It was unfortunate to know what happened to Jerry aka High Altitude while he was on his way back to Metro Manila after finishing the Bataan 52K “Test Run” whch was held last Sunday from Abucay, Bataan to San Fernando, Pampanga. Due to the help of Jonel aka Bugobugo85 and the rest of his family, he was able to get an immediate medical attention at the Makati Medical Center. Read the rest of Jeryy’s personal account on the said incident at www.highaltitude.wordpress.com.

After consulting with his personal physician, it was found out that Jerry was a victim of heat stroke or hyperthermia. On the last 11 klometers of the test run, Jerry could have asked from the support vehicles of the other runners for Gatorade or water. While running alone on that stretch of the road, I saw the support vehicle of the Power Runners and asked Kevin to fill up a used bottle for water with Gatorade and brought it with me in my run. For the next 6 to 8 kilometers, I sipped the bottle of Gatorade, alternatingly drinking some water from a bottled tucked in on my back with my compression shorts. I really anticipated the heat of the sun on the last stretch by having at least two bottles and two wet-foams with me—one bottle of water tucked on my back; another bottle of Gatorade on my left hand; one wet-foam clipped on the upper back edge of my shirt; and one wet-foam on my right hand which I regularly squeeze to drop some water to my head to dampen my runner’s cap.

I hope the participants of the Bataan 102K Ultramarathon Race on 05 April 2005 will learn a lot of lesson from the experience of Jerry and from my prevous post (Lessons Learned: Bataan 52K “Test Run”). On our part as the Race Organizer, we will make some adjustments and put more Aid Stations with Salt & Salted Crackers/Food & additional Sports Drinks along the route and encourage the runners to carry with them “hydration system” for electrolyte drinks and water during the race.