wow, I bonked out......

[Doesnotcompute]

Well for the first time I can recall I properly bonked out. I pootled for a few miles on secluded
roads and paths, did some stuff across grass and then headed down to the uni sports centre which has
a cycle track. It's a mile loop, not perfectly circular, with two uphills and no reall downhills,
and full of kids and peoples on nice race bikes etc.

Anyway, I amble round to start with, to get a feel for it, make sure there was nothing nasty etc and
then went for it on lap 2.

I kept up with a couple of guys on their superlight looking race bikes, keeping an average of about
23mph all round which considering I'm on a full sus MTB I was pretty chuffed with.

Then bang. Asthma kicked in at the same time as a stich in my right hand side. Took me a good 5-10
mins to recover, horrible feeling Then did one more lap at about 18mph average and then called it
quits and ambled home again.

Must remember to eat and hydrate properly, especially when I've been off the bike for almost a week!
Oh and not push it too hard either!

--
Dnc

 

[Pete]

On Tue, 02 Sep 2003 21:17:26 +0100, Doesnotcompute <[email protected]> wrote:

>Must remember to eat and hydrate properly, especially when I've been off the bike for almost a
>week! Oh and not push it too hard either!

Just back from a tour of W. Europe, also using trains and buses. Before I went I tried different
eating patterns over 60 - 80 mile trips and found that I was generally ok with stopping and having
'normal' meals (fish & chips, lasagne - usual pub lunch stuff). Also tried nuts and dried fruit,
apple pies and other things but felt happier with a normal diet. Also tried to see how far I could
get just on water and managed 67 miles and felt a bit tired but ok. This may also have been easier
psychologically (?) as after 40 miles I wasn't too far from home, not in the middle of nowhere.
Going over the Pyranees though, despite having breakfast and a big lunch at 12.00 I started to
feel 'it' coming on at around 2.45. It was hot and I'd drank 2 litres of water in the last hour.
Thankfully, there was a restaurant around the next bend - in the middle of nowhere, so I stopped
for another meal and that kept me going to a total of 104 miles (longest trip that day) at
around 9.00. I didn't have your symptoms though - just a feeling of not getting anywhere, as
though the pace had dropped for some unknown reason. The only time I've really bonked was when I
got on the bike when I was about 20, not having ridden for a couple of years, and thought that I
could just go and do an 80 mile round trip. I just went suddenly after 50 miles, laid on the
side of the road and fell asleep for 1.5 hours. Made it home at 5 ish and fell asleep on my bed
till the next morning.

Pete

 

[Doesnotcompute]

Pete wrote:
> On Tue, 02 Sep 2003 21:17:26 +0100, Doesnotcompute <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>Must remember to eat and hydrate properly, especially when I've been off the bike for almost a
>>week! Oh and not push it too hard either!

Snip long distance stuff

> I didn't have your symptoms though - just a feeling of not getting anywhere, as though the pace
> had dropped for some unknown reason. The only time I've really bonked was when I got on the bike
> when I was about 20, not having ridden for a couple of years, and thought that I could just go and
> do an 80 mile round trip. I just went suddenly after 50 miles, laid on the side of the road and
> fell asleep for 1.5 hours. Made it home at 5 ish and fell asleep on my bed till the next morning.

Each to their own sounds familiar here! I've done 60 miles road rides, likewise 20 miles off road
MTB'ing with 10 miles before and after of raod riding all with no problems.

This is the first time it's ever happened, I think a combination of being off the bike (not even
commuting) long day at work, no food/water before hand and then giving it too much in one go.

Still, there's always tomorrow.

--
Dnc

 

[Mule]

> Each to their own sounds familiar here! I've done 60 miles road rides, likewise 20 miles off road
> MTB'ing with 10 miles before and after of raod riding all with no problems.
>
> This is the first time it's ever happened, I think a combination of being off the bike (not even
> commuting) long day at work, no food/water before hand and then giving it too much in one go.

I was going to ask..."what are the typical symptoms of bonking?"

I think I may have bonked before. I'd had a light breakfast, greasy lunch and about 5-6hrs of
cycling after lunch. In fairly rapid succession I lost all enthusiasm for cycling, my legs didn't
want to move, my gaze was directed at the ground beneath my pedals (instead of further ahead) and I
felt light-headed.

I didn't realise you could "bonk" that easily. Why doesn't it happen when I'm running? I've never
heard it happen in other sports before - I've played rugby, swimming, pushed weights.

--
...meandering mule...

 

[Tim Downie]

"mule" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> I didn't realise you could "bonk" that easily. Why doesn't it happen when I'm running?

You're not running fast enough. ;-)

Seriously, it does happen when running but usually when one's set off too fast on a long run. (Or
even a shortish one if you've seriously screwed up) After 20 miles in a marathon is typical.

Tim

 

[Elyob]

"Doesnotcompute" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Well for the first time I can recall I properly bonked out.

I whipped today .. had a small bite to eat before I went out. It seemed to help.

