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Message started by shellbear on Mar 16^th, 2013, 6:48pm

Title: Bonk. :-(
Post by shellbear on Mar 16^th, 2013, 6:48pm

I bonked HARD at the completion of today's Lancaster ride. I had a low carb meal last night and only oatmeal an hour before the ride this morning. I ate/drank what I normally do for a 40 miler today but I guess my reserves were too low because by the end of the ride I was nauseous and had a headache. To add insult to injury, due to kitchen problems at the cafe didn't get food in me until nearly 2 hours post-ride. I actually passed out at the lunch table, it was super embarrassing. :-( I still haven't recovered from it several hours later. I am trying to eat and drink but my stomach is all screwed up. I haven't bonked in at YEARS and never this severely. I feel like absolute crap. That'll teach me to diet (not any particular program, just eating less) and then try to go on a long distance ride I guess. I thought I was stronger than that.

Thanks to everyone at the ride lunch who put up with my ridiculous display of ignorance. UGH. DON'T BONK, PEOPLE!!

Title: Re: Bonk. :-(
Post by jayg on Mar 16^th, 2013, 8:14pm

shellbear wrote:

We burned a lot of calories on this challenging ride. I took in a total of 1,000 calories just before and during the ride, and was real hungry afterwards.

Title: Re: Bonk. :-(
Post by kenbent6 on Mar 16^th, 2013, 9:01pm

Chicken Little got in 32 mile after the cut off at Ferris. After reading the report and seeing the pictures of Sugar Ridge Chicken Little is HAPPY he not go all the way with macho bent riders!! [smiley=deadhorsebeat.gif]

Title: Re: Bonk. :-(
Post by Bud_Bent on Mar 16^th, 2013, 9:21pm

Most of us have been there, Shelley. It's a reminder that nutrition on rides can't be ignored, and the longer the ride, the more important it becomes. Lots of us keep carbs coming in while riding by drinking maltodextrin based endurance drinks, but nutrition during rides is one of those things that each of us has to work out for ourself. Hope you feel better.

Title: Re: Bonk. :-(
Post by LightningPilot on Mar 17^th, 2013, 7:18am

Bud_Bent wrote:

Yep, most of us have. Hope you feel better soon, and hope to see you on the road!

Title: Re: Bonk. :-(
Post by FlyingLaZBoy on Mar 17^th, 2013, 7:20am

Wish you had said something during the 2nd half of the ride -- you seemed strong all the way through, even in the parking lot at the end!! I had no idea....

Title: Re: Bonk. :-(
Post by shellbear on Mar 17^th, 2013, 8:57am

FlyingLaZBoy wrote:

Wish you had said something during the 2nd half of the ride -- you seemed strong all the way through, even in the parking lot at the end!! I had no idea....

I didn't realize it either, Paul. I felt a little tired on the last two miles but it wasn't until I got off the bike and got ready to leave that it hit me like a ton of bricks. You saw me pull the car out about to drive home but when I saw the others going for lunch I decided not to wait and drive for food. Good thing I stayed!!

On rides I usually eat Cliff Shot Bloks and Honey Stinger chews, plus Cytomax in my bottle and plenty of water in my CamelBak. I did the math and ate/drank about 600 calories on the ride yesterday, and that is my normal intake on a ride that long. Even though I probably burn fewer calories than you do on a ride (XS jersey, I'm tiny!!) that is clearly not enough. This is my wake up call that I have not been feeding myself properly on rides, and of course that nutrition before the ride is just as important as during!!

Considering last night I was debating whether to go to the hospital for the nausea, I am feeling much better this morning after sleeping a few hours. Still very weak but no nausea so I am able to eat more this morning. The Rx for today is REST!

Title: Re: Bonk. :-(
Post by rmillay on Mar 17^th, 2013, 1:36pm

What's been your typical ride length training this winter?

Title: Re: Bonk. :-(
Post by shellbear on Mar 17^th, 2013, 2:45pm

rmillay wrote:

What's been your typical ride length training this winter?

I've been rather inconsistent with my riding but that's how it almost always is. :-P During the week I'll do either weights at the gym or high intensity interval training, and on weekends I have ramped up from 24 miles to the 30s. Three weeks ago at the HOT rally I did the 38 miler quite easily. I hadn't done a long ride since then but 40 should not have been any big deal because riding isn't my only source of training. Last weekend I was walking 7 miles a day at Disney World. I am trying to ramp up the next few weeks into the 50s because in early May I plan to do the MS150 again. Now I'm scared I might not be able to finish that if I don't pay better attention. :-/ At least it's very well supported if I need to bow out...

Title: Re: Bonk. :-(
Post by aikigreg on Mar 17^th, 2013, 2:57pm

Given what you told me about how much you drank, I suspect that that dehydration was the biggest factor, though for sure your calories and muscle glycogen were low. Something before the start of the ride and watching your water intake whether or not you are thirsty, are called for. If you're going to do any distance riding, which to me is that 40 mile plus mark, a certain amount of tracking is called for to find out what works best for you. I know cytomax doesn't work for me. I tend to stick to clif shot bloks, honey stinger waffles, and clif electrolyte drink mix for up to around 50 miles, and add in clif bars, bonk bars, and some hammer mixes for longer stuff with real food added in depending on whether I am riding, randonneuring, or racing. And even now I still don't feel I have it perfected.

