Some of you have seen the show with Bear Gryllis in it - Man vs. Wild. Bear (the host, and yes, he's a man) gets dropped of in the middle of nowhere and has to find his way out with practically nothing on his person. The show documents his mad skills at survival in any setting.
I found myself in a similar situation this weekend, minus the backpack of essentials, the camera crew, and plain old common sense. I decided to go for a run at noon day in the hot Las Vegas heat (112 degrees). I trained for a half marathon years ago by running outside in the middle of July, so I thought it would be no big deal. I tell everyone that I am solar-powerd. Well, I was VERY wrong. I am not Bear Gryllis and I don't have super human skills. I am also not heat resistant. This much I now know for sure.
I made it about 3 miles out when I was struck with complete heat exhaustion. There was no shade around me and no water to be found. Luckily the last 2 miles home were down hill. I contemplated, for the first time in my life, hitchhiking. I also almost broke into the church I ran passed in order to drink from the delicious water fountains. Water = life and I felt it slipping from my fingers as I dragged my sorry self down the hill. Yes, I made it home, but I was more heat worn than I've ever experienced in my life. I literally had trouble picking up my feet. I have NO idea what I was thinking. Actually, I was thinking I could get a tan AND workout at the same time. Wow... sometimes my blond lives up to the stigmas.
