General Discussion Triathlon Talk » What to do when you bonk with no back up Rss Feed  
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2016-05-19 2:37 PM


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Sarasota, Florida
Subject: What to do when you bonk with no back up
Got a little extra free time today so wanted to test my limits. Never rode more than 25 miles and thought I'd attempt 40 using a 20 mile loop. Wasn't very hungry during breakfast so just ate a bowl of oatmeal and packed a GU gel. First 20 went fine despite some mean headwinds. I usually keep at least one bottle of 1/2 gatorade but didn't have any so just filled water. I took the GU gel at 1:20 probably way too late, then at mile 35 about 2:00 in I went into autopilot mode like my muscles just shutdown and my pace and heart rate dropped significantly. Felt a little spacey, weak and far sighted where things looked kind of fuzzy up close but mentally I was there and wasn't dizzy. Only 5 miles to go and all I could think about was food. I debated finding some shade to rest but I could only picture passing out in the grass so continued easy pedaling back to the refrigerator which I hugged. Obviously, I will prepare better in the future, take the first sooner and pack more, but having very little experience with this, does resting help recover some or is it more dangerous going without food longer?

I'm kind of surprised because I have mountain biked for 3-4 hours after lunch using only gatorade and I thought the GU gel would provide more energy. It's interesting how differently I responded today. Curious how many calories/hour I burn doing each now.


2016-05-19 6:43 PM
in reply to: runtim23

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Master
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Subject: RE: What to do when you bonk with no back up
That sounds like a rather short ride on which to "bonk". I'd probably only start taking in nutrition when a ride (or run) went over about 90 minutes, unless for some reason I hadn't eaten anything beforehand (like I overslept for a group ride). Everyone's needs are a bit different, and will depend partly on things like body weight and effort level, but that sounds a bit extreme for only two hours. I would look at other factors like heat (was it hot/humid?), hydration, and possibly illness. Feeling spacey and weak and the vision thing can definitely be associated with dehydration or heat exhaustion. Again, everyone's tolerance and needs var,y but if you weigh yourself before and after you train in hot, humid weather, you might be amazed at how much fluid you sweat off. I'd always assumed I'd be at the lower end of fluid needs as I'm lightweight, but actually I'm really at the upper end of the range. On some rides I can be drinking 36 oz. an hour and still losing (water) weight. I almost always train in very hot, humid weather and apparently am really "adapted" for cooling! So it does seem to be very individual.

Another possibility is that you were coming down with some kind of virus. Probably 90% of the time when I've had a "bonk" type experience, I've come down with a cold or flu in the next few days. I probably just didn't notice I wasn't feeling 100% until I tried to push my body on a hard workout. Or maybe you just paced too hard for your current fitness.

Finally, you could look at the type of food you're eating. Oatmeal is basically pure carbs unless you add something to it like nuts or milk. Having some protein and fat with your pre-ride meal )or even on the bike--for example, some nuts--might help you feel full longer and slow the rate that the sugar is absorbed into your bloodstream. It's one reason I use chocolate as a bike snack--the fat helps me avoid the spike and crash cycle that I seem to get with pure carbs like gu. Fat and protein are harder to digest, though, so it's definitely something you'd want to experiment with before trying it in a very hard workout or race.
2016-05-19 7:12 PM
in reply to: runtim23

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Master
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Sunny Southern Cal
Subject: RE: What to do when you bonk with no back up

I notice that if I wait for too long after breakfast before working out that I will burn through that fuel source and then need something on my ride much sooner than usual.  Now I just have a big snack first if I've allowed that to happen.  I keep some cash in my tire bag in case I'm out far from home somewhere and need food but forgot to bring enough.  Also, a $5 or $10 bill isn't a bad thing to have in your tire bag in case you cut a tire badly and need to stick something tough between the tube and tire so your spare tube doesn't blow out when filling it.  That trick has got me home on a couple of occasions.

2016-05-19 7:23 PM
in reply to: Hot Runner


319
100100100
Sarasota, Florida
Subject: RE: What to do when you bonk with no back up
Originally posted by Hot Runner

That sounds like a rather short ride on which to "bonk". I'd probably only start taking in nutrition when a ride (or run) went over about 90 minutes, unless for some reason I hadn't eaten anything beforehand (like I overslept for a group ride). Everyone's needs are a bit different, and will depend partly on things like body weight and effort level, but that sounds a bit extreme for only two hours. I would look at other factors like heat (was it hot/humid?), hydration, and possibly illness. Feeling spacey and weak and the vision thing can definitely be associated with dehydration or heat exhaustion. Again, everyone's tolerance and needs var,y but if you weigh yourself before and after you train in hot, humid weather, you might be amazed at how much fluid you sweat off. I'd always assumed I'd be at the lower end of fluid needs as I'm lightweight, but actually I'm really at the upper end of the range. On some rides I can be drinking 36 oz. an hour and still losing (water) weight. I almost always train in very hot, humid weather and apparently am really "adapted" for cooling! So it does seem to be very individual.