Mark Metcalfe runs on fried pies and hamburgers. Sure recipe for a DNF for me.

Title: Re: Bonk. :-(
Post by rmillay on Mar 18^th, 2013, 3:57pm

If you are well fed before the ride starts, you can go pretty hard with only 200 Calories or less per hour. It's harder with no glycogen stores at the start, since you don't get consistent energy input. I had a banana and about 10 ounces of grape juice during the ride, but lots of calories an hour before the ride. Of course, I wasn't working hard, and I've got more fat reserves than you. I don't know if electrolytes would have helped. I know they have been a problem for me in the past. Time for you to be getting a 40 to 50 mile day in regularly.

Title: Re: Bonk. :-(
Post by jayg on Mar 18^th, 2013, 4:33pm

rmillay wrote:

You weren't working hard on the Sugar Ridge hills? I'm going to bring a rope next time and let you tow me up the hills. :D

Title: Re: Bonk. :-(
Post by aikigreg on Mar 18^th, 2013, 4:47pm

You jest, but it's been done!

jayg wrote:

You weren't working hard on the Sugar Ridge hills? I'm going to bring a rope next time and let you tow me up the hills. :D

Title: Re: Bonk. :-(
Post by shellbear on Mar 18^th, 2013, 7:21pm

rmillay wrote:

Yes, I think I've determined that my main problem was the several meals before the ride. The heat may have played a part, but I feel like I was pretty hydrated. In fact by the end of the ride I had drank so much water that my stomach felt sloshy, but maybe that was a symptom of the low blood sugar, I'm not sure...

Title: Re: Bonk. :-(
Post by jcsadowski on Mar 18^th, 2013, 8:59pm

Just saying....

Hyponatremia is a medical condition that occurs when someone drinks too much water thus reducing the sodium content of their blood. With a great increase in the amount of plain water the blood becomes diluted and the sodium ion content decreases. When the ion content of the blood drops below 135 mEQ/L (milli equivalents per liter) the body comes under danger. Early symptoms include confusion, lethargy, weakness, nausea, headache, disorientation, and slurred speech. Severe conditions have the following symptoms: seizures, stupor and coma, worst of all is death.

Title: Re: Bonk. :-(
Post by shellbear on Mar 18^th, 2013, 9:56pm

jcsadowski wrote:

Interesting. I'm certainly not on a low sodium or sodium-substitute diet but I do take a low dose of potassium-sparing medication for my acne so low sodium is something I've been told to watch for. I've never had issues like this before (I've been on this medication for 4+ years) and some of the symptoms listed don't apply to Saturday's episode, but this makes me wish I'd actually gone to the doc and found out what the heck was really going on. Sounds like I'll be making an appointment for some blood-work, even though it won't be as helpful as it probably would have been during the episode... Too many variables not enough data for this engineer. ;)

Title: Re: Bonk. :-(
Post by rmillay on Mar 19^th, 2013, 6:47pm

Yeah, it would have to be done at the time. Too bad none of us had the presence of mind to take a blood sample while you were unconscious. Vickie Tyer, one of LSR's most experienced long distance riders, suffered hyponatremia on a ride last summer and had to be hospitalized. It can happen to the best of us. The Hammer nutrition website has good information about drinking and electrolytes for endurance athletes.

Title: Re: Bonk. :-(
Post by Action Lad on Mar 19^th, 2013, 8:01pm

jcsadowski wrote:

John, that really sounds like what happened to me when I was in college. I took regular trips from Northampton, MA to Hartford, CT, (about 40 mi each way). One time when I was about 5 miles from home, I was in serious trouble. I stopped by a restaurant, and they gave me something to eat and to drink, but it took the better part of a couple of hours before I could stand up well. I vowed never to get that dehydrated and short on reserves again. Since then, I have learned that my body burns up water, sugar and electrolytes like a blast furnace on rides of 40 miles and up.
As was stated earlier, we've ALL been there. [smiley=puking.gif]

Title: Re: Bonk. :-(
Post by Bud_Bent on Mar 19^th, 2013, 9:25pm

Hyponatremia, caused by drinking too much water, diluting your salt content too much, is more of a danger than dehydration to most of us. Most people actually tolerate a considerable amount of dehydration without any problems, but hyponatremia can be deadly.

If you drink lots and lots of water, make sure you're consuming some salt, as well.

Title: Re: Bonk. :-(
Post by shellbear on Mar 19^th, 2013, 10:56pm

Bud_Bent wrote:

I checked my Cytomax and it does contain sodium and other electrolytes, but I was definitely drinking more water than Cytomax.

Title: Re: Bonk. :-(
Post by aikigreg on Mar 20^th, 2013, 9:13am

nuun tablets, and other similar brands, are fizzy tablets that you can put in a water bottle that adds electrolytes and a little bit of flavor without any real calories. If I'm riding less than 2 hours at a slower pace that's usually all I put in my bottles.

shellbear wrote:

[quote author=Bud_Bent link=1363477730/15#18 date=1363746326]Hyponatremia, caused by drinking too much water, diluting your salt content too much, is more of a danger than dehydration to most of us. Most people actually tolerate a considerable amount of dehydration without any problems, but hyponatremia can be deadly.

If you drink lots and lots of water, make sure you're consuming some salt, as well.

I checked my Cytomax and it does contain sodium and other electrolytes, but I was definitely drinking more water than Cytomax.[/quote]