How hot is too hot to ride?

[socalrob]

Today was blazing hot in the San Fernando Valley part of LA. I had to (or got to) ride up to Newhall/Santa Clarita, which was even hotter, and about 30 miles away, for a site meeting. It was over 100 degrees. The good part of the day was that I was going to a site meeting to kick off a construction project I'll be doing (well, my employees, anyway) the survey construction staking for. I had done the site topo survey a few years ago, so they really wanted me to bid this phase of the work (buildings, parking, most utilities). I was busy & shined them on for at least 3 weeks, was over a week late getting the bid in, came in with a number so high (about 1,100 hours at $205/hr) it embarassed me, & they call me up saying come on out, you got the job. On the way out to the site I'm wondering how could I have screwed this up? I get there, & to my delight I find that about 20 percent of the items I had budgeted to stake out were already built when they put in a bridge last year (I had been too busy to attend the pre bid site meeting). Turns out the other surveyor was about 50 percent below me, so far they didn't think the guy knew what he was doing. Anyway, the day is shaping up pretty well but man, it is blazing hot. The vents in my Arai helmet just let in furnace air that dried my eyes. My mesh jacket didn't seem to cool me as usual. Then, standing around in the sun for 2 hours got pretty hot too. On the way back, at over 100 degrees, I noticed that my reaction times were not spot on, my attention was not spot on, & my judgement was not spot on. And that was after stopping for a Frappachino. I felt the heat was affecting me pretty much the same as maybe one beer, which I'm not used to as I never ride after drinking any alcohol. Not a terrible eroding of abilities, but I did stall the bike at a light getting off the freeway. Can't remember last time that happened.

I do know about dehydration & heat stroke, never a danger today, but I now see there are degrees of everything, & I think the heat today was enough slow me down.

So my question is, how do you guys in places where it gets really hot (Arizona?) deal with the high temps. Are there temps you do not think its safe to ride? What mitigations do you take?

Its supposed to hit 107 this weekend, & with elevated (at least for LA) humidity. Remeber, our weather is your weather in a few days.

I'm going to the beach this weekend.

[vintagemxr]

It's almost midnight here in Casa Grande, Az and it's 91 degrees outside. :thumbs_down:

To be honest, after 25 years in AZ and dealing with the heat (I work outside a lot in the summer) I pretty much lose interest in riding for fun when temps inch above 100. Also too easy with our low humidity to get dehydrated and not even realize it. The dry heat will suck moisture out of you faster than you can re-absorb it no matter how much you drink. I rode home from work yesterday and it was 107. Not a big problem but not fun either and if it's not fun, why ride if you don't have to?

:(

[supermotoC]

Arizona heat feels a lot different than heat with humidity, but 105-110 degrees is too hot to touch anything left out in the sun. Try 102 degrees with 80% humidity, if you want to feel the meaning of hot & sweaty.
SoCal Rob experienced good ol' dehydration. If your mesh gear isn't cooling you off, it means you're not sweating, which means you are drying up (bad). To add fuel to the fire, he had a frappaccino, which is about 4x the caffeine of regular coffee, which dehydrates you almost as much as alcohol. Water is the best way to stay cool & hydrated - period. The buzz from coffee & the dehydration factor do not help when you must concentrate & stay fresh to defend yourself. Caffeine is a drug, use it in the right situations.

[Acacia]

Supermoto got it right - caffeine is a no! No sports drinks with caffeine either! Water is best - and lots of it.

Several posts ago there was a series on hydration by Bobv1 - and we commented on Camelback hydration systems - drink all the time and when you stop. How many quarts an hour is enough - 2,4 or more?

While the mesh jackets allow air to pass, they also promote faster drying of perspiration - and at speed you dont notice just how much and how fast you are really loosing water.

On some long trips in heat I have found that while I usually have the visor open a crack, I also close it now more as my eyes after 10 or more hours are affected by the 'limited' wind.

Glad you noticed the effects before your really got into trouble!

