What happened?

[kjay]

I signed up for a 32-mile ride, but after 20 miles, I felt like I was pedaling in cement; I was in the lowest gear but my legs were heavy and I could only go very slowly. After checking the threads on bonking, I don't believe that I bonked, but it such a strange feeling. After about five minutes of rest and some Cytomax, I started pedaling, only to discover that pedaling was now a breeze and took almost no effort at all. What do you think happened? I've not experienced this before, even after cycling many, many miles over many years. Thanks in advance!

[Eden]

Definitely sounds like a bonk to me - your muscles were running out of energy, you gave them some ready energy in the form of the sugars in Cytomax and they were happy again.

[Sheesh]

I agree with Eden. My one and only bonk didn't feel like I thought a bonk would feel at the time. But, once I had some gatorade, Gu, and Clif Bar, I was good to go...

[annie]

Wow, in only five minutes you were ok to ride again? Could be the shortest bonk in the history of cycling! LOL!
Seriously, I'd say your muscles definitely were out of fuel. You gave yourself a quick, easily digested fuel, and boom! Ready to go.
I remember a ride I did some years ago. Started out harder/faster than I should have. Ran out of gas after about 25 miles, with 75 to go. It was amazing, how quickly I went from agressive riding to barely-hanging-on riding. Then we hit a rest stop, yay!!! I grabbed a bottle of gatorage and swigged it down, and got another one for on the road. Within a short time of starting to ride again, I felt like a different person. Had my energy back and kept up with the group. I figured it was the quickie calories in the gatorade. Now I always keep a powdered energy drink or a gel on hand for emergency fuel. Bonking sucks! It teaches us a lesson, but is best avoided.

Annie

[boy in a kilt]

You bonked. Not badly but you bonked. You may have been in that state where your body says "if you keep this up and don't give me some candy, you'll regret it" stage.

[kjay]

Do I ever appreciate all your comments! I guess there are degrees of bonking. I thought I would have to be dizzy, clammy, cold, shivery, etc. Thanks to all of you for helping me out here.

[boy in a kilt]

Thinking back to the times I've bonked and had that particular combination of symptoms, I also had mild hypothermia.

Cytomax was probably a good choice. The last time I bonked on a ride, I chose a coke and a hostess cherry pie as my remedy. Dumping that much refined sugar into a glycogen-starved system is just not a good idea.

[KnottedYet]

I am a bonk-meister. Given half a chance (and just half an hour of riding) I will bonk, and bonk baaaaad!

Love my Clif Bloks and my nice Clif Lemonade. Something about the more complex sugars in the Clif goodies seems to keep my blood sugar level from doing loop-de-loops.

(fun meaningless trivia for those of you who do blood glucose monitoring: I can drop to the low 40s, and I would bet even money I've gone lower on some rides. Not cool!)

When I really bonk, I get the dizzy/clammy/pukey/stupid attack. Little bonks for me are just like you describe.

Always keep those sweet goodies handy!

[elk]

what is a bonk?
A drop in blood sugar when you're being active?

elk
learning yet another whole new vocabulary....

[indigoiis]

I think some of my bonks are psychological.
I did my first century this weekend, and at mile 85, passed by the start.
Then it was like a cloud went over. Suddenly, the road sucked, I had a headwind, too many cars, my legs felt like lead, and I got crabby. Every bump was met with "ow OW!". Every turn was "you've got to be KIDDING me!".

I ate some m&ms, raisins, lint from the bottom of my top tube bag.

I'm not sure if the lint helped any, but the rest of it did. I was back in the saddle, so to speak.

I think psychologically my eyes saw the beginning and registered it and I knew I only had fifteen more miles, but psychologically I was done.

I think sugar helps the brain, too.

[Scarlet]

Congrats on your century!!! I am sooooo envious, mines this Sunday
so I will remember to make sure I have that lint in the bottom of my rucksack
dont fancy bonking although thats the English term for making lurvvvvve, so maybe I will be up for it when i hav finished??????

Scarlet x

[Nokomis]

Did you check your breaks? I had a ride that I started, and thought I'd have to abandon in under 5 miles - couldn't keep up, couldn't turn the pedals over, was working way too hard..

We found that my breaks were rubbing, once that was fixed had no problems.

[RoadRaven]

what is a bonk?
A drop in blood sugar when you're being active?

elk
learning yet another whole new vocabulary....

In NZ in non-cycling circles, to bonk is something you do with another consenting adult in private somewhere!

But yes, in sports events like cycling, to bonk is to "hit the wall"... to suddenly find yourself with depleting energy... and to truly bonk can mean that you tumnble off your bike - your body just gives up, some people have virtually passed out because their body has said "excuse me, you might want to go on, but there is physically no way that you can"

[elk]

thanks, RR...interesting that that one word means THOSE 2 things...hmmmm

i can totally imagine the sports bonk...i should probably carry Larabars!!!

[nomummytummy]

In NZ in non-cycling circles, to bonk is something you do with another consenting adult in private somewhere!

"

and that is why I'd never buy a 2nd hand bike seat! who knows whether they bonked on it or not!!!!