Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/145706
Heat and Hydration by JAMES JONES It is a wonderful sensation to have the compounded by additional factors. wind blowing against your body as you We have to account for the pavement, ride down the road. It is another sensawhich can easily get anywhere between tion when the summer heat is beating 200 to 300 degrees on a hot day and down on you. Heat-related conditions the heat radiating from the engine. are very serious. Dehydration, heat Heat index can quickly cause dehycramps, heat syncope, heat dration as we lose body exhaustion and heat stroke fluids. We must replace are all things to watch out those fluids to stay safe and for when riding in heat. healthy. On hot days, the My motorcycle has a easiest way to stay hydratthermometer on it. It is ed is to force fluids down. generally 5 to 7 degrees Simply put, drink before off. Although my theryou get thirsty. mometer is off, on a hot Drinking water is good. day I can feel every degree Drinks containing elecchange as it rises and falls. trolytes are better for reYou see, on a motorcycle, hydrating. Avoid caffeine, everything is amplified. On soda and alcohol. a bike, riders not only deal with the outYou are the best person to monitor side temperature, but also the humidity. your body. Watch out for headaches, The temperature and humidity together vomiting, frequent urination and obcreate what is called the heat index. serve the color of your urine (the lighter To understand how the heat index the color the better). If you notice your works, we have to become familiar with riding buddy acting goofy, then they two things — how our body responds may be overheating. If that happens, to heat and how humidity works. To stop and take a break, cool down and regulate our body's temperature, our hydrate before the situation gets worse. body stores and releases fluids in order Wearing long pants and a long cotto keep our temperature at 98.6 deton shirt is a good way to keep your grees. When our body overheats, it reskin cool. On hot days, I often make leases sweat to cool down. As the sweat frequent stops or carry a camelback and evaporates from skin, it removes the drink often. Often I will stop and soak heat and cools the body. This process my shirt in a bathroom sink and put it works well if the air is dry, however, if back on. This is what I call poor man's there is high humidity, it does not work air conditioning. Even on the hottest that well. days, it will give me about 30 to 45 Humidity is that muggy, steam-room minutes of relief. feeling you get on those hot days. There After a break down, I learned to carry are different types of humidity, but the a spare bottle of water in my luggage most common type is called relative hu- and a granola bar. If I have a passenger, midity. If the air is at 100 percent relathen I bring an extra bottle of water and tive humidity, sweat will not evaporate granola bar for them. In the unfortuinto the air and will create a blanket nate event of a break down, it can take of sweat on the body. This causes the time to fix your bike or get help. On a body to overheat and makes it feel hot day, this can be very dangerous. hotter than the actual temperature. The best plan to stay hydrated is to The combination of humidity and start off hydrated and stay hydrated as temperature creates the heat index. you ride. It is also best to plan on the The higher the heat index, the more worst case just in case. dangerous the situation. Heat index If there is a topic that you would like is something that we all have to deal to discuss, please send your comments with in Fayetteville. As an example and suggestions to moof how the heat index works, 100 torcycle4fun@aol.com. degrees with 100 percent humidity is RIDE SAFE! the equivalent of 195 degrees, JAMES JONES, Contributing Writer. which is nearly the boiling point COMMENTS? Editor@upandcominof water at 212 degrees! gweekly.com. On a motorcycle, this heat is July 27 • GCHS Marching Band Fundraiser at Cape Fear Harley Davidson $10/ Fun run, $20/ bike show. Prizes, raffles, trophies and food available. Benefits the band with their program this year. Call 988-0802 for more information. August 3 • Poker Run to B enefit Kendall Ricketson family Sponsored by Souls of Service LEMC. The poker run starts at Honda Suzuki of Sanford, 3128 South Horner Blvd. in Sanford. Registration is from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and the motorcycles go out at 10 a.m. The fee is $20 per bike and includes a meal after the ride. After the ride there will be music and raffles. All the proceeds will go to his family to help with funeral expenses. For more information call (910) 984-6458. August 24 • Steele Angels Back to School Run Registration 2-4 p.m. at Starr's on Old McPherson Church Road. Ride leaves at 4 p.m. and goes to Crow's Nest on Chickenfoot Road in Gray's Creek. Music, food and door prizes. Bring school supplies or money donation to register. Call 9885874. September 21 • Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation Friends of the Cancer Center RIBBON WALK & RIDE at the Medical Arts Center in downtown Fayetteville. 8 a.m. registration. 9:45 a.m. Ride Begins. 10 a.m. Walk Begins. For more information, visit www. ribbonwalkforcancer.org. Patriot Guard Riders The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse group of patriots from every state that come together to honor fallen soldiers at funeral services across the country. Visit www.patriotguard.org for more information about the group. THIRSTY THURSDAYS $1 off all drinks! For Information Call 4624 BRAGG BLVD. BIKE NIGHTS EvEry thursday 482 n. mcpherson church rd. 910-354-2590 LIVE MUSIC DRINK SPECIALS for daily food & drink speicals, Band schedules & more connect online ... 22 UCW JULY 24-30, 2013 MacSpeedShop.com WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM