Preparing for the worst

Forum guidelines BT super discount
General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Preparing for the worst Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply
2009-08-23 1:51 PM

User image

Extreme Veteran
5722
5000500100100
Subject: Preparing for the worst
This is my first season at triathlon and I guess I don't know my limits yet, how to pace myself or the right dosage of hydration/nutrition.

Today I did my third tri and first Oly. I had set myself a goal of going under 2:40 and when I saw I could do it if I pushed the run....well.... I pushed the run. Then at 5k, when I saw I could break 2:35, I overdid it.

I ended up finishing well (2:34), but after the race I nearly passed out, could not walk, could not remember my phone number and ended up in an ambulance.

I was alone, 50 miles from home, all my stuff in the transition zone and they wanted to take me to the hospital. What would happen to my bike, my bag, my car keys ?

I ended up being ok, but I got really scared and realized I hadn't prepared for the worst.

The race organizers were AMAZING. They packed up my stuff, secured my bike, but they didn't have to. Had I gone to the hospital, I am not sure what would have happened.

I, like many, just throw my stuff in the car and go to an event, assuming I will be able to make it back home on my own. Today I almost did not.

I did my volumes, I trained hard and never expected this to happen. I bet many reading this will say, nah, that won't happen to me.

Moral of this story : If you plan to do an event that will be testing your limits for the first time, bring a friend and have a plan if something goes wrong.

The good news is after my previous race, I wondered if I had pushed myself enough. No doubt today :-)

2009-08-23 2:36 PM
in reply to: #2365021

User image

Expert
721
500100100
Chenequa WI
Subject: RE: Preparing for the worst
marcag - 2009-08-23 1:51 PM

I ended up finishing well (2:34), but after the race I nearly passed out, could not walk, could not remember my phone number and ended up in an ambulance.



Good God - You raced hard enough that you forgot your phone number?  Not a criticism, just wondering what happened medically.  Hyponatremia?  Did they say?

By the way, congrats on your time and good to hear all is well.
 
2009-08-23 3:14 PM
in reply to: #2365021

User image

Extreme Veteran
5722
5000500100100
Subject: RE: Preparing for the worst
By the time I got in the ambulance I was feeling better. My blood pressure was 120/60. I suspect it was lower than that when I finished the race, hence my dizziness.One guy said that 60 is a little low.

I had really bad cramping in the legs (lactic acid buildup they say) and even in the abs. I was dehydrated and I did not react well to the gatorade. My glucose was high at first but came back to normal quickly.

I was still confused, semi panicked and when they asked me to sign the release form I could barely write. It was scary.

It took me about an hour before I could walk again.

But all I could think of was what was going to happen to my bike.
2009-08-23 3:51 PM
in reply to: #2365021

User image

Champion
7595
50002000500252525
Columbia, South Carolina
Subject: RE: Preparing for the worst
Glad you're OK.  I'm not any sort of medical professional, but that sounds like more than just 'going too hard' -- it sounds like dehydration, or some other condition.  If everything else is OK, then I think that 'going too hard' just results in puking or having to stop, not forgetting your phone number, etc.
2009-08-23 4:05 PM
in reply to: #2365021

User image

Extreme Veteran
5722
5000500100100
Subject: RE: Preparing for the worst
I agree this was more than just 'pushing'. Dehydration was part of the problem, I think. I only drank one bottle during the biking, and did not drink on the run. I know I was low on the hydration levels starting the event.

When I say pushing too hard, I could feel I needed to back off a little but didn't. In hindsight it was not worth the extra minute.

But the reason I started the thread and the main message I wanted to get across was to acknowledge a medical issue can happen to anyone and you have to be prepared for it. Be it a bike crash, a bad bonk...anything...

I have several friends, like me, that don't think of this before an event, go out on their own and never really thought about 'what if'.

