in Horseshore and Rainbow Lake. You need the DFG license and EBRPD Fishing Permit.

Post coming soon: The ultimate biking hill climb-found in Fremont.

Swimming notes

The Alcatraz Swim is not for novices. Swimming, thanks to its low impact and full body exercise, is an ideal way to get in shape, lose weight, and do everything else that Men's Health tells you to do. However, swimming almost always costs money, compared to jogging/walking, so here are some local places you can do it on the cheap (sort of):

1. Silliman Center, Newark: 510- 578-4620, Mowry Blvd @ Cherry St. The nicest public pool complex in the Tri-Cities. Adult fees are $7 drop in, season and multi use passes available. Discounted rates on passes for Newark residents. Indoor, open year round. Check website for lap swim hours.
I have swam several times at this pool, and if you can afford it, it is worth it for lap swimming. They have a hottub, and zero edge gutters. At least one pace clock. Lanes are divided by ability, and everyone knows how to 'circle swim' if it gets too crowded. Also, during lap swim, all the 'water walkers share one lane. The morning lap swim hours are usually the least crowded. The fees do seem to be going up, though.

2. Milpitas Sports Complex: (408) 586-3225. 1325 E. Calaveras Blvd, Milpitas. $5 drop in visit, multi use and monthly passes also available, with discounts for Milpitans.

3. Dan Oden Swim Complex, Union City: 675-5485. 33901 Syracuse Avenue, Union City. Lap swim is $3 per person, but I don't know if the rate is higher for non Union City residents. Multi use pass available.

4. Fremont Aquatic Center, opening this May in Fremont's Central Park, adjacent to Lake Elizabeth. More info to come.

5. 24 hour fitness. The San Leandro 24, located adjacent to the BayFaire Center on Hesperian, has a very nice 25 yard 4 lane indoor pool. I have never had to wait more than 15 minutes for a lane. The pool users seem friendlier and more advanced than Hayward, which is only a 20 yard pool. Locker room is spacious. Unfortunately, like all gyms, etiquette for circle swimming is non existent, everyone splits a lane. In an upcoming post, I will review the following 24 hour locations, where I have often exercised. Here they are ranked in my personal preference for Tri City residents:
1. San Leandro (by far)
2. Newark
3. Fremont-Paseo Padre
4. Hayward
5. Fremont-Irvington

Coming soon: will have some general advice on how to write your own workouts, and how to pace yourself.

Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim 2009!

For some, it helps to have a challenge for a goal. I have a hard time with a goal defined as simply 'losing ten pounds.' That is what a doctor will always tell you. Ten pounds never seems out of reach when you start. I propose a new term for this, such as 'destination training,' 'target training' 'event training.'

So Amy and I found a new method. Pick a hard event, and train for it. Swimming was the sport that got me through high school and college, and Amy was a lifeguard. I did the Sharkfest swim in 2002, 2003, and 2004. This will be Amy's first time.

The swim is 1.5 miles. The 800 participants ride the Blue and Gold ferry to Alcatraz, and then jump off and swim back. It is a gut check when you stand on the edge of the ferry door, look down at the blue-green (ok, usually green-brown) water of the bay, and jump.

The Alcatraz Swim will be August 15, 2009. For more info, go to www.envirosports.com.

Here's my workout for the past two swimming days:
2/22/09:

1. 300 S
2. 300 K
3. 300 P
4. 3 x 400; (#1,3: Free; #2: IM)
5. 4 x 150; (Odd: Pull Even: Kick)
6. 6 x 50 @ 100%!

2/24/09
1. 1650 swim, laps 50, 55, 60, 65, 66 at 90-100%
2. 10 x 100; (#1,3,7: Pull #2,4,8,10 Descending to 90% #5,6,9 Kick)
3. 6 x 50 @100% Freestyle

On 2/24, after swimming, I hit the Cable Cross machine at the San Leandro 24 Hour Fitness for a tough dry land strength training routine: Single arm alternating lat pulls in a squatted position, standing bicep curls, pull downs with the machine arms at the highest position, squats while holding the cables above shoulders with elbows at 90 degrees, and tricep bends.

Welcome

How many times in the Bay Area do you look to the top of Mission Peak, Mount Tamalpais, or Mount Diablo, and think, how do I get up there? Or how many times do you look down at a belly and think, how did that get down there?

This blog will tell you literally how to get up there, when to go, and how to prepare for it. This is a blog for the average person who wants to get in better shape. This is a blog for families who don't have time or money for gyms (which is so many more of us). We have a specific focus on Fremont, Newark, Union City. Men's Health consistently rates Fremont a healthy city, and we want you to discover why.

Follow this blog, and read posts about scenic and low traffic jogging routes, challenging bike rides, goal setting, exercising with dogs, healthy recipes to satisfy unhealthy cravings, all with a specific focus on affordability. Gyms are great, and we will review them here to help you decide if one can work for you, but not everyone has that luxury.