Was I so out of gas that I bonked?
dilemna
Posts: 2,187
Got up late this morning 7:30am, faffing around with the bike in partic a replacement front wheel as last club ride out it met with a fecking pothole which I didn't see in the group and is well out of true. So had to choose from one of the many substitutes and then refit the magnet so the computer would work, change over me favourite saddle from the commute bike and get the other odds and sods together you need on a ride, then realised the rear tyre needed a few psi so out with the track pump. Time was ticking on. No time for breaky so stuffed down a banana and half a pint of water, filled my bottle, grabbed three bananas to stuff in me jersey, then hit the road and did a 30 minute 12 miles getting to the club ride start point 10 mins late. Was surprised to see anyone still there. The slow group had already set off and the medium just gone.......
Anyway we set off, not feeling too bad really, keeping up, but still wishing I had had a decent breakfast and not had to have already had a 10TT ride to the start. Never the less I thought the bananas and water would see me through to the cafe stop at about 30 miles. After about 10-15 miles we caught the slow group and near on 20 miles we caught the medium group. Shortly after we had a minor hill 2-3% and getting out the saddle there was nothing in me legs and me big muscles felt like they were turning to jelly and going to cramp! OMG! I couldn't keep up and fell away quite quickly. I was down to about 6 mph on a fairly slight uphill gradient of 2.5%. Sh1t then my legs just seemed to shut down. I felt it would soon be all over I would have to get off as I couldn’t turn the pedals even in 39x25 on the flat. I stuffed down 2 bananas and some more water. Was then passed by the medium speed group. Double sh1t. Then I was all alone. I couldn’t see the slow group coming. Eventually I limped into the café stop. The medium group was ready to leave and the ace riders looked fairly chilled and were soon to make a move. Just time to stick down some nice rich sticky cake. Queued for an age behind a group of bikers who couldn’t make up their minds and the four people serving weren’t helping matters. No, you can only have food if you’ve got a table number. There followed a 10 minute debate as to which table they would have. The girl serving would have done the Hitler youth proud. It was then me. She proceeded to cut me half of one cake portion already cut of carrot cake and dumped it on a saucer and slid it onto the top of the glass cabinet separating us. I looked at it. It could have blown away it was so thin. She looked at it. I looked at her. She looked at me. Her eyes shouted now pay! I could have eaten the whole bloody cake I felt so weak. I asked if she could fill my bottle with water. She could if I came back in 5 minutes. But I couldn’t come back in 5 minutes as my fellow riders would be gone. There was a sink about 5 feet away from her behind the counter. I pointed to it. Look it will only take 5 seconds to fill. But no she refused. Stubborn as well. Meanwhile the cake waited forlornly in the saucer between us. It wasn’t worth £1.95 without water. Look I’m out of water and really thirsty. I’d be really grateful if you could fill it, please? I attempted a smile. No, she said as she had other customers to serve. But you’re serving me at the moment and I was here first. No she still refused and asked for the money for the cake. No, I told her she could keep her cake and walked unsteadily off across the tiled floor of the café through the tables and chairs into the bright sunlight.
I still had 2 bananas left, about 10% of the bottle of water left and 25 miles to ride home. I ate one banana.
Some of the guys had already gone so I set off in pursuit. After about 2 miles it was clear I couldn’t keep up so I went into limp home mode and just span as lightly as I could. I didn’t want to cramp. The short rest and adrenalin rush from meeting Miss Hess and missing out on sticky moist cake had obviously not been as disastrous as all that. I was still managing 16mph on the flat but my legs were really starting to hurt. After a few miles the wind came to my rescue getting behind me and I positively raced along at 20mph. There was one steep hill about 6-7% for 200m that I walked up so as not to totally do myself in so I’d be stuck in the middle of nowhere. After that the route was fairly flat for 15-18 miles and I spun home at 16 -18 mph recovering a bit as I got nearer home I guess as the pain now in my legs would soon be at an end.