[DarthRider]

10-4 on hydration! My boss & I have both experienced "woosey" episodes recently (no, not wussy!) from the heat. We are now in our death-lock-bitch-summer-payback-for-nice-winter time and it will last until probably late September, peaking in August. Heat & humidity, humidity & heat.

Some things that will help:
The evaporative "super-absorbent crystal" type neck ties that you soak in water really do work, although the evaporative cooling effect is diminished by high humidity. I'd really like to hear Bones' take on this but from what research I've done, I understand that the cooling effect is much more important that just having a "cool ring around your neck". I'm told the ties actually cool the blood to a degree as it passes through the carotid artery and that helps keep the brain cool. Marketing hyperbole or scientific fact...I don't know. I do know the cooling effect is real and it helps.
Of course, dousing your mesh jacket and shirt is helpful too.
There are a number of new & old technology underwear on the market. One I have experience with is made by Ride Hide. Several types of underwear are available. The technology is a woven fabric composed of two different materials...the layer next to your skin is not new, it is a wicking fabric that actively pulls perspiration away from your skin. The outer layer is relatively new tech and it rapidly disperses and spreads the moisture over the surface of the garment so it evaporates quicker. You really do stay much dryer & cooler.
Poly t-shirts wick moisture rapidly but don't evaporate very well. Plus they smell like an old crotch after a few hours. Cotton tees wick slower but also get soggy and clammy.
The Ride Hides also don't stink! I "stress tested" them last year riding & doing yard work...they are not "night & day" better but they are an improvement, particularly when combined with a mesh, perforated or ventilated jacket and other measures such as the neck ties.
We did not end up picking them up to carry, despite my strong recommendation that we do. Our buyer for that type product is a woman who doesn't ride and apparently doesn't sweat either as she didn't see the point and passed on them. Brain-dead.
Several years ago when meshes were just becoming all the rage, MCN did a comparison test, with some very interesting results. When sitting still, gray or silver is several degrees cooler than yellow, which is cooler than red, which is cooler than blue, which is cooler than black...duh!
Some swear by the phase-change shirts & vests but I haven't tried them. Ditto for the ones you soak, I assume these use the same water absorbing crystals of the neck ties.
A late model, upper-end helmet with state of the art ventilation will really help. I noticed this morning that my current model top-of-the-line KBC actually vents noticeably better than my 1-generation back top-of-the-line Arai. Some of the cost of the upper end helmets is in vent technology and overall comfort, not *just* safety!
Liberal use of baby talcum powder or something like Gold Bond Powder, everywhere "the sun don't shine" will help.
Ditto good wicking hot weather sox and Gore Tex boots.
In choosing a hot weather jacket be aware of the difference in leather or textile jackets with "cooling" vents vs those with just "ventilation" vents that provide only minimal air flow.
Living & riding where I do in North Texas, I am always looking for better solutions for hot weather riding and would really like to hear more ideas!

[Optimus Prime]

Arizona heat feels a lot different than heat with humidity, but 105-110 degrees is too hot to touch anything left out in the sun. Try 102 degrees with 80% humidity, if you want to feel the meaning of hot & sweaty.
SoCal Rob experienced good ol' dehydration. If your mesh gear isn't cooling you off, it means you're not sweating, which means you are drying up (bad). To add fuel to the fire, he had a frappaccino, which is about 4x the caffeine of regular coffee, which dehydrates you almost as much as alcohol. Water is the best way to stay cool & hydrated - period. The buzz from coffee & the dehydration factor do not help when you must concentrate & stay fresh to defend yourself. Caffeine is a drug, use it in the right situations.

SupermotoC is spot on.

During the summer, I keep about half a gallon of water in the tank bag (2-3 gatorade bottles filled with water) and drink it all every 1-2 hours, refilling at fuel stops. A mesh will dry you out fast, so you need to keep pumping it in. I also keep a Silver Eagle (?) cooling vest in a large ziploc bag on the bike. I would either fill it up using the water I had in my tank bag, or go to a gas station and use cold water from the tap. Either way, it could soak up a significant amount of water. Throw it on under the mesh, and it's like having air conditioning. Even in 105 degree heat with 85% humidity, I was kept cool enough to ride all day. supposedly you can use the vest in such a way that you never get wet... But I've never tried. I just dunk it in the water, let it soak it up, then throw it on. You'd be suprised how heavy it gets with all the water it is holding. I can even use my Aerostich suit up to about 90-95 degrees 85% humidity if I wear the vest underneath. Which makes it possible for me to need only one riding suit on most of my longer rides.

