I chatted with a Midshipman (USNA) who spent 6 weeks in Bejing this summer - intensive language studies.
He indicated that there were days that visibility was in fractions of a mile - even though it was nominally sunny and NOT overcast.
Strangely - there were days when it hurt to breathe.
I remember when I lived at the foothills of the San Bernadino hills (just east of Los Angeles) - and the foothills only 3 miles distant weren’t visible due to smog - and yes - vigorous exercise could cause the lungs to hurt. I can’t image how bad the lungs would be hurt by hard exercise in Bejing!! No way would I want to compete there!
I recall that athletes practice at high elevation to prepare for games at Denver or Mexico City ...but how do you prepare your lungs for intense smog??
Mike
The summer Olympics in LA did a smart thing. They started the marathon in the late PM in Santa Monica by the beach and ended at the Colleseum. The ocean breeze pushes the smog away from the ocean up toward the moiuntains and east to Riverside, and the foothills in San Bernardino County, when the Samnta Anas aren’t blowing.
For my work, I occasionally had to go to an associate’s office in Pasadena (CA) in the early 80’s. I’m not that sensitive but it’s well known that prevailing winds drive smog up against the hills in Pasadena. I could hardly take it on hot days. Stinging eyes and almost collapsing from fatigue around 2-3 pm. Brutal.