Getting Old & Heat Exhaustion ... IMPORTANT ADVICE.
I hear you about getting old, I'll be 62 tomorrow. However, I know I occasionally push myself so I try very hard to stay in shape. I always try to do a workout or hard work at least 3 days a week. In the winter, it is often in doors. I do not belong to a gym, but have a pull up bar, heavy bag, stationary bike and treadmill in the house. I know that if you don't stay in shape, you risk a heart attack when you push it (which I know I will do). When I hear them run these ads about being careful not to get a heart attack when shoveling snow, I chuckle and say why didn't they tell you to just get in shape before the winter comes so you don't get a heart attack!
On the topic of heat exhaustion, I hope others can learn from the mistakes my wife and I have made. We are both very active people, but this gets worse with age and is especially bad for women (they are more vulnerable to it than we are, watch them closely). A few years ago my wife went on a 25 mile bike ride (on the bike path) with a mtn bike. She figured no big deal, we have done a lot more than that. But she forgot her water bottles, a no no. Worse, when she got home, the next door neighbor started talking with her, further delaying her hydration (by about 1/2 hr). By the time she tried to re-hydrate her body rejected it and would not keep it down, and every time she took a sip it came back up again. She insisted she was OK, but luckily I called 911 anyway. Her body was shutting down fast and we were lucky they gave her IVs before any lasting damage occurred. IT HAPPENS VERY FAST!
I had a lesser incident last year. I had just gotten out of tax season and I was anxious to ride with my friends, but I had to change tires on the car, etc, first. It was hot out, but I wanted to finish my chores before I went out, so I put off taking a drink break till I was done. i HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO PUSH MYSELF W/O ANY PROBLEMS. But this time it was different. Even though I hydrated before I went out, my riding buddies noticed I was not right before I realized it. I could stay with them on flat ground, but as soon as we encountered a hill, I faded fast. After a brief discussion, they concluded I was dehydrated, and my body was not properly absorbing the fluids. They told me to drink and they went into slow mode and escorted me home. When I rode with them just a few days later, I was fine. It is good to have friends. I likely would have fought to do better if they had not concluded I had a problem and brought me home.
Always hydrate both before and during any strenuous activity. The problem gets worse as you age, and it is worse yet for women. Unfortunately, it was also not how my generation was taught. In college, we did 2.5 hr wrestling workouts in a heated room, AND WERE NOT ALLOWED TO DRINK. When I look back, it is amazing that we survived what we did not know.