Hope this helps.

[GPM]

I tried something last year that worked, but is totally impractical. In our race car we have a driver cooling system that consists of a cotten t-shirt with small, hollow, tubing sewn in. The shirt connects via two hoses to a styrofoam cooler that has a small pump in the bottom and is filled with ice, and just enough water to cover the pump.

Since we use as large a cooler as we can in the car, I bought the smallest one available and strapped it to the rear seat of my KRS. I grafted a BMW plug onto the pump wires, filled the cooler and headed out for a ride. In 109 degree temps I rode for about an 1 1/2 hours in total comfort. The ice cold water circulating through the shirt was actually too cold for the first 10 minutes or so.

I suspect that using a rheostat or some other method to cycle the pump on and off would extend the cooling time to 2 hours or more. But, unless you have full luggage mounted and are willing to sacrifice enough space for the cooler, its not too practical. And then there's the issue of being tethered to the cooler by the rubber hoses.

Bottom line is, as others have said, be careful. My rides in the summer are limited to 6 AM departures to the north, followed by a mad dash home with a cooling vest on for the last hour or so.

[Dallara]

Like so many others have said, Rob...

Hydration, hydration, hydration. It is soooooooooooo easy to get behind that curve and not realize it. Back in my old MX days, when quite often we would be racing down here in dirt and dust laced with 100 degree plus temps and 80% humidity, we almost didn't realize the real reasons why everybody was slower and more crash prone in the second moto (or sometimes in the third back in the REALLY old days...). I can't remember which magazine did the article, but they ran one by a doctor about hydration. It was kind of funny, because the first thing he said in the article was nobody could ever really be *dehydrated*, because if they were they would be dead... Instead he said we become "hypohydrated", or low on water, and he went through all the stages of it and what happened, symtoms, etc. as you progressively lost more fluid.

From that day forward I followed his guidelines on how to stay ahead of the hypohydration curve and it actually helped me win races, simply because I wouldn't be experiencing the detrimental effects of not enough fluids as my competitors often would.

If it looks like it is going to be a scorcher, start out your morning with lots and lots of water... And this guy said water was far, far better than juices, Gatorade, etc. Then just make sure you down a pint or two every couple of hours of exposure, more if you can handle it. Remember, too, if your sweat level suddenly drops off then you've gone behind the curve dramatically, and you're already in trouble.

I use the crystal-laced soaking bandanas around my neck and can give them a huge thumbs-up. I also wear the wicking shirts under my mesh gear. You can save some money on these by avoiding the motorcycle branded ones and head to a sporting goods store and getting more generic brands there. I pretty much use Russell brand ones because I was given some trick, motorcycle branded wicking t-shirt as a gift and it was literally identical in feel and had exactly the same printed material make-up as one I got at a discount sporting goods store, only when I priced the motorcycle branded one it carried a price tag exactly three times what I was paying for the Russell's!

One thing no one has mentioned is your feet... Wicking socks are great things, too, and it's funny, if your feet feel dry and cool it helps your whole body feel better, IMHO.

Another trick I use is simply to wet down the interior of my helmet. No head wraps or the like. Just some water in the liner. Most helmet liners are made to be washed and to dry quickly via evaporation, so wetting them down doesn't hurt 'em, and as they dry they can add lots of cooling to your head.

IMHO, there is no temp actually too hot to ride in, that is as long as you are prepared for it and stay ahead of the hypohydration curve.

