The art of survival

This is really fitting. Jen and I are doing a century ride on May 24th called The Art of Survival. We were talking about how we liked the name. It's a 100 mile ride and also an exhibition on the Japanese internment camps in Tule Lake. Jen mentioned that she's spent her whole life just trying to survive. I know the feeling.

But this post takes a lighter look at the art of survival. As an adult, and a single person, I am pretty much obligated to figure out my own way with everything. It's sink or swim for the most part. Of course I've got family and friends that in a real pinch, would be here as soon as they could get on a plane. But when day to day life becomes a desperate struggle for survival, I just don't feel it's appropriate to call someone and have them fly out and take care of you. Please correct me if I'm wrong here. But read on first before you decide.

I posted along this same topic a couple years ago when we had stayed late at night finishing a burn, I got home early in the morning, ate very little and woke up a few hours later, groggy, starving, and covered in poison oak. I had no food and no one to get it for me. I was weak and exhausted and desperate. But I made it through. It's funny now, but it wasn't at the time.

Sometimes life gets really rough, and you either pull yourself together or you lay down and die.

It's been quite hot here. I've been in hotter temps, but not without some sort of exposure to an air conditioner. Yesterday it got up to 96, and while today felt hotter, it only got to 93. Not incredibly bad in itself, except that I don't have a whole lot of AC in my life right now. And I've got some crazy allergies that make me feel like I've been kicked in the face.

Just as it got real hot, I had to drop the jeep off at the mechanic to get some work done (it's reaching the end of it's life unfortunately, but running strong for now). I drove to the mechanic with my bike on the rack and rode home. It was only about 4.5 miles, so not a big deal. And it was early in the morning. Then I rode my bike to school for a meeting and it was already getting pretty hot. I had a smoothie for lunch.

On the ride home I got quite warm, but it was also fairly warm in my apartment. During the early hours of the day, it's been getting up around 83 inside, which my body has adjusted to and tolerates well. Especially since it's been above 90 outside. Then it got around 86 inside and I jumped in a cold shower. That only helped for a few minutes.

Last night, the temp topped 89 degrees (inside my apartment) and I opened up all the windows and doors once the temperature outside dropped below the temperature inside. At 9:30 pm, it finally dropped down to 87. I went to bed and passed out cold (well, I mean...not really, but yeah). I felt pretty crappy. I hadn't been able to eat solid food and was surviving off smoothies, fruit and a small salad. I felt really sick and it occurred to me that this is how people who aren't in as good of shape as I am, die.

This morning my apartment was a comfortable 74 degrees. I put on next to nothing and went for a short run (at 6:30 am I was in short shorts and a short sleeve running shirt). When I got home, of course I was hot and sweaty, but cooled down ok. I had a smoothie and some cold oatmeal for breakfast. Then I rode my bike to school for my first final.

The final was held in a large auditorium that apparently didn't have AC. By 9:30 am, I was so incredibly uncomfortable, I nearly gave up on the last problem that I was struggling with. I finally finished and got out of there.

It wasn't any cooler outside. In fact, it may have been warmer. I gathered up my bike and helmet and rode home in the heat.

It was already 84 in my house so I tried to take a nap. No go. Too hot. I tried to read, but I couldn't focus on the words. I felt nauseous and weak. I got on the internet. I browsed a magazine. I tried reading again. I fell asleep on the couch.

I woke up and it was 86 in the apartment. Boy did I feel like crap. I ate an apple with almond butter. I could hardly think. I called the mechanic and my car was ready. I had to ride 4.5 miles on my bike to go get my jeep that didn't have AC and sit in traffic until I could get home. I decided that when I got home, I had to get my body temperature down. This was getting bad.

At the start of the ride, I got stuck at a light that seemed to take forever. I wondered if the mechanism running it had melted. The red light seemed to sway slightly in my vision and a hot breeze blew from my right side. I thought I might fall over and wondered if I should unclip my other foot from the pedals. I was thinking maybe going to get sushi in an air conditioned restaurant would be a good idea. Getting into any AC would be a good idea.

The light turned green and I was on my way. After about a mile I got on the bike path that's usually crowded with runners, cyclists, walkers, people on roller blades, etc. It was empty. I saw one jogger. A couple people walking, and a few poor souls on bicycles.

I was finally dumped out onto the road where the mechanic was and nearly made a few poor choices on a very busy street. I pulled probably the most illegal move I have ever done on a bicycle due to my desperation and impatience. Whatever, I survived.

Trying to hold a conversation with the mechanic was difficult. I didn't know how to answer any of his questions (like do you teach at SJSU?) and I couldn't figure out how to convert the time 1545 (on my watch) to regular civilian time, so I just wrote it like that. I loaded up my bike and drove off...and immediately got lost.

I was so hungry but nothing sounded good. I needed to get home to plunge in a cold bath. I realized at one point that I was hardly paying attention to the road and that I should probably stop at the upcoming red light.

I got home and it was 88 degrees in my house. I drew a cold bath, adding just enough warm water to not throw myself into shock, and lowered myself in. After getting my breathing under control, I relaxed in the cold water. Every time I lifted my legs out of the water, they instantly felt hot. My neck felt hot, my face felt hot. I splashed cold water on them and nearly hyperventilated again.

After soaking up to my neck for about 15 minutes, I got out, got dressed and headed out to sushi.

I've been looking for this place for some time. I've been to a few elsewhere so I knew they had to exist in San Jose. The place where you sit at an oval bar and boats loaded up with sushi float along in front of you and you just grab what looks good.

The place was air conditioned, the food was cold, the water was cold. I was hungry. I ate $50 worth of sushi. It was good. I feel a ton better now, even though my apartment now sits at 89 degrees. I've got all the windows and the front door open again, and the fan going. I'll take a cold shower here shortly. It's supposed to start cooling down starting tonight. Supposedly this weather is not really like San Jose, although it's our second heat wave in a month. But both times they only last a couple days and go right back down again.

I can't believe how sick the heat has been making me (allergies, allergy meds, and not being able to eat hasn't helped), but I pulled through today and we're looking at cooler days ahead (and a much cooler night tonight).