On Fri, 23 Oct 1998, Bob Apter wrote: > Exhaustion can often be avoided. Many correctable factors can cause or > contribute to exhaustion: 1) hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), 2) hypo- or > hyperthermia (body temp too low or too high); 3) dehydration, 4) paddling > too long at anaerobic levels, instead of at an easy aerobic pace. Lactic acid build-up should probably be added to that list, the rubbery or twitching muscles sorts of thing. Okay I'm an idiot... I've "successfully" encountered all of the above while paddling, usually in a race. > >How do you folks deal with exhaustion? For me the most likely cause of problems is dehydration. I'm almost exclusively a day tripper or racer. For longer paddles I now take 2 camelbacks, one filled with water and the other with diluted gatorade. I also keep several packs of gu (basically powerbars in gel form) in my camelback or taped to my boat within reach. > >What tricks do you have to go that extra mile when your body and > >mind are about to give up? > >Ideas? I put my head down and zone out basically staring at the deck or my feet (depending on whether I'm in a kayak or canoe). I then count strokes, starting with simply counting to 5 and then working to higher numbers as things improve. Changing paddling technique will also help for a while. > experiences? In one, memorably ugly, race I was mildly hypothermic and dehydrated, dehydrated to the point that I was blacking out during the stroke and coming to during the recovery. That day I think I was just counting to 2 with alternating thoughts of "stay upright" as I headed into the finish line/take out. To add to the mental challenge I paddled past my vehicle about a half mile from the finish/line take out. I'm now extremely careful about hydration, and haven't been severely dehydrated since. kirk *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Oct 23 1998 - 07:05:44 PDT
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