But you want HOT? Hottest I ever was was racing at the Austin Aqua Festival road races in August of 1982... 106 degrees ambient, with actually track temperatures of 130 plus degrees on the asphalt... 70% humidity right on Town Lake... No wind at all... Wearing 3 mil thick Bates road racing leathers that were nearly all black. I lost eight pounds that day, according to the scales, racing four classes. I tried to stay ahead of the hypohydration curve that day, but simply couldn't. I was so dingy at the end of the day I didn't go to the podium when they called my name for trophies, etc. People had to poke and prod me to remind me it was my name that was being called, and I had to have my girlfriend drive the three and a half hours home to CC. She said I didn't sleep a wink the whole ride home, but I don't remember that drive at all, and it took me damn near three days to recover. I swear that day almost killed me.

And it took me literally days to get the salt stains out of my black leathers!

Hydration, hydration, hydration!

Cheers!

Allan (Dallara - NAABSCD)

[Wild Will]

wet your tee shirt at 40-50 mile intervals. It works in the furnace of the central valley near Redding/Chico. I stop at intervals and buy a cold water, douse my self (what an eye opener!) incl. my head, and get back on the bike. It makes the heat bearable. I also wear a Speedo in lieu of underwear, so I can stop at any water and jump in - doesn't hurt my synth. gear at all; won't hurt a helmet either. Evaporation works better in intense heat than anything else and is easy to "apply".
Sorry you got that torturous job; you'll just have to raise your prices again.

[DarthRider]

Will, please never again mention your Speedo.

[geechie]

Here on the South Carolina coast, we don't get quite the elevated numbers you guys in the SW do. But holy crap we get humidity that you can't believe. really. Temperature and relative humidity in the mid-nineties is fairly common in July and August. When the RH is that high, sweat doesn't evaporate very well, so you don't get much of a cooling effect.

When it's bad, I bring all my gear inside the air-conditioned office and put it on at the last second before I go out the door. I can take about a half-hour to forty minutes and then things start to deteriorate. This time of year, it does indeed get too hot for me to ride in the middle of the day. Period. I'm still fairly trim and reasonably fit, but I'm not by any strech of the imagination, the man I once was. (You know, I miss that guy sometimes.)

Harry: We have the "cool suits" for our drivers too. When we were in Daytona for the Brumos 250, I was in some serious lust for one of 'em. Damn it was hot down there!!

George

[Dallara]

George (Geechie) said:



"...but I'm not by any strech of the imagination, the man I once was. (You know, I miss that guy sometimes.)"


Damn, ya' know, George... I'm actually almost TWICE the man I once was, but only by weight. :icon_redface: :037: :icon_redface: :037: :icon_redface: :037: :icon_redface: :037: :icon_redface:

(well, nearly one and a half more, anyway...)

And I do miss the skinny fellow from the old days, but once this hip is done and I can get some real exercise again I'm gonna' get back in touch with him... :)

Cheers!

Allan (Dallara - NAABSCD)

[DarthRider]

Allan said:
"...Damn, ya' know, George... I'm actually almost TWICE the man I once was, but only by weight.

(well, nearly one and a half more, anyway...)

And I do miss the skinny fellow from the old days, but once this hip is done and I can get some real exercise again I'm gonna' get back in touch with him..."



Allan, believe me this is not one of our little "digs", this is real and from the heart. I started to do it as a PM but I thought it more appropriate for all to see. It could help someone else, and hopefully you. It is offered as friendly encouragement.

Two months ago I was diagnosed with "Pre-Diabetes".
For a long time (since I stopped racing) I had not exercised regularly or eaten/drank properly. I had pretty much "let myself go" in those regards and my 5" 10" frame was straining under carrying 220 lbs. My "environment" was right for Diabetes as are my genes.
My great new doctor told me that I was officially pre-Diabetic and I have 2 choices: Keep doing what I'm doing and get full blown Type 2 Diabetes and have a radical lifestyle change and/or endure all the horrible consequences of this disease, and likely die from complications.
Or, I could do some smart things like getting regular exercise, eating right, and losing weight, in which case I would likely never have full Type 2, or if I did get it, it would probably be much further out and much milder and more controllable.
I considered this for a nano-second and said, "Well hell, I think I'll do THAT!"
He recommended I start by finding & reading a book on Type 2 and make the required changes. I was sure this was going to be pretty bad in itself and life, as I knew and loved it, was essentially over. "If it tastes good, spit it out" would be my plight...in addition to a bunch of crappy treadmill time.

