San Benito Magazine April 17-23, 2020

THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF SAN BENITO COUNTY

A supplement to the Hollister Free Lance

APRIL 17, 2020

NEVER QUIT Athlete inspires others to challenge themselves P2 FACE MASKS P4 | WINE P5 | REAL ESTATE P7

Spartan athlete inspires others to challenge themselves

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APRIL 17, 2020

SPARTAN BEAST Jana

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Eastus’ second place finish in the Lake Tahoe Spartan Beast World Championship is just one of her many awards in athletic competitions.

hat the hell am I doing? I can’t even pick these things up.”

That is what Jana Eastus was thinking at one point in the Lake Tahoe Spartan Beast World Championship race last September. Eastus was carrying two heavy sandbags up a mountain in rainy and muddy conditions when she thought of quitting.

“There was a lady behind me, and we told each other that we had to keep going,” said Eastus, a Gilroy resident of 23 years. “It was the middle of the race, and we still had six, seven miles to go.”

The 51-year-old Eastus managed to finish the race in 4 hours, 42 minutes and 42 seconds, taking second place in her age group, 74th among all women and 361st overall. Given the nature and scope of the challenges the course presented, it was perhaps the seminal moment in Eastus’ athletic career.

“They had the big screen up an hour or two later (to show results in my age group), and my name popped up second,” Eastus said. “I couldn’t believe it, and it was the best feeling ever because I trained so hard for that moment.”

A Spartan Beast is a half-marathon (13.1 miles) with 30 obstacles that tests even the most well-conditioned athletes.

The Lake Tahoe Beast featured steep climbs, tricky descents, heavy carries and a swim in frigid waters.

“We had to swim in this man-made lake which had obstacles in it,” she said.

“My hands were frozen, and fortunately the wetsuit I had on saved my butt. Going into 35-degree water, people were quitting. Oh my gosh, it was nutty.”

If you’re in Gilroy and notice a woman

carrying heavy dumbbells and doing Farmer’s Walks on a neighborhood street or carrying buckets of rocks up a trail at Christmas Hill Park, it’s a good bet that would be Eastus.

“She is crazy in a good way,” said Maddie Eastus, who is Jana’s daughter and a standout player on the Gilroy High girls soccer team. “She always does the hard Spartan races I could never do. She is crazy. She works two jobs, does Spartan races and goes to my soccer matches.”

Jana Eastus works in the emergency room at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, is a trainer at CrossFit Gilroy and works out twice a day—sometimes three. She does a CrossFit type workout in the morning and some type of aerobic activity in the afternoon. Eastus works out six days a week—taking only Sunday off—though she has to summon all of her strength to actually take it easy that day.

“I force myself to take a day off,” she said. “I know it’s good for me to rest or go into work or watch Maddie at a game.

I try to take recovery days because if not, my joints get pissed at me. I have to say I have an obsession with fitness.”

Part of what drives Eastus to work out in a maniacal manner includes wanting to show others that getting fit is not as difficult as it seems.

“I want to inspire women that at any age, anything is possible,” said Eastus, who isn’t the least bit shy in revealing her age to people and was a competitive gymnast in her teen and college years. “It’s fun to inspire others and your family.”

Said Maddie: “I like how she is super hard working and a really good motivator for all ages. She inspires me because she works really hard, and that drives me to work out and be the best I can be.”

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in a

‘CRAZY GOOD WAY ’

BY EMANUEL LEE

APRIL 17, 2020

The 2019 season was one to remember for Eastus, who finished first or second in her age group in every Spartan race she entered. Eastus does enter CrossFit competitions on occasion, but she said those events work against her since she is 5-foot-3 and 108 pounds. Granted, Eastus is still stronger than most people twice her size, but in CrossFit events, everyone is taller and heavier than Eastus. Every Memorial Day, Eastus and her CrossFit Gilroy team does the Murph Workout of the Day, which involves a 1-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats and a second 1-mile run—all while wearing a 20-pound vest.

This gives you a sense of the type of training Eastus does on a regular basis, and the strength, endurance, speed and agility one must have to excel in Spartan or CrossFit races. Eastus has a gym in her garage, which serves her well as every fitness center has closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. So what advice would Eastus give to someone who wants to work out, but doesn’t have the financial means to buy gym equipment?

“Pick up a big rock and roll it,” she said. “Or just pick up a weight that challenges you. Really, you’ll get a great workout in a short amount of time if you challenge yourself enough.”

Submitted photos

Eastus credited Kassi Lieberman, Mike King and Secret Ninja Training Camp (SNTC) for helping her maximize her abilities. Lieberman is the owner and coach at CrossFit Gilroy, King is the owner of Kings Camp, a pro Spartan racing team that Eastus trains with; and SNTC works with athletes like Eastus in obstacle training.

Even though Eastus experiences an adrenaline rush every time she competes in a race, her work in the ER is no less exhilarating. What is the craziest thing she’s seen in her 20 years of working in the ER? “People put things in places where they’re not supposed to go,” she said. “We have a whole slideshow of foreign objects in the body. The craziest stuff usually happens between 2:30, 3am; that is the magic hour. The bars close, but we’re still open.”

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Eastus said the media reports of hospitals being overrun are accurate.

“We’re running out of supplies, gurneys, ventilators, which is just awful,” she said. “It’s sad. The other day we had a Code 3 where someone is in respiratory arrest. But we didn’t have a gurney because all the gurneys were taken. It’s just crazy.”