Broke my record by 30 secs. I reckon I'll knock the next 2.5 minutes off it soon. The Century is
tempting too. I should try it this year (before daylight changes). I just have a MTB though (with
road cassette & road tyres (heavy)).

A 5am start would make it easy? I'm thinking of not planning it, and just measuring it. Less time
checking the route...? Just head left or right or north or south, and see where I end up ...

Any advice?

 

[Rory]

mule <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > Each to their own sounds familiar here! I've done 60 miles road rides, likewise 20 miles off
> > road MTB'ing with 10 miles before and after of raod riding all with no problems.
> >
> > This is the first time it's ever happened, I think a combination of being off the bike (not even
> > commuting) long day at work, no food/water before hand and then giving it too much in one go.
>
> I was going to ask..."what are the typical symptoms of bonking?"

I sometimes get a feeling like my legs have turned to rubber, or that I'm riding with a flat tyre.
Pop a couple of glycogen tabs with some water, and I'm off again. I think its that thing about not
having any ATP left, so even though you've plenty of lard to burn, your muscles can't get it lit
(Krebs cycle).

 

[Mule]

> I sometimes get a feeling like my legs have turned to rubber, or that I'm riding with a flat tyre.
> Pop a couple of glycogen tabs with some water, and I'm off again. I think its that thing about not
> having any ATP left, so even though you've plenty of lard to burn, your muscles can't get it lit
> (Krebs cycle).

It's been a while since I studied Kreb's Cycle, mitochondria, etc. Are you a biology teacher /
doctor by any chance? Lol

The other funny thing is that after a long ride I don't actively FEEL hungry, but my body seems
happy to eat. It's hard to describe.

--
...meandering mule...

 

[Mule]

> You're not running fast enough. ;-)

I've never really been a distance runner. I only used to run about 4.5miles several times a week.

> Seriously, it does happen when running but usually when one's set off too fast on a long run. (Or
> even a shortish one if you've seriously screwed up) After 20 miles in a marathon is typical.

20 miles - and I would be a bag of bones, especially now that I'm almost an invertebrate...

--
...meandering mule...

 

[Simon Brooke]

"elyob" <[email protected]> writes:

> "Doesnotcompute" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Well for the first time I can recall I properly bonked out.
>
> I whipped today .. had a small bite to eat before I went out. It seemed to help.
>
> Broke my record by 30 secs. I reckon I'll knock the next 2.5 minutes off it soon. The Century is
> tempting too. I should try it this year (before daylight changes). I just have a MTB though (with
> road cassette & road tyres (heavy)).
>
> A 5am start would make it easy? I'm thinking of not planning it, and just measuring it. Less time
> checking the route...? Just head left or right or north or south, and see where I end up ...
>
> Any advice?

If you really want to cover a long distance in a day and you're not that used to it, a more or
less flat route is a good thing. Unless you live in those odd places with no hills, river
valleys are good.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Iraq war: it's time for regime change... ... go now, Tony, while you can still go
with dignity.

 

[Elyob]

"Simon Brooke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "elyob" <[email protected]> writes:
>
> > "Doesnotcompute" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > Well for the first time I can recall I properly bonked out.
> >
> > I whipped today .. had a small bite to eat before I went out. It seemed
to
> > help.
> >
> > Broke my record by 30 secs. I reckon I'll knock the next 2.5 minutes off
it
> > soon. The Century is tempting too. I should try it this year (before daylight changes). I just
> > have a MTB though (with road cassette & road
tyres
> > (heavy)).
> >
> > A 5am start would make it easy? I'm thinking of not planning it, and
just
> > measuring it. Less time checking the route...? Just head left or right
or
> > north or south, and see where I end up ...
> >
> > Any advice?
>
> If you really want to cover a long distance in a day and you're not that used to it, a more or
> less flat route is a good thing. Unless you live in those odd places with no hills, river valleys
> are good.
>

I don't regularly do long distances, although the london-Brighton didn't really give me any trouble.
No stiff legs or anything afterwards.

 

[Congokid]

In article <[email protected]>, Tim Downie
<[email protected]> writes
>
>"mule" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>
>> I didn't realise you could "bonk" that easily. Why doesn't it happen when I'm running?
>
>You're not running fast enough. ;-)
>
>Seriously, it does happen when running but usually when one's set off too fast on a long run. (Or
>even a shortish one if you've seriously screwed up) After 20 miles in a marathon is typical.

That's what I must have experienced on a 22 mile run which was part of the training for the first
marathon I'd ever entered.

I was about a mile and a half from the finish when suddenly my legs and arms began to seize up, body
temperature seemed to drop and my attention began to wander. I slowed my pace slightly, determined
not to stop because I was worried I'd never get started again. When I reached the sports centre I
had to sit down for half an hour in the changing rooms, feeling quite chilled and wrapped in a
towel, before I could get the strength to walk to the showers.

I never took part in the marathon in the end because a week before it was due I got a letter from
the hospital saying they had a bed available for my wisdom tooth operation. While I was recovering
from that, I realised I was never going to put myself through a marathon, or undergo training for
one ever again.