I lucked out and found a great little book by a diabetic author who had written a book for Type 2 patients earlier, then followed up with this one for pre-diabetics...preventive rather than mitigating and enduring. Good approach.

I started walking 1 mile twice a day with some porky co-workers, now shortened to 1 mile with this friggin' heat & humidity. I'm starting with some light weights this weekend. And more importantly, started eating much better, and less. The book is 52 "tips" to get healthy and stay healthy...and avoid Type 2. Some are as simple as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, some as complex as better understanding basic nutrition and making diet changes.

Without a lot of detail, I have lost 30 lbs. so far and feel better than when I was a young "scrambles track terror"! I think I backslid last week on vacation a bit, but not much. I have had to shop for smaller jeans and am wearing some really old (vintage) tee-shirts that had "shrunk". My knees and ankles have stopped hurting for the first time since the last crash 5 years ago and one of the lesbians at work pinched me on the ass the other day and told me I "looked hot"! Just my luck. But some straight gals have noticed and commented too! Why did I wait so long to do this?!

I'm going to lose another 20 or so pounds, get some muscle mass back and continue to feel better. And I'll be damned if I'm going to get that damned disease that killed my uncle and my best friend "No Legged" Randy 3 years ago...my "Retards on Motards" partner.

I'm not saying 'look at me" on this at all. I am saying two things:
If I can do it you can too, especially when you get your ass replaced.
And I can not recommend that book highly enough, even - especially - for non-diabetics and those with no apparent risk. A good idea really for most of us, now that Diabetes is in epidemic proportions in the U.S.

The book is an easy, quick read and the author has creds from hell on this subject. It is common sense & science, and it makes sense and works. She does not insist on or even recommend any specific diet. Just a lot of ways, some easy, some not so easy, to lose weight and greatly improve overall health. No pills, nothing for sale, no multi-level approach to health and riches, just good advice from a lady who seems to care deeply. And it works.

Allan, I know how old you are and you are still a pup. Far too young to risk your health and future. I hope I'm not sounding preachy, although sometimes I do. I'm just concerned and sincere...and you brought it up!

Unfortunately it has not helped my memory and I don't have the name of the book or author here...let me know if you want it and I'll post it tonight. And will for anyone else of course.

Please don't wait until your surgery, start now. I'm sure Bones will say, and you know, the surgery & recovery will be much easier with less weight and better overall condition.

If I've stepped over a line or said too much I apologize and it won't happen again. Now, I may get Type 2 next month (I have another check next week) but I don't think I will. Even if I do I still feel & look better and I will continue that course. Just consider this as an encouraging word from someone trying to pass on some Good Karma I recently received.

Good luck with the hips...and say hi to that skinny fellow you mentioned!

[Dallara]

Thanks, Dave...

And know that you have in no way "stepped over the line" or sound "preachy", and I know you are sincere and genuinely concerned, and I do appreciate it.

Yes, I would love to have the title and author of the book. Knowledge is always a good thing!

That said, I'm pretty lucky. Because of my previous bout with Graves disease and the subsequent complete and total nuking of my thyroid gland I have to have my blood checked every six months, and so far no hint of diabetes, or even a pre-diabetic condition. Fortunately diabetes is literally unknown genetically on either side of my family, so that may be why I have dodged the bullet. Further, as I approach the hip replacement date (July 31st) I have been having to give blood and have all sorts of other tests done, and diabetes is one thing they have been checking for... Still no sign, thank goodness.

Still, better to be safe than sorry!

As for starting any exercise program prior to the surgery... Well, that's damn near impossible. I have been doing tons of push-ups and sit-ups as of late, but walking farther than about a block is way too friggin' painful at this point, and stairs are something that hurts so bad it brings tears to your eyes... :104: Believe me, I have had a lot of things hurt in my life (broken back, broken knee, broken shoulder requiring two surgeries to correct, etc., etc., etc.) but I haven't run into anything like how bad this thing hurts when it's angry. Getting in and out of a car is one of the worst things, and just putting on your pants is excruciating beyond description. You develop new ways to do things like that just to avoid the pain.

