People seem to think that Rudyard Kipling, the British Nobel laureate who wrote about his experiences with colonialism, coined the phrase that “Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun”, but in fact it was Noel Coward in his musical, The Third Little Show (1931) where he says, “Mad dogs and Englishmen Go out in the midday sun. The Japanese don’t care to, The Chinese wouldn’t dare to, Hindoos and Argentines sleep firmly from twelve to one. But Englishmen detest a – Siesta.” The history of the siesta spans over 2,000 years, rooted in both practical necessity and cultural tradition. The Spanish word siesta originally derives from the Latin phrase “hora sexta” meaning “sixth hour,” counting from dawn, which translates to “midday rest.” In ancient Rome, the day was divided into twelve hours using sundials, with courts opening at the third hour and lunch taken at midday – the sixth hour. During the Roman siesta, wealthy Romans took this afternoon break where everyone went home, ate lunch, then took a nap or relaxed with family. When I lived in Rome from 1968 – 1971, this was still the practice in most of Italian society. I recall being amazed that our downstairs neighbors would actually put on their pajamas for their afternoon siesta…every day.
The siesta developed as a response to two key factors: warm temperatures and heavy intake of food at midday meals, which combine to contribute to the feeling of post-lunch drowsiness. The nap was historically taken during the hottest hours of the day by people who worked in farming, with taking a post-lunch break being vital to avoiding the scorching midday sun. Siestas are historically common throughout the Mediterranean and Southern Europe, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia and mainland China, and, of course, all across Latin America. Modern science has validated many benefits of the siesta. The siesta habit has been associated with a 37 percent reduction in coronary mortality, possibly due to reduced cardiovascular stress mediated by daytime sleep. A NASA study found that a 26-minute nap can improve pilots’ performance by 34% and alertness by 54%. The siesta represents a fascinating example of how ancient practices, born from climate and necessity, evolved into cultural traditions that persist today, even as modern life has largely moved away from the original custom. Indeed, Kim is a big fan of the siesta and is prone towards an afternoon nap almost every day. I, on the other hand, especially because I am a CPAP user, am far less inclined to an afternoon nap unless it is really hot or I am really tired. that does not mean that I do not fall asleep during afternoon movies (I just got nudged by someone sitting next to me at a recent movie, since I was apparently snoring), while watching TV in the early evening or even sometimes while I am actually siting here writing.
My biorythmic low occurs about 3pm (right when siesta time usually occurs). A biorhythmic low refers to a natural dip in energy, alertness, and performance that occurs as part of your body’s circadian rhythms, the internal biological clock that regulates various physiological processes over a 24-hour cycle. Your circadian rhythms control the release of hormones like melatonin and cortisol, body temperature fluctuations, and sleep-wake cycles. These rhythms create predictable peaks and valleys in your energy levels throughout the day, regardless of how much sleep you got the night before. The most well-known biorhythmic low occurs between 1-3 PM, often called the “post-lunch dip” or “afternoon slump.” This isn’t just caused by eating lunch, it’s a natural circadian rhythm that would occur even if you skipped the meal entirely. During this time, your core body temperature drops slightly, and your alertness naturally decreases. The timing and intensity of these lows can vary between people based on whether you’re a morning or night person, your age (younger and older people need more naps, I guess), light exposure patterns, sleep quality and timing, and the ever-present effect of genetics. This is why many cultures developed the siesta tradition, it aligns perfectly with this natural afternoon biorhythmic low, making it both culturally and biologically sensible to rest during this period. And then there are those mad dogs and Englishmen…
Yesterday, I met three other guys for a motorcycle ride. I have often thought that riding in mid-summer (especially at midday) around here is ill-advised, but this has been a lovely and moderate summer rather than a scorcher. But this week there is a bit of a heat dome over the west and, I sort of chose to ignore that since I was hankering for a ride. The four of us gathered at the Circle K gas station at the bottom of our hill. I was the first to arrive, since I was the organizer. It was already approaching 90 degrees, but the dryness caused me to park in the most visible and sunny spot, where I waited for 20 minutes for the three to gather there. There was Len, the guy who can build anything (bikes, cars, carbon fiber bicycles), Gordon (the paraglider who just got back from a Legends ride at Laguna Seca and who owns a real track bike) and Nikko, who is about 25-years-old and sings with his father’s band, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. I was far and away the oldest of the riding group. I led the way out towards Palomar Mountain and the switchbacks of S6, followed by the sweepers of S7 down the mountain. We then headed for lunch out to a spot on the road up to Julian. We were about 2 hours on the road and it ranged from 90-95 degrees the whole time. This was an experienced riding group, so I pushed it. None except Nikko passed me, but Nikko did even more than pass a he cranked his Harley over like I’ve rarely seen up through the switchbacks. It was impressive and served to spur me on even more.
Lunch was pleasant and welcomed as a break from riding in the heat, but the adrenaline was keeping this particular mad dog from feeling anything but euphoria. After lunch we had about 90 minutes of riding in 95-97 degrees back down the hills to Escondido and then home. The whole day was perhaps 5 hours from start to finish. It was when I got home and sat down in the cool of the living room that I started to feel the fatigue. I felt wrung out like a dishrag. I went in an sat under the shower for 15 minutes and that made me feel a bit better. I then found myself lying down on the bed to more completely recover, taking a siesta like my Roman neighbors, except without pajamas or CPAP. In a word, I was beat. It is interesting how little of that fatigue I felt in the midday sun, but only felt after the adrenaline rush was past. I’m sure the adrenaline itself contributed to the fatigue.
It is 24 hours now since I was out on the road and I can still feel the remnants of the fatigue I generated. I could conclude it was just too much for me to ride so aggressively, but I am inclined to believe that it was a combination of all of the elements…the ride, the heat, the excitement, the competition. In combination, I got turned into a mad dog or Englishman that should have known better to be in the midday sun doing all that at this stage of my life. But then again, I survived and who knows how many more rides like that I have in me. In fact, we are already talking about a run up to the Ortega Highway or up to Idyllwilde….so we’ll see if I should just put the mad dog down or keep him alive.