Men Over 40 Should Think Twice Before Running Triathlons (Bloomberg)

[simhen]

Tri hard or die tri-ing!

[davem]

I think if the running part of a triathlon was first and then the swimming there will be less problems .Firstly, less dangerous water crowding,warmup on the road as opposed to water is safer and if the athlete has a problem ,they can stop safely as opposed to drowning when they stop swimming .Starting an event with pumping adrenalin ,cold muscles and cold water with an anxiety induced tachycardia is just a bad idea

 

Did you fall on your head?

 

After a marathon to start, 180km of cycling, you would like me to swim 3.8km (most likely in the dark)? Eish, you may get ten entrants for that event. Half would need rescuing.

 

Pumping adrenalin is your friend.

Cold muscles - warm up properly, it is free.

Cold water - we have wetsuits now (not free).

 

The risks in triathlon have nothing to do with the sport per se. They have all to do with:

• Undetected genetic conditions which rear their head at the wrong time. Know your family history. Know your own health.
  
• Ill prepared athletes. Insufficient preparation including practicing the scenarios of an open water swim. No wetsuit. No warm up.
  
• Sick athletes. Racing while ill is just a bad idea.
  
• Machismo. The sport has become about pain caves, tri hard or die trying type attitudes (sorry simhen), PBs and water starts that would scare a testicle grabbing Samoan rugby player.
  

All these risks can be well managed by becoming proficient in the technical aspects of the sport. It is not just about how fit and strong you are.

[shawnvan]

"Out of 11 million long-distance runners, 59 people suffered cardiac arrest, 51 of them men."

 

0.005% chance of a cardiac arrest? I'll take those odds!

[rudi-h]

I can speak from experience. Let me start by saying that I am a fairly fit person but don't over do it in anyway when I am out training. On 6 April 2013 at the KZN Downhill Event, I went into cardiac arrest about 30 minutes after my second times run. I could feel there was something not right but refused to believe that I had gone into cardiac arrest. It wasn't the norm where you experience the pain in your left arm and then clutch your arm and fall over and die, for me it was almost 2 hours of excruciating chest pains until I could get to a hospital. The things I went through and felt during those two hours I would not wish on my worst enemy. I am one of the very very lucky ones who survived it and came out with no perminant heart damage. The eventual cause was due to a blood clot caused by my red blood cell count being to high. I had no cholesterol, stress or high blood pressure issues. I never knew about my blood count problem and took a cardiac arrest for me to establish this. The more scary part for me was when I was in ICU they wheeled in a 22 year old girl who suffered the exact same as I did whilst out running. One thing I learnt from this is that you just don't know who could be next to go into cardiac arrest. It can happen to anyone, big or small, fat or thin, old or young...you just don't know. Almost all cardiac arrests are caused due to blood clots and they sneak up on you like a stalker!!! If you can, go get a CT scan to check for any blood clots in your system, it could save your life.

 

that's a hard core story... looking back now, were there any signs at all, or did it just happen without warning?

[SwissVan]

Did you fall on your head?

 

After a marathon to start, 180km of cycling, you would like me to swim 3.8km (most likely in the dark)? Eish, you may get ten entrants for that event. Half would need rescuing.

 

Pumping adrenalin is your friend.

Cold muscles - warm up properly, it is free.

Cold water - we have wetsuits now (not free).

 

 

Can you imagine how many people would suffer cramps while swimming after a strenuous run and cycle...

[Gravity-Life]

 

 

that's a hard core story... looking back now, were there any signs at all, or did it just happen without warning?

 

There were no signs at all. It just sprung on me.

One other thing my cardiologist asked me.....Have i been sick in the last few days and if i had any energy drinks!!!

 

[SwissVan]

There were no signs at all. It just sprung on me.

One other thing my cardiologist asked me.....Have i been sick in the last few days and if i had any energy drinks!!!

 

Why the energy drink question?

[Foxbat]

Oh well....guess I will have take my chances.

[Gravity-Life]

 

 

Why the energy drink question?

 

Energy Drinks thicken your blood!!

[Agteros]

Energy Drinks thicken your blood!!

and the internet thickens your brain!!

[Gravity-Life]

Sorry agteros ....not sure why you replied with that comment!!!

 

I am quoting what my Cardiologist told me.

[Witkop]

Energy Drinks thicken your blood!!

 

That is if it is EPO.....

[DJR]

Sorry agteros ....not sure why you replied with that comment!!!

 

I am quoting what my Cardiologist told me.

 

http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/health/271103/red-bull-causes-blood-clots.html

 

I know this isn't the definitive medical publication, but perhaps........

[DJR]

Energy Drinks thicken your blood!!

Highly caffienated drinks like Red Bull may perhaps?

Normal energy drinks we drink to cycle - not!

Makes me wonder about the four double espressos before breakfast

[Witkop]

Tri hard or die tri-ing!

Don't tri, dua

[zaslinger]

And the same phenomenon explains why bowls is the most deadly sport!!!

 

Also, the most dangerous snake in the world is likely to be the most common, not the most venomous!

 

More toppies chasing medals, higher likelihood of some dying.

 

Better than dying sitting on the couch fat as a pig?