Getting on and off a motorcycle is no cakewalk, either, BTW... And you noticed how I only would start the Norton with my left leg (my right hip is the bad one).

That's one reason I am looking forward to the surgery, despite the risk factors I have for complications (i.e. post-op infections). From what everyone has told me (Bones included) relief from the pain is literally immediate, and even the recovery and rehab after the surgery is nothing, pain-wise, compared to what I am dealing with now.

Ask Jamais...

Anyway, enough about all that. I honestly do appreciate your concern and offer of the book, and I look forward to reading it... and I promise you, I will read it.

Thanks, from one Peckerhead to another! :eusa_clap: :037: :eusa_clap:

But you take care, too. I wouldn't want you to get full-blown Diabetes!

Cheers!

Allan (Dallara - NAABSCD)

[socalrob]

Points all well taken. I normally drink decaf coffee when I drink coffee, but did forget to order it that way, so the coffee could have contributed. The ride was only about 1/2 hour, although I had been out in the sun for some time before hand. I guess it is amazing how heat exhaustion can sneak up on you. Part of my problem that day was when in the field surveying I normally wear long sleave microfiber shirts with venting. I normally wear white ones, but I did put on a dark one that morning. I also think the long sleaves helped keep the mesh jacket from doing its thing.

Along with other aging geezers here, I bet 10-15 years ago, especially when I worked in the field, the heat would not have been an issue.

The feelings during the ride were strange. I sort of caught myself not caring too much about what was going on around me. I bet sort of like the divers that get the preassure caused disorientation. I think the thing is to recognize it prior to losing all judgement.

[DarthRider]

First to Rob -
Apologies for the total, bare-faced hijacking of your thread!
But it is for a good cause.

Allan -
The book is:
"Prediabetes...What You Need to Know to Keep Diabetes Away"
Author: Gretchen Becker
Publisher: Marlowe & Company, New York
ISBN No.: 1-56924-464-2
I paid $14.95 for it at Hastings Books & Records
195 pages...a quick read.

I should have been more clear about something, I'm not suggesting you may be pre-diabetic or heading that way. I am asking my wife & sons to read it, just as a great general health & fitness book. It's helped me lose significant weight, feel & look better and I'm betting hold off the Big D. All without extreme exercise or dieting, just basic, sensible life-style good-stuff that really adds up and makes a difference. And it seems a great way to prepare for my retirement...sort of like hitting the nitrous button coming out of turn 4!

I'm sure my success will plateau and I may need to do much more on the Diabetes front, but the little book is such a good primer and starting place I'm recommending it for everyone concerned about weight & health. Many already know and live these things...I wish I'd done this a long time ago.
Good luck & good health, you damn old Peckerhead!
All you other Peckerheads too, of course.

[jamming]

According to my electronic thermoter it is 114 degrees at my house. I just got home a few min ago from running errands on the bike.
Damn is it hot! I'm a native of the desert Southwest and just deal with it.
I agree with Will, I douse myself with cool water and ride. I'll be leaving in a week on the bike heading up to Utah by way of New Mexico. It'll be hot, I'll have the camelback on the back, a wet head silk on under the helmet, and go fast.
Hot weather is mind over matter, I was freezing my ass off in 70 degree weather last week in Oregon, could'nt wait to get back to the desert.
Hot I can deal with, cold I can't. 70 is chilly to me.

Roger

[fnfalman]

I wear mesh gear, those fancy Under Armour underwears, drink lots of water before, during and after.

I also did Will's trick when I was riding back from Phoenix to Riverside. It was good for maybe 15-minutes before the outfit is dry as a bone, but better than nothing.

[bmwdave52]

Drinking lots of water is very good, just don't forget to eat some salty snacks too. After all what's water without salt.
I have one of those vests that you can saturate with water. That lasts me about fifty miles of good comfort.