Another possibility is that you were coming down with some kind of virus. Probably 90% of the time when I've had a "bonk" type experience, I've come down with a cold or flu in the next few days. I probably just didn't notice I wasn't feeling 100% until I tried to push my body on a hard workout. Or maybe you just paced too hard for your current fitness.

Finally, you could look at the type of food you're eating. Oatmeal is basically pure carbs unless you add something to it like nuts or milk. Having some protein and fat with your pre-ride meal )or even on the bike--for example, some nuts--might help you feel full longer and slow the rate that the sugar is absorbed into your bloodstream. It's one reason I use chocolate as a bike snack--the fat helps me avoid the spike and crash cycle that I seem to get with pure carbs like gu. Fat and protein are harder to digest, though, so it's definitely something you'd want to experiment with before trying it in a very hard workout or race.

Thanks for the reply. I agree after reading more on bonking it seems highly unlikely and wonder if this was mental since I kind of panicked when my power just tanked like I was suddenly biking against a tornado and my fingers started tingling and at one point I dropped my head some and the painted lines to the bike lane went double. My response time and balance was a-ok though. I lifted my head to discover I could still control the bike and see but could not focus well on anything nearby.

I was kind of fascinated by it cause I had never experienced anything like it but after reading up on it it seems pretty impossible especially with something in my belly. When I got home I ate 2 bagels with honey/PB, another gel, 2 ham sandwiches, a banana, a Snickers and a Cliff bar chased by 12 ounces of gatorade then I went to sleep lol. I feel fine now just a little tired so doubting it was a true bonk but possibly the onset of one or just an empty gut combined with exhaustion. Don't feel like I'm coming down with anything. 15 miles against a headwind as a storm was blowing in but 80 degrees 99% rh according to the phone. Put down 100 oz of water during the trip and didn't feel thirsty but was sweating mad like always in muggy Florida.

I'm really disappointed for letting such little mileage kick my butt like that. Feeling pretty wimpy, but I doubt the heat cause I'm acclimated to it and felt pretty cool in soaked sweaty cotton.

I do have to ask though, had I been bonking is it best to rest or just inch along at 10 mph with 5-10 miles to go?
2016-05-19 9:29 PM
in reply to: SevenZulu


319
100100100
Sarasota, Florida
Subject: RE: What to do when you bonk with no back up
Originally posted by SevenZulu

I notice that if I wait for too long after breakfast before working out that I will burn through that fuel source and then need something on my ride much sooner than usual.  Now I just have a big snack first if I've allowed that to happen.  I keep some cash in my tire bag in case I'm out far from home somewhere and need food but forgot to bring enough.  Also, a $5 or $10 bill isn't a bad thing to have in your tire bag in case you cut a tire badly and need to stick something tough between the tube and tire so your spare tube doesn't blow out when filling it.  That trick has got me home on a couple of occasions.




Cool idea. I keep a spare tube and patches but the tire I hadn't considered. The only problem is I try to bike near preserves and rural areas to avoid traffic but I'm curious what tough material might qualify? A strip of leather? Yard glove? A mix of glue and one of those incredibly tough dog biscuits that only break by throwing it into a brick wall?

Next time I try this route, I will go nearer dusk / dawn to beat the heat and eat more. Guess I'll never know what happened other than slow motion auto-pilot I simply was not brave enough to try and overthrow.
2016-05-19 9:40 PM
in reply to: runtim23

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Sunny Southern Cal
Subject: RE: What to do when you bonk with no back up

Just fold the bill up and slide it between the tire and spare tube.  You'll only ever need to do that if you've had a bigger cut in the tire and the tube will blow out when you inflate it -- and that's just a temporary fix to get you home.  Another piece of thin material that is super tough and works even better than a dollar bill is the envelope material that is used in the priority mail or fedex style envelopes.  If you've got the right kind, that stuff is designed to be really strong.  I carry a couple strips of that in my tire bag, as well.

As far as bonking goes, I haven't bonked really bad since I was a youngster in my college years.  I was young and dumb then and would go out on some good rides without any food.  Sometimes I would get this crazy sensation that my head was miles above the pavement as I was riding along totally bonked.  Somehow I always managed to ride it home without crashing.  Now, being a tad bit more sensible, I rarely get stuck without having some energy options onboard.



2016-05-20 3:22 AM
in reply to: runtim23

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Subject: RE: What to do when you bonk with no back up
The tingling fingers are often a warning sign of hyponatremia (low sodium)--very easy to get in a hot, humid climate like Florida (or Vietnam) if you are drinking a lot of water and not taking in enough electrolytes. I experienced that in my last race (IM Vietnam 70.3) due to unexpected changes in what was available at aid stations--there wasn't ice so I was drinking a lot more cold water than I normally do to cool off, which probably diluted the electrolyte drink that I was taking in (already fairly dilute) a bit too much. I started to get light-headed, along with the tingling fingers, in the last 3-4 miles, but in my case actually didn't "bonk" in the sense of running out of energy--I was speeding up! I did start to feel even more light-headed and nauseous after finishing, though. The symptoms went away after I drank some more concentrate electrolyte drink and lay down for a few minutes.

You may well also have been hungry owing to your nutritional choices before/during the ride. As others have said, it's always best on a long ride to bring along some money in case you need emergency rations!
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