2009-08-24 6:01 AM
in reply to: #2365021

Member
58
2525
Subject: RE: Preparing for the worst

You are a tri-athlete, it is no surprise therefore that your bike was the most important thing on your mind. You can't have been that ill. :-)

 

 

 

 

 

2009-08-24 8:04 AM
in reply to: #2365021

User image

Champion
7558
500020005002525
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Subject: RE: Preparing for the worst

Glad to hear you're OK, and your message is not lost in the other details.

Make sure someone is at the race that knows you and can help you (fill out forms, get gear, check lucidity) in the event you can't help yourself. 

2009-08-24 8:29 AM
in reply to: #2365021

User image

Veteran
284
100100252525
Subject: RE: Preparing for the worst
You make a good point. I never would have thought of that. (I go to all my tri's alone)

JC
2009-08-24 8:34 AM
in reply to: #2365021

User image

Champion
8766
5000200010005001001002525
Evergreen, Colorado
Subject: RE: Preparing for the worst
I've been guilty of this one often myself.  For my actual GEAR, I guess I always figured that the RD would know what race numbers got taken to the hospital and at least secure their stuff for them.

After that I don't really have a plan.  It almost bit me in the butt after IMAZ last year too.  I drove to the race from South Dakota.  Never really occurred to me that I wouldn't be able to drive afterwards (hurt my soleus/achilles during the race).  I had a friend who had planned to drive as far back as Denver with me.  But once in Denver I was pretty much stranded.  And that was a fairly minor injury.  What if I'd crashed my bike?

I guess there aren't too many scenarios where you'd be "long term" in trouble.  Even in your case you probably would have been okay within several hours at the hospital then able to drive home.  And if you're hurt much worse than that then you have bigger things to worry about than how you're getting home!  I suppose I always figured that if I was SO hurt that I was going to be hospitalized overnight then I would have time to call someone????  Of course, that's if my cell phone (which is normally left in either transition or my car) got back to me.

Definitely a good thing to at least think about before the race!
2009-08-24 9:06 AM
in reply to: #2365021

User image

Extreme Veteran
5722
5000500100100
Subject: RE: Preparing for the worst
These are some of the things I thought of doing


Have tags on my bag and bike with name, address and phone number. At least the race organizers would pick it up and know who it belongs to.


I will join a club. While there are many other benefits, and important one is that most of the time there are at least a few members present and we can help each other out.

I will look into those Road id bracelets.

Any other ideas ?
2009-08-24 10:00 AM
in reply to: #2365021

User image

Champion
5376
5000100100100252525
PA
Subject: RE: Preparing for the worst
This is actually a great idea.  I gave it a little though but fortunately, I was lucky enough to find one that is only a few miles from my house and on a hill so my carcass will probably roll down to my front yard and folks will know what to do.  I have it in my trust that they have to do the entire "Weekend at Bernies" thing with me before I get burried.

2009-08-24 11:25 AM
in reply to: #2365172

User image

Elite
4048
2000200025
Gilbert, Az.
Subject: RE: Preparing for the worst
marcag - 2009-08-23 2:05 PM I agree this was more than just 'pushing'. Dehydration was part of the problem, I think. I only drank one bottle during the biking, and did not drink on the run. I know I was low on the hydration levels starting the event.

When I say pushing too hard, I could feel I needed to back off a little but didn't. In hindsight it was not worth the extra minute.

But the reason I started the thread and the main message I wanted to get across was to acknowledge a medical issue can happen to anyone and you have to be prepared for it. Be it a bike crash, a bad bonk...anything...

I have several friends, like me, that don't think of this before an event, go out on their own and never really thought about 'what if'.



Yep. I'm almost always with someone that is either racing or spectating, but I have a sheet of paper that I laminated, it has all of my pertinent information, meds, med history, etc. that I keep in my transition bag.

Just an off the cuff guess, but I'm guessing that your condition was a bit of heat exhaustion, exacerbated by dehydration. Plus, when you are racing, your blood pressure is up. When you stop suddenly, it can cause a BP "crash", and you will feel dizzy, disoriented, and just kind of "out of it".

John
New Thread
General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Preparing for the worst Rss Feed