The Heat Is On!

Twenty-five years ago a shocking event during the Bix 7 forever altered my thinking about “heat waves.” When I first learned of Charles Crowe’s death at the half-way point of a 7 mile race, I had no idea how it would impact my running then and now. A year after his death, I experienced first-hand the effects heat and humidity have upon runners and walkers. Now, 25 years later, his story has even greater urgency. 

Quad City Times, Davenport, Iowa, 27 July 1997, page 2

Yes, he was 62 years old, but he was a seasoned race walker – in physical condition for the race, he lived in the area so he was acclimatized to the weather and water was available on the course. What went wrong? Was his age a factor?

Thermoregulation

Whatever your age, it is important to understand thermoregulation. This is how our bodies both conserve and dissipate heat. Dissipating or releasing heat, is essential during a “heat wave.”

In cold weather, our bodies conserve heat by:

• shivering to create metabolic energy and thus warmth, and
• utilizing vasoconstriction, the shrinking of blood vessels, to shunt blood toward our core, which protects our major organs and keeps blood flowing from our heart and lungs and to our brain.

While in warm weather our bodies dissipate heat by:

• vasodilating, or expanding blood vessels, sending more blood to the surface of our skin so that heat can leave the body and
• utilizing sweating and evaporation as long as the humidity of the environment is low enough. Interestingly heat loss through the evaporation of sweat (or water on the surface of our skin) is one of the most effective ways we can cool our bodies, which is why hot, humid environments are even more challenging to race and exercise in!

So the question is: Is age a factor in thermoregulation?

Before Charles Crowe’s death, a 1993 study concluded that “aerobic fitness, acclimation, and hydration state are far more important in determining successful ability to exercise in hot environments than is age.” 

At that time – 25 years ago - he, and many other runners and walkers, believed their age was not a factor in heat-related illnesses.

Now we know better. Recent studies (2014) have found that the age of walkers and runners IS a factor in heat-related illness. Researchers found that, "Age was the only variable to significantly correlate with whole-body sweat rate. This would suggest that when the stimulus for sweating is equal for all participants ... aging may have a larger influence on whole-body heat loss capacity than the fitness level or specific physical characteristics of the individual."

The researchers concluded that middle-aged and older adults might therefore have an increased risk of heat-related illness when exercising in hot weather. “Decrements in whole-body heat loss capacity were apparent as early as the age of 40 and declined with advancing age. We conclude that not only should older adults be cautious of the risks associated with performing physical activity when ambient air temperature rises, but middle-aged adults should also be aware that they could be more prone to heat-related illness compared to young individuals.”

These studies clearly show a reduced thermoregulatory function with aging.  

You don’t mess around with heat and humidity ... especially if you are over 40 years old.

So what can be done to combat or prevent the effects of high heat and humidity?

Most importantly, be aware of these age-related, thermoregulatory factors:

• Age-related changes to the skin such as poor blood circulation and inefficient sweat glands
• Heart, lung, and kidney diseases, as well as any illness that causes general weakness or fever
• High blood pressure or other conditions that require changes in diet, such as salt-restricted diets
• Reduced sweating, caused by medications such as diuretics, sedatives, tranquilizers, and certain heart and blood pressure drugs
• Taking several drugs for various conditions (It is important, however, to continue to take prescribed medication and discuss possible problems with a physician.)
• Being substantially overweight or underweight

Then follow these general guidelines:

1. Acclimatize your body to higher temps and humidity. When the weather becomes hotter and more humid, it will take 7-10 days for your body to acclimatize. Be patient and be extra cautious especially during a heat wave and even when there is one, random day that is unusually hot and humid.

2. Stay in good physical condition. Better-conditioned people have a higher blood volume, better oxygen consumption, sweat rate and more efficient use/replacement of energy stores. Avoid “going all out” when you haven’t exercised for some time. This is especially important if you “hibernate” during the cold weather and then up your activity during warmer weather. Again, be patient and cautious until your body is reconditioned and acclimatized.

3. Fluid replacement is critical in high heat and humidity. Fluid replacement starts before physical activity, continues during it, and doesn’t stop until long afterwards. Drinking to thirst and keeping urine clear (not dark yellow) are good measures.

4. Wearing light-weight, light-colored clothes of open-weave natural fibers or fluid-wicking fibers help increase evaporation and cool the body.

Twenty-five years after his death, Charles Crowe isn’t remembered just because he died from heat stroke. He is remembered, first and foremost by family and friends, as a “fantastic guy.” Obviously, his was a life well-lived.

