Carbo Wall?

How do you prepare for the rigorous physical requirements of high elevation adventure? Strength and endurance are key, but are only part of a more complex equation. How do you prepare for changes in altitude, exposure, diet, etc.? How do you mentally prepare? Learn from others and share what you know about training in advance for outdoor adventures.
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BSquared
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Posts: 958
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2005 3:31 pm
Experience: Level 3 Backpacker
Location: Jericho, VT

Carbo Wall?

Post by BSquared »

I just had a new and thoroughly unpleasant experience. I was hiking here in Vermont (where's the trail? Oh, it's that waterfall over there -- sheesh :unibrow: ), and I nearly collapsed. It was about midmorning, I'd had a lousy sleep and little breakfast (foolish determination to hit the trail very early), and I just stopped moving. My hands were sweaty and cold, I felt nauseated and extremely tired, and I was just generally sick. I started looking around for a place to camp right there (I was only about 1/3 day into a 3-day trip!), but decided to drink lots of water and force myself to eat some gorp. The gorp tasted like sawdust, but after about 10 minutes of stuffing it down I began to feel better, and after 20 I was almost completely recovered (not totally: I had bitten off far more than I could chew and ended up turning the 3-day 45 mile trip into a 1.5-day 16 miler; it was also incredibly wet, both from humidity and rain, for the whole trip. Not really a bad experience, but not one of my pinnacle hiking experiences).

So, was I just low on blood sugar? I've had students faint before giving presentations in class because of lack of sleep, no breakfast, and nervousness; do you suppose that's what was going on here? Is there any way of preventing preventing this, besides the obvious: eat breakfast, get a good sleep, and snack on the trail?

-B2
Shawn
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Posts: 1061
Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2005 9:56 pm
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Re: Carbo Wall?

Post by Shawn »

Well, you would know best but I would make a point to rule this out first (seriously):

Heart Attack Warning Signs
Some heart attacks are sudden and intense — the "movie heart attack," where no one doubts what's happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness
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