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Heat Stroke is No Joke

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I have always had a high tolerance for heat. I love to hike and enjoy the empty trails when it is too hot outside for most people.

Having said that, I did flirt with heat exhaustion once, which led to changes in my hiking preparedness…

While looking at pictures from past visits to the old Temescal tin mines to share on my website, I was reminded of one of my scariest hikes. On 8/1/17, I solo hiked out to the tin mines on a crazy hot day… up to 107 degrees per my Garmin. I used up all of my water, had no shade, and eventually completely ran out of energy. As I sat on a hill dehydrated and completely out of gas, I was genuinely nervous. Thankfully, a thunderstorm came along and saved the day. The cool weather and rain gave me a much needed second wind. This hike changed my preparation. Now, I always carry more than enough water, energy gel or granola bars, an umbrella for shade and a cell phone charger in case I get stuck and need my phone for an emergency. #hikeriverside #riversideca #lakemathews #hikeinlandempire #hiking

A post shared by Kris (@krisinriverside) on

I also have a hard head and have never lost consciousness despite taking some hard hits over the years.

It turns out that hiking in the heat and hits to the head are not my weaknesses. Stupidity is.

On July 6th, 2018, the temperature reached 117 degrees Fahrenheit in Riverside. On that day, I hustled to get my work done (in my hot office) so I could leave in the early afternoon to watch my sons play water polo (in the hot sun). When we got home from the games, we entered a dark, hot house.

Yes, on the hottest day of the year our power went out.

I scrambled to get fuel, lay out cords and set up the generator so we could run some fans, keep the refrigerator cold and watch a movie.

When I finally sat down to relax at about 9 PM, I felt a horrible pain in my abdomen. I got up to walk it off and ended up in the kitchen. The last thing I remember is reaching for a cup out of the cupboard.

The next thing I remember was my youngest son asking me if I was ok. I had passed out and was on the floor. I was probably only out for a minute.

We searched the interwebs and determined that I most likely passed out due to dehydration and the heat. Technically, I don’t know if it was due to heat exhaustion or heat stroke, but it scared the heck out of me. My wife made me drink a ton of water, gave me some ice and sat me down in front of a fan. I was fine in no time.

Looking back on that day, I realized that I drank no water all day. I drank some Diet Coke with dinner, but that was it.

In other words, I was stupid and this was completely avoidable.

The silver lining: I now drink a ton of water and have completely given up Diet Coke.

With the next heat wave starting today (Wednesday is supposed to reach 111 degrees in Riverside), make sure you take care of yourself and know the symptoms of heat-related illnesses:

From medicinenet.com:
Signs and symptoms of heat-related illness vary based on the condition, but may include

  • an elevated body temperature,
  • headache,
  • nausea,
  • weakness,
  • dizziness,
  • fainting,
  • muscle cramps,
  • seizures,
  • confusion, and
  • coma.

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can be life-threatening:

From medicinenet.com:
Heat stroke is a medical emergency requiring immediate medical attention. It is the most severe form of heat-related illness, and it can sometimes lead to death or permanent disability.

Also, let’s not forget our four-legged friends. Check this link for some warm weather pet safety tips from the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Don’t be like me. Stay hydrated and stay cool. Water is good.

Is Your New Year’s Resolution to Exercise More?

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How about giving running a try? I know there are a lot of you out there who hate running, me included. I’ve never been a gym rat and I needed to find a way to get some exercise in a couple times a week. I tried walking, but unless I walked five miles a day it really wasn’t doing much for me.

I decided to give running a try, and so started my running adventure. By writing this article about my running experience, I hope that it might encourage you to try running too.

In the beginning, I started slow – more walking than running. I probably averaged a 5-1 ratio, meaning five minutes of walking to one minute of running. But hey, at least I was moving. I did this three times a week for about 40 minutes a day. I hated it at first but stuck to it. Now I’m running about three miles every other day, and I’m actually enjoying it. The benefits are great – more energy and I found my waist again.

Trying out new trail running shoes

There are a lot of great tools out there to help you get started. I found two apps that you can download on your phone that I really enjoy: Interval Timer and Runkeeper. Both of these apps are free, too.

The Interval Timer app has a timer you can set that tells you when to walk and when to run. For example, if you want to walk for three minutes then run for one minute you can set the timer for those times. Here is some info on the app from iTunes:

We’re proud to introduce this handy little app that helps you keep track of your work and rest periods during workouts. Whether your into cycling, running, lifting weights, exercise, workout, stretching, boxing, MMA or HIT, this interval timer will prove to be an invaluable asset to you.

The Runkeeper app is what I’m using now. This app uses GPS to track distance, location, time and more. Here is some info on the app from iTunes:

Everyone. Every run. Join the community that helps people get out the door and stick with running forever! Track exercise, set goals, sweat, and see progress along the way. Whether you’re working your way up to tracking a 5K goal or deep into marathon training, use the GPS app trusted by 50 million users and counting.

The only other things I’d recommend are a good pair of running shoes (I currently prefer Asics), ear buds and some good tunes. Give running a try. You might just enjoy it.

My Shrunken Calf – An Achilles Tendon Rupture Story

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If you have undergone or are facing Achilles tendon repair surgery, this post is for you.