And I was quiet fit back then, but much later in life I had a slightly similar experience on a
football field. On that occasion I lost concentration and then couldn't work out what I was doing on
a football pitch. I think I hallucinated slightly, too. It took several minutes before I recovered
my bearings.

--
congokid Eating out in London? Read my tips... http://congokid.com

 

[Mule]

> And I was quiet fit back then, but much later in life I had a slightly similar experience on a
> football field. On that occasion I lost concentration and then couldn't work out what I was doing
> on a football pitch. I think I hallucinated slightly, too. It took several minutes before I
> recovered my bearings.

I had a sort of similar experience playing rugby once. Quite a while into the game I found that I
couldn't breathe, collapsed and almost blacked out. I was wearing a strap at the time for a thigh
injury and it turned out that I had wrapped it around too tight! I was pretty scared at the time
though. Thought I was dying.

What's the equivalent of a marathon in cycling terms?

--
...meandering mule...

 

[dailuggs]

<What's the equivalent of a marathon in cycling terms?>

well a normal marathon is around 25 - 30 miles, so on a bike id say about 100 miles

 

[Yowl]

My worst, was on a round trip from Birminham to Stratford upon Avon, I guess a round trip of 60 or so miles. The problem was I didn't intend to do it, was just going to go out and do 20-30 miles, as a result I was carring no money or snacks and only had two water bottles (and set off without having breakfast). Set off early morning, it was the type of day I like, dry, warm (but not hot). Anway when I set off there was plenty of cloud cover, I was riding well and feeling good, saw the sign for Stratford and though 'lets go there'
By the time I was half way there, the cloud had burnt off and the temperature went up rapidly, and got very hot. To cut the story short by the time I was getting back to Birmingham (after getting lost and adding a furter 10 miles on top), I felt like I was dying on my bike. The only way I made it, was by luck I passed a guy washing his car with a hose pipe and asked hime to fill my water bottles. I know it's more a case of dehydration than the true 'Bonk' but all my energy was just gone. I only kept turning the pedals over by telling myself every mile was one closer to when the pain would stop.
Just be prepared, if only I'd have taken my credit card with me then I could have bought some water/food. On a side point, has anyone else realised how hard it is to find a source of 'free' drinking water when out on the roads?

 

[Geraint Jones]

Yowl <[email protected]> wrote: ( On a side point, has anyone ) else realised how hard
it is to find a source of 'free' drinking water ( when out on the roads?

Churchyards.

Except, drat it, Thatcham which indeed has no flowers in the churchyard and is baked almost as dry
as we were.

 

[Rory]

mule <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> It's been a while since I studied Kreb's Cycle, mitochondria, etc. Are you a biology teacher /
> doctor by any chance? Lol

Na, I read this book by Covert Bailey ("Smart Exercise") which goes on about what happens in the
muscles. I bought it cuz I thought it was fashion tips, like what tracksuits are cool this year, but
it was interesting anyway.

> The other funny thing is that after a long ride I don't actively FEEL hungry, but my body seems
> happy to eat. It's hard to describe.

My thoery is, that the body has switched over to eating its own lard by that stage, and doesn't need
food. I'm just back from summer hols, and the first couple of days this week I was starving when I
got to work, but today that feeling had passed.

 

[Cicero]

"dailuggs" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> <What's the equivalent of a marathon in cycling terms?>
>
> well a normal marathon is around 25 - 30 miles, so on a bike id say about 100 miles
>
>
=========
A rough rule of thumb is somewhere between 2 and 3 miles of cycling is equal to 1 mile of running.
So 26.2 miles (42 Km) of a marathon is somewhere between 50 and 75 miles cycling. Not very precise -
just a guide.

Cic.

 

[dailuggs]

Originally posted by Yowl
On a side point, has anyone else realised how hard it is to find a source of 'free' drinking water when out on the roads?

jus get water from streams, and use water purification tablets, they taste like chlorine and you may find bits in the water but its safe to drink after 15 mins and its better than nothing, just keep some in you puncture repair kit- or if you dont carry 1 like me keep em in your wallet, never know when you might need them

i really ought to get myself one of them puncture repair kits although have never needed to use 1 in the past yearr and half

:touces wood:

 

[James Hodson]

On 4 Sep 2003 19:28:41 +0950, Yowl <[email protected]> wrote:

>On a side point, has anyone else realised how hard it is to find a source of 'free' drinking water
>when out on the roads?

Yup. When running short of water, the first place I look for is a chemist's shop. They're almost
duty bound, IMO, to let you fill up your bottles. A bit of subterfuge doesn't go amiss. Pretend the
place you have to reach is twice as far as it truly is. Also, pretend that you're extremely
dehydrated, even if this is not the case. I've occasionally been on the receiving end of a few
snobbish, look-down-the-nose expressions but have never failed to be refilled at a chemist's.

OTOH, I have been refused by two different cycle shops, which I find strange. The staff in one shop
said that their water was almost undrinkable; they suggested I visit the next door pub. I had no
idea that each building in the country had its own separate water supply.

James

--
"Sorry mate, I didn't see you" is not a satisfactory excuse.