Handling the heat?

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The heat just sucks

All you guys gave some pretty good advice on surviving the heat. I'm gonna try and follow it this coming week. Max output this middle aging body's letting me do is four hours of climbing in spite of the fluids, most of which I suck down in mass quantities after comin' down from one tree and getting up the next - makes my stomach feel like pukin'.

The drive home is tough....does anyone feel sick and light headed even after cooling down?

Last year and before I Summered and Falled on the coastal areas of S.C. and Georgia, topping pines over homes. The mornings were steamy but the tops of pines got me up into the breezes off the ocean, well above the oaks and poison ivy. After limbing and topping - before chunking them down I could haul-up to the spar top and sit there contemplating life. Those were ten hour days and I still didn't seem to suffer like this here now in Texas up in the leafless dead oaks. Man this is brutal. I've done many sweat lodge ceremonies (wife's a traditional Cherokee) that teaches tolerance to say the least, but somehow climbing's gotten to be very tough. Going for a cortizone injection to shoulder in the morning, that should help a little but jeez, I feel ninety years old, even at night.
 
Works for Me!

Those weight lifting supplements/protein bars can give you the push to get through the worst days. A MetRx bar for breakfast with a banana, and a quart of gatorade 1 hr before you start climbing. Along with frequent hydration (I bought one of those camelback, soft backpack bladders that you fill with 50/50 water and gatorade). You can take a drink every few minutes, or as necessary. Your body can only absorb fluids so fast. If you are sweating profusely and stop, lets say every 30 minutes to drink, your body can't put that fluid to use till its absorbed. You may be in a constant state of dehydration, unless you are contantly drinking which the camelback allows you to do hands free. It probley weighs 5 pounds when full. I found this make a huge difference when dealing with the heat
 
The Heat

I wish I knew something to say that would help,but here,in the last 2-3 months,I have tried to limit the heavy work to the early mornings.I practice most all the previous recommendations but ,it is brutal.I'm thankful I'm not in the roofing or paving business.I can't wait for the cool season.
 

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