Recovery Day

Recovery Day

Byrichard

We are in a heatwave and despite this I have cycled for four and a half hours and walked for three hours and fourty minutes. For the bike rides I woke at 6am to avoid rush hour traffic, and to do things before the temperatures rose. Yesterday the temperature in Geneva reached 39°c. Just a few decimal places away from 40°c heat.

Despite the weak I still went for my afternoon walks, but it’s also because of the heat that I walked with 1.6 litres or more. During hot days I find that I can act normally, but I still try to keep myself hydrated. If I feel that I am overheating I pour water on my hat/helmet to cool down.

Keeping Cool

There are four ways to keep cool. The first is to stay hydrated. Drink a few sips every few minutes. The second is to wear a hat. By wearing a hat your head is not going to cook quite as fast as without. The third solution, which doesn’t require drinking water, is to drench your head/hat/hair when you come to a fountain, or when you feel that you’re reaching your limit to cope with the heat. I did so during two walks and two bike rides, since Sunday.
The final option is to become a morning person, to do things in the morning, before the sun heats the air and the ground.

Knackered

Yesterday I cycled to RomainMôtier and back. I was already fatigued from walking and cycling in the heat so when I got to Romainmôtier I felt faint, with a mild head ache. Due to the heat and slight change in hydration I thought that it could be heat stroke. I made it back to my car, had some food and I already felt slightl better, but I still felt knackered when I shopped for food so I got the bare minimum, rather than thinking about something more interesting to cook.

When I got home I had a siesta. I felt much better. I don’t know whether I became exhausted, of heat struck. Since sleep was enough to feel refreshed I think I had just exhausted myself.

Cycling With E-Bikes

The source of my exhaustion. I believe, is partly to do with the heat, of course, but it also has to do with the amount of energy that we burn when we’re cycling on normal bikes with other people on e-bikes. We pace ourselves according to the e-bikes, rather than our own speed.

An Easier Gear

I found that to avoid going too fast, on my bike, I had to change to an easier gear. I would pedal with the usual effort but cover less ground. This works very well, for pacing. I think that it does tire me more than if I was pedalling at a normal effort level and a regular speed. My motivation to use an easier gear, was, in part, to make a different effort, to get a workout, at a lower speed. It seems to have worked. It’s the 80/20 rule on a bike. Sort of.

The Ignored Temptation

When I was in RomainMôtier I was tempted to run my head under a fountain to cool myself down. I didn’t feel that I was cooking but I did feel a mild headache. Near the very end of the walk I did splash water on my head to cool down.

On warm days I am usually desperate for a coke or an electrolyte drink, and for once I ran out of drinks two nights ago, so I didn’t quench my first. I think it affected my endurance the next day.

And Finally

By going for two mid-afternoon walks during the heatwave I challenged my body. I then went for two bike rides where I got up at 0600 before cycling for three or four hours. If I was cycling alone I would have drunk one or two litres on both days. As I wasn’t I drank half a litre or less. Between sleeping a different schedule, walking in the mid-day heat, and then cycling two mornings in a row, I pushed myself to the point of exhaustion. Today I’m recovering. I will go for my afternoon walk but at least I will be well hydrated, and I was able to sleep to my natural wake up time, rather than an alarm.

Walking Heatwave Strategy

Walking Heatwave Strategy

Byrichard

Two days in a row I have poured water on my head. The reason for this is that yesterday we were in 35°c heat and today we were in 33°c heat. When you’re walking for two or three hours at the solar Maximum the best cooling strategy is to pour water on your head, as I did. It’s a quick way of cooling. It’s not that the water was cool. The water is warm, heated by direct sunlight for the last half hour, or even hour.

I Feel Okay

I set off with 1.6 litres of water and drank every few minutes. I have a 600ml camelbak eddy+ in my hand and a 1l Sigg water bottle in my bag. I drink from the camelbak because I can walk at full speed, and sip. With the Sigg bottle I need to stop.

Refill from the Sigg Bottle

When I get low on water in the Camelbak I refill it from the Sigg Water bottle. It takes a few seconds and then I can continue walking. As I refilled the water bottle the first time I had a tractor heading straight for me so I went into the corn crop. The driver was looking at his phone. At least by being in mature corn he would sub-consciously know to avoid the corn. I was fine.

Replenishing on Electrolytes

For a long time I haven’t had electrolyte drinks because I felt no need. Now that we’re in a heat wave I am taking the time to remineralise, after the walks. I get so warm during the walk that I’m constantly “glowing” or “glistening”. My body is constantly covered in evaporating water and I am cooling down.

