Summertime Fun: Heat-Related Illnesses

While reading about a national park's plans to re-open, I found this handy chart from the CDC:

Spoiler Alert: All of these Heat-Related Illnesses Are Unpleasant

Summer is just around the corner, but it's already getting hot in Austin (it's 92°F as I type this post).  Some of you can handle the heat better than others.  I'm not here to judge, just to remind you that it is entirely possible to overexert yourself in the heat of the Texas summer.   I have never experienced heat stroke, but I have ventured into mild heat exhaustion territory and it is no fun.

For beating the heat, I try to wear fishing shirts or dry-fit shirts if I'm outside and active.  That along with hydration and staying in the shade seems to work for me.  Also, during the summer, I shift most of my bicycling activities to the night (or occasionally early in the morning) and move cardio into the gym (which presents a challenge this summer, thanks to COVID-19).   Kayaking also becomes an early morning or evening activity.

An extra note on sunburns:  if you are up in the cool, delightful mountain air remember that mountain air gets a lot thinner as you go up.   That means less shielding from UV rays, and thus the potential for some nasty sunburns.  Speaking of the mountains, I really want to get up into the mountains of New Mexico this summer.

An extra note on bicycling: check your helmet.  A little ventilation goes a long way.  I have two helmets, and my lighter (more ventilated) Specialized Echelon makes quite the difference when it's warm out.