References:

Intermountain Healthcare (2017, September 15). What is the effect of heat and humidity on athletic performance. intermountainhealthcare.org. Retrieved August 4, 2022, from https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/topics/sports-medicine/2014/06/what-is-the-effect-of-heat-and-humidity-on-athletic-performance/

Larose, J., Boulay, P., Sigal, R. J., Wright, H. E., & Kenny, G. P. (n.d.). Age-related decrements in heat dissipation during physical activity occur as early as the age of 40. PLOS ONE. Retrieved August 4, 2022, from https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0083148

Malcolm, C. (2021, December 30). Handle the heat: Heat acclimation for endurance running. iRunFar. Retrieved August 4, 2022, from https://www.irunfar.com/handle-the-heat-heat-acclimation-for-endurance-running

Millyard, A., Layden, J. D., Pyne, D. B., Edwards, A. M., & Bloxham, S. R. (2020, June 15). Impairments to thermoregulation in the elderly during heat exposure events. Gerontology & geriatric medicine. Retrieved August 4, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7297481/

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2018, June 27). Heat-related health dangers for older adults soar during the summer. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved August 4, 2022, from https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/heat-related-health-dangers-older-adults-soar-during-summer

Running with a Gun?!

 

thefirearmblog.com

Many years ago we were visiting friends in Wyoming and preparing for a day hike in the Bighorn Mountains. As I was filling our canteens at the kitchen sink, I noticed our friend holstering a side arm. I looked at him quizzically.

“Rattlesnakes,” he said. “There may be rattlesnakes on the trail.”

 

I will admit to hiking in the Shenandoah Mountains with a big, loud (and annoying!) “bear bell” clipped to my pack, but I don’t hike with a gun. I never even knew there were people who ran with a gun until I saw this…

“WHAT?!” I thought, "People run with guns?!" Protecting yourself from poisonous snakes and wild animals on wilderness trails, I get that, but running with a gun? 

 

While approximately 21% of women carry pepper spray on their runs, 1% of women runners have gone to a greater extreme, carrying a loaded gun.1  Why?

• “I started carrying in February after seeing an uptick in both animal encounters and drug-related crimes in our area.”
• “I’ve heard stories of female runners who were attacked and are now afraid to go running.”
• “There is a lot of stuff going on in this crazy world, and I want to be able to protect myself.”
• “This is one way women can empower themselves to do things they might otherwise not feel comfortable doing.” 2

Women, especially young women may feel fearful about running because they are more likely to be harassed and it can be frightening. Indeed, 43% of women at one time or another experience harassment while running, compared with just 4% of men.

Percent of women runners who have been …

• flashed – 5%
• sexually propositioned – 18%
• grabbed, groped, or otherwise physically assaulted – 3%
• followed on foot, bicycle, car – 30%

It is pervasive, it’s disgusting, but in the vast majority of cases, it’s not life-threatening. 3

There can be several reasons for carrying a gun while running but they all boil down to one thing – fear. In a survey of 1,000 Americans, 34% feel afraid running, biking, walking or hiking alone outdoors. Should I be afraid? 

What is the chance of being murdered?

In reality, the chance of being murdered while running is teeny tiny. Overall, a woman has only a 1 in 35,336 chance of being a murder victim at any time.

Most people express a fear of random strangers, yet the risk for random homicide is even lower: A woman is far more likely to be killed by someone she knows (husband, boyfriend, co-worker, family member) than by a stranger.

Getting into a car to drive to work or to go shopping is more dangerous. The risk of death is 2.5 times higher than being a victim of murder. The actual risk of dying in a car crash is 1 in 14,165—far higher than murder at any time—yet random murders generate a disproportionate amount of fear and anxiety. 4

How many runners have been murdered while running?

Running is one of the most popular and practiced sports worldwide. In the United States alone, almost 60 million people participated in running, jogging and trail running in 2017. Walking for fitness drew more than 110 million participants in the U.S. in 2017. 5

 

Also in 2017, 5,977 pedestrians (runners, walkers, hikers) were killed by cars in the United States.  That’s about one death every 88 minutes. Additionally, an estimated 137,000 pedestrians were treated in emergency departments for nonfatal crash-related injuries in 2017. 6 

 

In that one year (2017) approximately 6,000 were killed by cars. Meanwhile in a 33 year period, between November, 1987 and August 2020, 26 Americans have been murdered while running. 7

Obviously being killed by a car is a much greater risk than being murdered. Yet, cases of runners being murdered are high-profile because they’re so rare.

Are guns a prevalent and effective means of self-defense?

