Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Ask Uncle Seng: I don’t want to run to my death!
Shamelessly copied from http://nineaugust.blogspot.com/2005/07/ask-uncle-seng-i-dont-want-to-run-to.html
Senseless advice for the insane world
Dear Uncle Seng,
The IPPT is just around the corner and my Sergeant is promising more running sessions ahead of us. I heard that more and more soldiers have died of sudden heart attack each year. 19 guys in 9 years – that’s at least 2 per year! I’m concerned that I might be the next guy! Initially I have planned to go through a thorough health screening at the Medical Center. But I read on the newspapers that even the Defense Minister feel that such deaths cannot be completely prevented, even with health screenings and safety measures! Do you know that the survival rate for such a sudden heart attack is 2 to 4 percent?
Jezuz! I don’t want to die so young, and not in an army camp! Uncle Seng, you have to help me! Please! Before it is too late!
Worried Soldier
Worried Soldier,
To survive the tough training, you have to take responsibility for your own well-being. The main point is, do not push yourself too hard. If your Sergeant said that his grandmother can run faster than you, request to have her replace your place and run on your behalf. By doing this, you are showing that you respect that his grandmother is a good runner, and he would feel proud about it. Who knows, he might even arrange for you to meet his grandmother so that you could learn from her!However, if your Sergeant’s grandmother is not available to run on your behalf, you should take note of these pointers during the training:
Water is the vital ingredient in the prevention of heat injury. Drink more water before the run. If you have forgotten to do so, try to save up some precious saliva and swallow them sparingly throughout the whole journey
Even if the run is held in the early hours, avoid taking coffee before the run. Caffeine has a diuretic effect. Anyway, you would be too busy to fall asleep during the run
Avoid dark clothing which absorbs heat. If unfortunately your unit t-shirt is dark-colored, pretend that you forgot to wear it for the run and wear a white Nike Dri-Fit T-Shirt instead. It is better to be punished than to be dead, right?
Eliminate side-aches by breathing more equally when running. Do not breath too deeply, or too shallow. One tip is to keep some song in your head. However, if you have to stop running to recall the lyrics, choose another song
Ensure that your heart beat is constant. If you see Sergeant Lucy at the opposite side of the road and you start to hear your heart beat going fast and loud, stop immediately!
Good luck and God bless.