The Soaked Hat

During the last two walks I have felt that the sun was getting a little too strong so I soaked my hat twice today, once yesterday, and I soaked my entire self two days ago. Although I feel in control I know that these walking conditions are dangerous. That’s why I have 1.6 litres of water, and why I routed myself so that the fountain was near the end of the walk rather than the beginning. I can also catch buses home on two different bus lines if I suddenly feel overwhelmed and unable to continue

Why I Walk At The Hottest Time Of The Day

One of the reasons I love walking after 1300 is that no one else does. Most people lock themselves indoors and sleep, nap or do other things. I like to walk when it’s too hot for normal people to walk. It’s nice to have the landscape to myself.

During my walk I saw clouds of dust two or three times. They are created by tractors preparing the soil to plant the next crops. In one case I saw the dust rise high into the air and considered how strong the thermals must be at the moment, for the column to be so well pronounced.

And Finally

I have been for two walks and a bike ride. I came home feeling fine. I didn’t feel too thirsty, or too faint, or coughing. I am pushing myself by being in the sun at the hottest time of day but this year has been more gentle than others. I also carry more than enough water, and know where fountains that work are. If I saw a negative effect then I would stop exposing myself to these weather conditions.

A Ride in 35° Heat

Byrichard

Yesterday I spent time in the sun in the morning, as a result of which I thought I would avoid going out in the heatwave. I changed my mind. Every Sunday a group of pétanque playing alcoholics play pétanque for several hours. They cheer, they laugh, they make noise, for hours in a row. I don’t want to hear that sound, especially since the pandemic is not over. People are still falling sick with Long COVID and they’re being disabled. It doesn’t take long to read posts on social media by people suffering from Long COVID.

Before the Pandemic

Before the pandemic I wouldn’t have been home, or if I was home I would already have spent the morning climbing, cycling, diving or hiking. Due to the pandemic I do these things but in solitude. I also have a routine. I normally study in the morning, and do sports in the afternoon. If I flip it around my intellectual capacity is reduced and my studying stalls. Yesterday proved the necessity of my routine.

I Can’t Say No

Two years ago I wrote about pandemic solitude. It still hasn’t ended. If I am asked to do things I have no valid reason to say no, but it also puts my happiness into turmoil, both to be asked but also to want to study but feel that I should be social instead. The more my morning is broken, the slower I am to reach my goal of feeling employable in a new career. This, in turn delays having the type of life that would make seeing other people fun, rather than an obligation.

Noisy Afternoons

Experience has taught me that the afternoons are noisy, and this noise is the reason I go out for walks, whether it’s raining, snowing, windy and cold or a heatwave. I find that my mental health benefits from getting away from people living as if the pandemic was not over. Plenty of data, around the world, shows that the pandemic is not over. That’s why cycling is such a great sport.

The Beauty of Cycling

The beauty of cycling, even during a heatwave is that you’re usually between villages and towns. You’re surrounded by clean air. I have become absurd, because I don’t want to be around strangers without a mask, especially around large crowds of strangers, in restaurants and other places.

Sunday is one of the worst days to be in solitude. If you go for a walk you will encounter family groups and groups of friends. You are in solitude, and they are not. You have to pass, you are reminded of what you are missing, and you have to survive the experience.

By being on a bike, especially on the roads between fields you are in solitude. If you choose the right routes you are far from people, from cars, from dogs and more. You are in the moment, watching the landscape change, heading upwards, downwards and across.

35°c

Yesterday it was 35°c according to the weather services, and 37°c according to my watch. Normally on such a ride I would ride much harder. I would try to beat all my speed personal bests. Yesterday I didn’t. I rode slower than usual. I wanted to spend time outdoors, keep fit, but without giving myself heatstroke. It’s not the heat that worries me. It’s the time spend in the sun.

At first I thought this would be a short ride, because I thought the heat would affect me. Since I felt fine I continued. I arrived at a fountain and I refilled both bottles, and I splashed myself. I didn’t feel the need to splash myself to cool down, but did it anyway, in anticipation of feeling overheated.

Quiet

I continued through the Bois de Versoix and I hardly saw anyone walking, or even cycling. I did get to a parking, and the parking was filled with cars. Everyone had decided to go to the riverside between the trees to keep cool. What seemed paradoxical is that I couldn’t see anyone. I could hear children and see the cars, but nothing more. Riding in such conditions is nice. No population stress.

The Place des Nations Fountains

Before I got to Place Des Nations I refilled my water bottle. I then headed down to the Place Des Nations fountains where children were playing. I put my bike against some seats, and allowed one of the water jets to soak me and my clothing. I then continued my bike ride.