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COVID-19 IMPACT

Cloth face masks now advised Tips on how to fashion homemade protection

By JUAN REYES

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Juan Reyes

APRIL 17, 2020

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esidents of San Benito and Santa Clara counties are now required to spend most of their time at home for the rest of April. And when people leave home for groceries or takeout, federal health authorities are now recommending everyone wear cloth face coverings in public spaces.

County officials recently offered residents some detailed advice on how to wear, acquire or even fashion their own cloth face coverings.

“Residents can wear a cloth face covering whenever they’re in public for essential activities such as shopping at the grocery store,” San Benito County Public Information Officer David Westrick said in a press release.

However, he said wearing a cloth face covering does not eliminate the need to physically distance oneself from others.

County health officers also issued a new requirement that all “essential” businesses remaining open must implement a “social distancing protocol” for the duration of the order.

Westrick said those who are deemed as an essential employee and are interacting with the public can choose to wear a cloth face covering.

“Remember however, that a face covering must be used along with all of the other protective and preventive measures,” he said. “It will not help ‘flatten the curve’ if you go out more or stop taking other protective measures.”

A cloth face covering may be factory-made or sewn by hand or can be improvised from household items such as scarfs, T-shirts, sweatshirts, pillow cases or cotton sheets.

The face covering should be secured to the head with ties or straps or simply wrapped around the lower face.

Westrick said the defense against

PROTECTIVE MEASURE Health officials advise all residents to wear cloth face coverings while they are out in public.

COVID-19 is frequent hand washing, avoiding touching the eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, avoiding being around sick people and physical distancing, especially by staying at home.

“Cloth face coverings are not a substitute for physical social distancing and washing your hands,” Westrick said.

Westrick said there is limited evidence to prove how effective the homemade face coverings might be. Still, he mentioned the primary role is to reduce the release of infectious particles into the air when someone speaks, coughs or sneezes, including someone who might have COVID-19 but are asymptomatic to the virus.

A recent report shows that 25 percent of people infected with coronavirus don't present any

symptoms or fall ill but can still transmit the illness to others, according to Robert Redfield, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings such as grocery stores and pharmacies, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

The CDC’s website posted that the use of simple cloth face coverings can slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and “the cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.”

The county recommends discarding cloth face coverings that no longer cover the nose and mouth.

They also mentioned masks should not have stretched out or damaged ties or straps that prevent it from staying on the face. If the masks have holes or tears in the fabric, get rid of those too.

“Remember these are always used in addition to all the other necessary protective measures,” Westrick said. “Stay at home, but when you must go out or report to work, keep your distance and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer.

And don’t touch your face.”

The CDC has a website with tips on how to make masks at home. For information, visit tinyurl.com/ ry2x93k.

WINE

Photo courtesy of Lightpost Winery

WINNING WINES Sofia Fedotova and Lightpost Winery earned a slew of Gold medals at the Monterey International Wine Competition on March 14.

MontereyWine Competition winners Local wineries score big at March 14 event By LAURA NESS

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Sauvignon Black Mountain, Eden Canyon Vineyards, Paso Robles; 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains; 2018 Chardonnay Spanish Springs Vineyard, San Luis Obispo County; 2018 Chardonnay Russian River Valley; 2017 Classic White Wine Paso Robles; 2017 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains, and 2018 Albariño, Edna Valley.

Local wineries serving up food and wine to-go during the shelter-in-place order include Sycamore Creek/MoHi, where a recent pairing featured barbecue with their Petite Sirah. A popular Fiesta Bowl dinner for two included chili verde, chili colorado and chicken enchilada, beans and rice. Call 408-779-4738 to order for pickup, between 11am and 7pm, or visit shop.sycamorecreekvineyards.com/Wines/Dine Martin Ranch is offering a 33 percent discount and free shipping on three bottles or more, and Sarah’s Vineyard has several six-packs for great prices.

APRIL 17, 2020

e gotta look for some good news here.

Let’s celebrate the good results for local wineries that entered the Monterey International Wine Competition, held March 14 in King City.

Alara Cellars scored Gold for the 2017 Cabernet Pfeffer, and silvers for the 2017 Barbera, Grenache and Montepulciano, all from San Benito.

Kudos to Lightpost winemaker, Christian Roguenant and his assistant winemaker, Tim Li, for scoring a slew of Golds for these: 2018 Chardonnay Paraiso Vineyards, Santa Lucia Highlands; 2018 Pinot Noir Ferrari Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountains; 2017 Chardonnay Edna Valley; 2018 Pinot Noir, San Luis Obispo County, 2018 Pinot Noir Spanish Springs Vineyard, San Luis Obispo County and 2017 Classic Red Wine.

Silvers went to 2017 Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains; 2018 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley; 2017 Cabernet

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APRIL 17, 2020

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Open daily 8:00am for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Sunday Brunch 8am-1pm 7400 Monterey Street, Gilroy • 408.842.3454 www.oldcityhall.biz

Submitted photo

Located in Historic Downtown Gilroy

BACKYARD GEM A pool is one of the many amenities

of this Hollister home.

Retreat from crowded life

Hollister home sits on private drive

T

he new owners of this Hollister home could live a country life yet still be close to the city.

Located at 1613 Hillcrest Road, the 2,098-square-foot home includes three bedrooms and three baths. Set back on a private drive, it sits on 2.5 acres of property that features a 1,050-square-foot barn, a chicken coop and a pool.

Inside, the home, built in 1984, is equipped with a remodeled kitchen with granite countertops, updated flooring, newer furnace, air conditioning and heat pump. It is powered by a ground-mounted solar array.

The home is listed at $899,900

by Realty World Milestone. For information, visit tinyurl.com/ qverhvc.

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