I saw the movie trailer for Hercules starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson over the weekend, and noticed that his calves look good. Wait, what? Why am I looking at another guy’s calves?

Johnson, if you’re not aware, ruptured his left Achilles tendon while filming The Game Plan back in 2006. I ruptured my right Achilles tendon at around the same time in 2006. After almost eight years, his calves look good while mine are lopsided. I guess I have calf envy.

Achilles tendon rupture calf muscles back view.

Achilles tendon rupture calf muscles front view.

I am not comparing myself to The Rock. He is Hercules, and I am a mere mortal, but it did give me hope that I might be able to build my calf back up to its pre-Achilles surgery size.

Since I don’t know him and therefore can’t ask him directly, I consulted Google to see if I could find out what he did to rehab his shrunken calf. I found this recent picture on his twitter account:

Maybe it’s just the angle of the picture, but his left calf looks a bit smaller than his right. So maybe he hasn’t regained the full size of his calf, but it sure looks better than mine does.

I also found a Muscle & Fitness article that outlines his calf routine. According to the article, he does single leg calf raises on the leg press, standing single leg calf raises and seated calf raises.

When I was able to start lifting weights months after surgery, I did those exercises too, but probably not often, long or hard enough to see the difference.

It is time for me to try again.

If you have had Achilles repair surgery and have built your calf back up to normal size (or better), I would love to know how you did it.

If you haven’t had surgery yet, but have questions about what to expect, here is my story:

I ruptured my right Achilles in June 2006 when I was 38 years old. While playing on the first night of a new volleyball league, I jumped up to spike a ball and “POP”… I landed on the floor and looked around to see who had stomped on the back of my ankle, but nobody was there.

I didn’t know that I had ruptured my Achilles. All I knew was that I couldn’t lift my heel off the ground or push off the front of my foot. I put some ice on my ankle, hopped to my truck, called my wife and then drove myself to the emergency room. Luckily, I drove an automatic, because I couldn’t use my right foot and had to drive with my left (I don’t recommend this).

It didn’t take long for the doctor to determine that I had snapped my Achilles tendon in half. I believe the technique to diagnose an Achilles tendon rupture is called the Simmonds-Thompson test, which essentially shows if the foot moves when the back of the calf is squeezed (the indentation on the back of my ankle where my Achilles ruptured, was also a giveaway). The nurse wrapped up my ankle, gave me some crutches and sent me home to await surgery.

Thanks to my wife working the phone, it took four days for me to get into surgery. I have read that many other people have waited much longer.

Since this was an outpatient surgery, I was sent home after I woke up. Having my tiny wife push my big body out of the hospital in a wheelchair was a unique experience, but she was a trooper.

I was alert and able to work from home the next day. I don’t remember much pain in the area of the repair, but I do remember throbbing pain in my inner and outer ankle areas, which I assume was from swelling. The prescription pain relievers definitely helped.

I had been working out a bit before my injury, so I was ready for the crutches and the task of lifting my body into and out of the bathtub with my foot hanging over the tub. Crutches are a pain though, so I looked for a different solution. I found this great contraption called the oneCrutch that allowed me to have one hand free to carry things as I walked around the house. I don’t think it is made anymore, but the website has a link to the Freedom Crutch. I haven’t used the Freedom Crutch, so I can’t vouch for it, but it appears to be based on the same principle as the oneCrutch.

After my surgery, I learned that there are two different types of surgery: percutaneous and open. I am not a medical professional, but I have read that percutaneous surgery requires a smaller incision and results in a faster recovery. Here is an abstract from a medical study I found:

CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous repair provides function similar to that achieved with open repair, with a better cosmetic appearance, a lower rate of wound complications, and no apparent increase in the risk of rerupture.

Unfortunately, I had open surgery and have the scar to prove it.

Achilles tendon rupture surgery incision and staples.

Here is a timeline of my surgery and initial recovery:

Day 01 – Surgery to repair Achilles (4 days after rupture while playing volleyball)
Day 15 – Bandages removed, first hard cast put on
Day 29 – Second hard cast put on
Day 48 – Second cast off, into a boot
Day 77 – No more boot, time to walk

It was about 11 weeks from surgery to walking in regular shoes. I assume that every case is a little different, so I have no idea if this will mirror your schedule.

I was freaked out when I tried to take my first step. I don’t know if other people have experienced this, but my right foot felt like it was broken (it wasn’t) when I tried to take a step for the first time. I guess it is because I hadn’t fully used it in such a long time. I don’t think that feeling lasted more than a few days, and after some time and physical therapy I was able to walk normally again and play sports.

If you are active and are worried about life after surgery, all I can tell you is that I can run, play volleyball, ride bikes, and do pretty much anything I want. Although My right Achilles tendon is stiffer, thicker and harder than my left, I haven’t had too many problems. I was worried about rupturing it again, but that worry has gone away. I do have pain and popping in my ankle, but I don’t know if that is from the initial injury or if it is just because I am old.

If you have any questions or would like to share anything about your injury or recovery, please leave a comment below.

December 2016 update:

After working to try to regain the muscle mass I lost during the recovery, I stopped trying. As you can see from the picture below, my calves are still out of balance by almost an inch (roughly 18 3/8? vs 17 5/8?). One of these days I hope to try again.

My out of balance calves due to full Achilles rupture