I kept splashing water on my face but didn’t really feel the need. I did this as a precaution, rather than out of desperate need. I felt fine, despite the heat

Three or Four Sips at a Time

When riding in the heat there are moments when you feel your thirst grow, so you drink too much, too fast. It’s important not to drink too much too fast, or you’ll just waste it.

Luckily I didn’t.

And Finally

During this ride I made sure to ride more slowly than usual. I made sure not to push myself beyond my ability to cope with the weather. I also made sure to be hydrated at all times. I had one flask filled with water, and the second filled with an electrolyte drink. I topped up both. I calculate that I drank at least two litres, which, over three hours isn’t much, but it worked. I felt fine when I got home. I was still thirsty but ate some peanuts and then drank water. I was thirsty for re-mineralisation. I wanted to recover the salt I had lost.

Cycling is a good sport in a heatwave, because you’re riding in the breeze that you’re creating. My fear of heatstroke was not realised, luckily.

Heat Waves and Tarmac

Heat Waves and Tarmac

Byrichard

Heatwaves and Tarmac


When you cycle you feel the difference between different landscapes between seconds. You go from farming landscapes to wooded areas near forests before finally getting to the cities. In the process you notice the difference in temperatures between these different land uses.


The Permanent Summer Heatwave


This summer has been mild in Switzerland, so far, but it could get up to 37°c for several days at a time again. As heat becomes more common the way the Swiss are building new properties becomes absurd. Where there was a single house, surrounded by grass, with two of three trees, and shade, you get a tarmaced parking space, with walls that prevent breezes and tarmac that absors the heat during the day, and radiates it at night. Fantastic in winter, awful in summer.


More and More Swimming Pools


According to the RTS More and more people want swimming pools. The falacy of pools is that require electricity for water filtering pumps, and to heat the water. They also require water due to evaporation and being splashed out of the pool as people play.


The Stratosphere and Rocket Launches


One of the more interesting theories I came across a year or two ago was the notion that rocket launches are taking a lot of material into the stratosphere, where it has a greater impact.


  • But emissions from rockets are emitted right into the upper atmosphere, which means they stay there for a long time: two to three years. Even water injected into the upper atmosphere – where it can form clouds – can have warming impacts, says Marais. “Even something as seemingly innocuous as water can have an impact.”


It’s interesting that as rocket launches increase in frequency climate change appears to increase in severity, due to the positive feedback loop. In Environmental Science this describes how change feeds upon itself and increases in severity over time.


  • Closer to the ground, all fuels emit huge amounts of heat, which can add ozone to the troposphere, where it acts like a greenhouse gas and retains heat. In addition to carbon dioxide, fuels like kerosene and methane also produce soot. And in the upper atmosphere, the ozone layer can be destroyed by the combination of elements from burning fuels.


More should be done to investigate the environmental impact of launches, and, I feel, we should reduce their frequency until we understand their impact on the planet.


49°c in Several cities


According to the Guardian European heatwave: red alerts issued for 16 cities in Italy, with temperatures up to 49°c. Usually 40°c was considered hot in Europe. Now we’re talking about 49°c.


The tragedy of this situation is that if you look at motorways, and car use, it hasn’t changed. There was a brief honeymoon period during the pandemic when people gave up their cars to walk and cycle. Now the toxic habit of driving everywhere is back. People are overheating, but they’re not making things better, by not adapting their driving habits.


Animal Deaths


Trees are getting dehydrated as they have to survive drought after drought. They are also suffering from insect infestations, due to the milder weather not kiling off pests in winter. Baby birds are dying because as they try to get to cooler air they are falling out of their nests.


Crossover


When I was watching the Canadian documentary series “Big Timber” in season two they regularly mentioned the term crossover. The term crossover describes when the air temperature is higher than humidity. This means that forest fires are more likely. Geneva is at level 3, Vaud is at level two and parts of Valais are level four forest fire risk.


Tarmac and Buildings


As I walk from village to village and from town to town I see that towns and villages are replacing parks, and properties with grass and trees with concrete buildings and tarmac surfaces. Whilst these are great for cars they are bad for getting rid of water when it rains, and heat during a heatwave. Densification, as the Swiss are doing it, will worsen heatwaves. I was looking at the temperatures yesterday and noticed that Geneva and Nyon were three degrees warmer than neighbouring villages. By trying to cram more people and buildings into smaller areas they are increasing the ability for cities, and villages to trap heat.