“Guns are not used millions of times each year in self-defense and few criminals are shot by decent law-abiding citizens. Self-defense gun use is rare and not more effective at preventing injury than other protective actions. Victims using a gun were no less likely to be injured after taking protective action than victims using other forms of protective action. Compared to other protective actions, the National Crime Victimization Surveys provide little evidence that self-defense gun use is uniquely beneficial in reducing the likelihood of injury or property loss.” 8

 

Plus, The Road Runners Club of America Safety Tips are extensive but they do not include “carry a gun.”

 

Final Thoughts ...

Runners, walkers, and hikers have to find their own personal tipping point between feeling safe and comfortable. Personally, I am much more fearful of distracted drivers than being murdered. But some women runners may want to carry a gun. (If you want to run with a gun, you can  read another woman's perspective here.)

 

Finally, while 34% of Americans feel afraid running, biking, walking or hiking alone outdoors, the other 66% are NOT fearful. They are aware and cautious. 

1. https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a18848270/running-while-female/

2. https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/g20831986/why-i-run-with-a-gun/

3. https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a18848270/running-while-female/

4. https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a18848270/running-while-female/

5. https://www.statista.com/topics/1743/running-and-jogging/

6. https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/pedestrian_safety/index.html

7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_killed_while_running

8. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/hicrc/firearms-research/gun-threats-and-self-defense-gun-use-2/

Running Solo

I have always been an early morning, solo runner and I am remaining so during the Covid-19 pandemic. Obviously social distancing meant I shift my routes and running time to avoid other people. But even before social distancing, my solo running elicited basically the same three questions:

1. “You run alone? Aren’t you lonely?”
2. “Aren’t you afraid to run alone?”
3. “Isn’t running alone boring?”

1. “You run alone? Aren’t you lonely?” - No, I’m not lonely. Previously many people have suggested I join a running group, but I am an introvert. I choose to follow Susan Cain’s advice, “Don't think of introversion as something that needs to be cured...Spend your free time the way you like, not the way you think you're supposed to.”

I like running solo. I don’t feel lonely, I feel free to be who I really am. Smith, the runner in the novel The Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner, wasn’t lonely when he ran solo, he only felt lonely when he was forced to compete. He sums up my feelings about running solo. He said, “Sometimes I think I’ve never been as free as during the couple hours when I’m trotting up the path.”

2. “Aren’t you afraid to run alone?” - I appreciate the concern for me expressed in this question, but, no. To live your life is to risk your life. You’re never perfectly safe -- no human being ever was or ever will be. But you can control the things you have control over by being prepared.

Being prepared doesn’t mean living in fear, it simply means being aware of your surroundings and creating safer running situations. Here are a few ideas:

· Be knowledgeable – research your routes carefully keeping traffic flow, lighting and “comfort level” in mind. If a neighborhood doesn’t feel right to you, then choose another route.

· Be visible – run against traffic and wear reflective/illumination gear. Avoid running routes with tall vegetation or fences obscuring driveways. If a car is backing out, it won’t see you.

· Be confident – maintain an upright, not a slumped posture. Look passersby’s in the eye and greet them. If having pepper spray makes you feel more confident, take it. Put it in your palm and flash it as you wave to that guy that seems a little “creepy.” Also, completing a self-defense course really helped a friend of mine to start walking a solo mile every day, it might help you, too.

· Be aware –pay attention to what is going on around outside of you and inside of you (body, breath, & mind); avoid electronics, earbuds make you unaware, an attractive target for “bad guys.” Also, make someone else aware of your route before you head out.

· Take your phone – use an armband or waistband to hold your phone so it is available in case of an emergency.

3. “Isn’t running alone boring?” – I have never understood this question. The fact that you’re alive (and moving) is amazing, how can anything be “boring?”

You control whether running solo is boring or not! Here are a few very simple “boredom busters”:

• Look around. What do you see? – Interesting houses? A new business? Parks to explore? How many women versus men did you see running/walking? (Women win 9 out of 10 times). Look.
• Listen. What do you hear? - Voices? Machines? How many people do you greet with, “Good Morning?” What song or mantra is playing in your mind? Listen.
• And, most importantly- Let your mind wander. Here is a quote from Haruki Murakami that, I think, best describes my favorite “boredom buster”: “The thoughts that occur to me while I’m running are like clouds in the sky. Clouds of all different sizes. They come and they go, while the sky remains the same sky as always. The clouds are mere guests in the sky that pass away and vanish, leaving behind the sky.” Let your mind wander.

Thoreau wrote, “I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was as companionable as solitude.” During the greater part of my day, I truly enjoy the companionship of family, friends, and co-workers. But every morning I set aside time for the companionship of solitude – I run solo.

Recommended Reading:
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner by Alan Sillitoe
A Philosophy of Walking by Frederic Gros
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami