‘It’s a life and death situation’: Papillion man nearly dies after Ironman, now educating others

A Papillion man says high temperatures played a part in his near-death experience at last month’s Ironman Triathlon in Des Moines. He is back home and fine. But he says a simple mistake during the race could have taken his life. KETV NewsWatch 7 shared its immediate warning for athletes. Doug Carroll says he didn’t think it was better than driving an Ironman on his 40th birthday. Although it turned out to be a day he would remember, it was because of this that he thought. The pictures show Doug Carroll as he got ready for his second Ironman after a swim, and once again started riding a bike. He says the first 85 miles were great.” At mile 100, I actually saw him and checked in with him and I knew I wasn’t doing well. And he then went downhill,” Carroll said. Told. Carroll couldn’t ride straight and his wife says his black race shirt was white with salt. “When you sweat, you lose a lot of salts, potassium, sodium, and when all the water evaporates, you’re left behind with salt,” Carroll said. Carroll says that depending on circumstances, some people may be encouraged to take a salt pill every 30 minutes to an hour. But over the course of eight hours, he only took two. “In the past, I heard salts were for muscle cramps. I wasn’t getting any muscle cramps,” Carroll said. Carroll says that he too was not drinking Gatorade much. So when he stopped, the volunteers gave him 5-6 bottles of water. Shortly after – he fell. “My sodium levels were at a level where patient mortality is 50%,” Carroll said. Carroll says he blacked out for 16 hours and stayed in the hospital for two nights. The doctors told her that she had hyponatremia or low levels of sodium in her bloodstream. So what caused it? Carroll says it was the perfect storm. “The heat, coupled with eight hours of activity on a bike, coupled with a lack of salts accompanied by a flood of water,” Carroll said. Now he’s hoping to educate others. To remind people on social media that if you spend hours sweating for salt, you need to know how to replace it. “It’s a life and death situation. You have to understand that,” Carroll said. Carol does not have any side effects. As far as Ironman is concerned, he says he hasn’t worked out yet and is planning a second race. This time with more knowledge to keep him safe.

Papillion, Neb. ,

A Papillion man says high temperatures played a part in his near-death experience at last month’s Ironman Triathlon in Des Moines. He’s back home and doing fine.

But he says a small mistake during the race could have taken his life.

KETV NewsWatch 7 shared its immediate warning for athletes.

Doug Carroll says he didn’t think it was better than running an Ironman on his 40th birthday.

Although it turned out to be a day he would remember, that was the reason he thought.

The photos show Doug Carroll as he got ready for his second Ironman after a swim, and once again he started riding the bike.

He says the first 85 miles were great.

“At mile 100, I actually saw them and checked in with them and I knew I wasn’t doing well. And that’s when it kind of went downhill,” Carroll said.

Carroll couldn’t ride straight and his wife says his black race shirt was white with salt.

“When you sweat, you lose a lot of salts, potassium, sodium, and when all the water evaporates, you’re left behind with salt,” Carroll said.

Carroll says that depending on circumstances, some people may be encouraged to take a salt pill every 30 minutes to an hour.

But during the eight hours he took only two.

“In the past, I heard salts were for muscle cramps. I wasn’t getting any muscle cramps,” Carroll said.

Carroll says he also wasn’t drinking much Gatorade.

So when he stayed, the volunteers gave him 5-6 bottles of water. After a while – he fell.

“My sodium levels were at a level where patient mortality is 50%,” Carroll said.

Carroll says he blacked out for 16 hours and stayed in the hospital for two nights.

Doctors told her that she had hyponatremia, or low levels of sodium in her bloodstream.

So what was the reason for this? Carroll says it was the perfect storm.

“The heat, coupled with eight hours of activity on a bike, coupled with a lack of salts accompanied by a flood of water,” Carroll said.

Now he is hoping to educate others.

Taking to social media to remind people that if you spend hours sweating salt, you need to know how to change it.

“It’s a life and death situation. You have to understand that,” Carroll said.

Carol does not have any side effects. As far as Ironman is concerned, he says he hasn’t worked out yet and is planning a second race.

This time with more knowledge to keep him safe.

Source