And Finally


Now that heat is common efforts should be made to plant more trees, and increase air flow within buildings to promote the cooling effect of a breeze. If it does get hot then going to a forest makes sense although being wary of fires might be good. We should cut down on car use, and cycle and walk more, to stop filling the atmosphere with crap. I learned how to cope with the heat, even in an attic. The secret, for me, is to always have water and a hat, and if possible a breeze.


Heatwave Cycling and Place Des Nations
|

Heatwave Cycling and Place Des Nations

Byrichard

Cycling is one of the best sports to do during a heatwave because you have a 25 km/h breeze blowing over you, until you stop. If you flee the oven like cities, and head for the woods by a stream, you will feel the coolness provided by nature, rather than air conditioning.


Yesterday I cycled along the lake from Nyon to Geneva. Most people headed to the lake to go for a swim but I don’t. I like to avoid crowds, and cycling is one way to do that. As I cycled I felt that I was thirsty and I did drink one water bottle heading to Geneva, and other when riding back.


The Place Des Nations ‘Shower’


This time I did something unique. When I got to Place Des Nations I took a shower, on my bike, under one of the water jets. What struck me is that the water that trickled down my face after that spontaneous shower tasted as if I had just been swimming or diving in the sea. I actually took two showers. The first was with the bike. The second was just in my clothes.


Not only did I not feel cold, but my clothes were so saturated in water that I thought I might actually feel cold. That fear didn’t last long. For the ride back to Nyon I was wearing wet clothes, that as they dried, cooled me off.


Avoiding Heat stroke


I did this to avoid heat stroke. When I was cycling I felt fine, but at some point I stopped and that’s when I could feel the heat radiating towards me. I’m glad I had two 620ml water bottles. They lasted for almost the entire ride.


Children noticed me stand under the water jet. I probably looked like a strange adult cyclist to them. Usually cyclists empty water bottles on their heads. I took it a step further. It makes sense, during a heatwave, to break with social norms.


The Dogs of the Voie Verte


I cycled through the Bois De Versoix before turning and heading from Sauverny to Grilly, and from Grilly I took the voie verte. I saw two runners but everyone else was walking dogs. The advantage is that it’s flat, and it’s in the shade, so dogs don’t overheat despite the heat.


And Finally


Yesterday, right from the start I noticed that the wind I was creating by cycling was warm, rather than cooling. That’s when you know that the days are getting warm. When the breeze heats, rather than cools. Now is the time when having enough water is essential, and where knowing where water fountains are, is also of use. We are into the summer cycling season now.

|

Experimenting With Minergie

Byrichard

Minergie is theoretically a fantastic, environmentally friendly way of making a building more energy-efficient, by reducing the need for air conditioning and heating. For three years now I have been playing with and experimenting with minergie. During the first and second heatwaves, I liked to open windows and get fresh air. I found that Minergie means “poor air circulation”. As soon as you close the windows you feel the heat radiate from the walls as if they were sauna stones.


With a classic old building the walls are thick and heat stays out, so you never think about open or closed shutters and other things. With an old-fashioned apartment, you can open the windows on both sides and bask in the summer heat. Old apartments are great in heatwaves because you keep your windows open all day long.


With Minergie the experience is different. They eventually begin to feel like ovens, during a heatwave. This year I am trying a different tact. Closed windows, doors, and blinds. So far the experiment seems to be working well. My idea is to compartmentalize the heat. Each room heats and cools by itself. The bathroom and the spare window have veluxes, and these act as radiators in summer, from heat, coming in as sunlight, but also from radiant heat, from the hot glass from being in the hot summer sun. By isolating the oven rooms they warm up in isolation.


I find that some rooms feel cooler, as a result of this strategy. This is a partial success.


My Frustration with Minergie is two-fold. My first frustration is that unlike air conditioning in a car you can’t blast cold air and cool the cabin to a comfortable temperature if it gets too hot. You need to adapt your habits before the heatwave has even started. The second frustration is that with Minergie you cannot open windows and get fresh air as you could before. If you do open windows you need to do so before the day heats up. You open the windows in an attempt to cool down the building’s superstructure.


Although Minergie was designed to keep buildings warm in winter it was never designed to keep buildings cool during yearly heatwaves. In summer Minergie buildings become heat accumulators and, as neighbours in other apartments open windows, and heat up the superstructure, so the top floors become saunas if people are not careful. According to data from last year, the apartment starts to heat up in April and stays warm until Octobre.


Minergie should go back to the conceptual phase and re-imagine how to cool buildings passively, during heatwaves.