BTW it was 115 in my backyard today.

[Deans BMW]

56 again at the future Motorcyclist Cafe Barn and Bunkhouse this morning when I took my morning walk.

[Rchop]

Dave...I'm sure I will get grief for this but I will tell you what works for me. My entire family has diabetes...mother, father and brother. I don't yet and don't plan on getting it either. My entire family also has had or died of some sort of heart disease...what's this damn sword hanging over my head, and where did it come from??
I have always maintained my weight through diet and exercise. I am a firm believer in low carb diets. Call it what you will...Atkins, South beach, whatever! I cut out the bad (processed carbs) and take in as much natural fiber as possible that fits in this category. I don't worry to much about fat or calories, just sugar and processed starches.
Since I have been eating this way, I have maintained 185 to 190 on my 73 inch frame. My cholesterol has been very low along with my blood sugar. I passed my last stress test with flying colors. My doctor has recommended I continue as I have been.
I finally talked my 80 year old dad into this kind of eating 3 years ago and he lost 20 pounds and doesn't have to take his diabetes medication any more.
Randy

[DarthRider]

That's great Randy! Sounds like you have a good handle on it and I'm really glad you have your Old Boy going in the right direction too. Keep him close & healthy!
I had my first follow up check today after the "pre-diabetes" diagnoses. Without going into a lot of detail, the Doc says I'm doing real well and when the blood test results come back he expects me to be below the "pre" threshold. A bonus is the better diet and 20+ lb. (so far) weight loss have combined to allow me to (probably) stop taking Prevacid for excess stomach acid & acid-reflux. All good. And he thinks the weight loss & exercise will help a plantar fasciitis problem too and maybe help get off cholesterol meds!
There seems to be no end to the benefits of a good diet and regular exercise...who knew? (That's a joke)

[Bones]

What eventually becomes apparent is that basic common sense is what results in the best health. Moderation works best over the long haul.

Moderate amount of eating a moderate amount from all food groups. Moderate amount of exercise all the time.

What happens is that we find some things we like more than others and even if taken in at moderate amounts at any one time, overall, porportionally, those things might not be consumed in moderation. Coffee, sweets, tobacco, alcohol, etc. Then one sniggling injury gets you exercising just a little bit less. Then you get a little busy, so exercise drops off just a little bit more. Next thing you know, it is ten years later and several pounds heavier, several points higher Blood Pressure, cholesterol has crept up, glucose tolerance has eaked down. You know the rub.

Here is one thing that I think would improve the health of most of our nation and save millions upon millions of dollars in health care: turn off the TV. Or get rid of the TV completely. Impossible for most folks, but you would be amazed at what that will do for your quality of life.

I got so disgusted with TV one night about 9 years ago that I turned it off and have not turned it back on since. We keep it for rented DVD's but literally do not watch one single news program or show on television, ever. You would be amazed at how much reading you can get done if you get rid of your TV.

Now, if I could turn off the computer, I would REALLY have some free time.

Gotta go!


Jeff

p.s. then again....one of my best friends in medical school said "hey, anything worth doing is worth doing to excess....."

[BobFV1]

I got so disgusted with TV one night about 9 years ago that I turned it off and have not turned it back on since.
Jeff

I couldn't live without "Cops"!

[Promethean]

Bones,
Strange that you mention that. I'd already decided earlier this month that the cable TV service isn't essential. I reckon I'll have quite a bit of stuff to do once it gets turned off. :)





I got so disgusted with TV one night about 9 years ago that I turned it off and have not turned it back on since. We keep it for rented DVD's but literally do not watch one single news program or show on television, ever. You would be amazed at how much reading you can get done if you get rid of your TV.

[black6]

I have a camelbak in my tank bag. the nozzel comes out the end and I can actually drink while riding. I usually start the day with about 1/3 of the bag full of ice and the rest water- nothing else like gator aid too sticky. and for the most part it lasts all day. Like in my bicyling days drink offen on those hots days. I do find even with my mesh when the air is warm through the jacket then it get tough maybe 95. I live in SC where the humidity is high. makes it worse.