Total distance cycled 75.4 miles on 4 bananas and 1 medium bottle of water. Not bad. Plus I hadn’t done much cycling for about a month due to other commitments and a twinge in my upper left leg so laid off cycling to let it heal. So instead of the usual 200 miles a week I clock up I had come down to almost nothing. It is startling how quickly ones bike fitness can go if you spend any length of time off the bike such as a month.
Have stretched my muscles after I got back I don’t feel too bad if a little sore but will endeavour to put some miles in this week. Tomorrow morning will be the test.
But the moral of the story is don’t go on a long fast ride with no fuel in your tank having not been on your bike for a month. Eat a proper breakfast and a decent meal the day before which I also hadn’t done. And take enough food and drink with you for the ride.
Anyway we set off, not feeling too bad really, keeping up, but still wishing I had had a decent breakfast and not had to have already had a 10TT ride to the start. Never the less I thought the bananas and water would see me through to the cafe stop at about 30 miles. After about 10-15 miles we caught the slow group and near on 20 miles we caught the medium group. Shortly after we had a minor hill 2-3% and getting out the saddle there was nothing in me legs and me big muscles felt like they were turning to jelly and going to cramp! OMG! I couldn't keep up and fell away quite quickly. I was down to about 6 mph on a fairly slight uphill gradient of 2.5%. Sh1t then my legs just seemed to shut down. I felt it would soon be all over I would have to get off as I couldn’t turn the pedals even in 39x25 on the flat. I stuffed down 2 bananas and some more water. Was then passed by the medium speed group. Double sh1t. Then I was all alone. I couldn’t see the slow group coming. Eventually I limped into the café stop. The medium group was ready to leave and the ace riders looked fairly chilled and were soon to make a move. Just time to stick down some nice rich sticky cake. Queued for an age behind a group of bikers who couldn’t make up their minds and the four people serving weren’t helping matters. No, you can only have food if you’ve got a table number. There followed a 10 minute debate as to which table they would have. The girl serving would have done the Hitler youth proud. It was then me. She proceeded to cut me half of one cake portion already cut of carrot cake and dumped it on a saucer and slid it onto the top of the glass cabinet separating us. I looked at it. It could have blown away it was so thin. She looked at it. I looked at her. She looked at me. Her eyes shouted now pay! I could have eaten the whole bloody cake I felt so weak. I asked if she could fill my bottle with water. She could if I came back in 5 minutes. But I couldn’t come back in 5 minutes as my fellow riders would be gone. There was a sink about 5 feet away from her behind the counter. I pointed to it. Look it will only take 5 seconds to fill. But no she refused. Stubborn as well. Meanwhile the cake waited forlornly in the saucer between us. It wasn’t worth £1.95 without water. Look I’m out of water and really thirsty. I’d be really grateful if you could fill it, please? I attempted a smile. No, she said as she had other customers to serve. But you’re serving me at the moment and I was here first. No she still refused and asked for the money for the cake. No, I told her she could keep her cake and walked unsteadily off across the tiled floor of the café through the tables and chairs into the bright sunlight.
I still had 2 bananas left, about 10% of the bottle of water left and 25 miles to ride home. I ate one banana.
Some of the guys had already gone so I set off in pursuit. After about 2 miles it was clear I couldn’t keep up so I went into limp home mode and just span as lightly as I could. I didn’t want to cramp. The short rest and adrenalin rush from meeting Miss Hess and missing out on sticky moist cake had obviously not been as disastrous as all that. I was still managing 16mph on the flat but my legs were really starting to hurt. After a few miles the wind came to my rescue getting behind me and I positively raced along at 20mph. There was one steep hill about 6-7% for 200m that I walked up so as not to totally do myself in so I’d be stuck in the middle of nowhere. After that the route was fairly flat for 15-18 miles and I spun home at 16 -18 mph recovering a bit as I got nearer home I guess as the pain now in my legs would soon be at an end.
Total distance cycled 75.4 miles on 4 bananas and 1 medium bottle of water. Not bad. Plus I hadn’t done much cycling for about a month due to other commitments and a twinge in my upper left leg so laid off cycling to let it heal. So instead of the usual 200 miles a week I clock up I had come down to almost nothing. It is startling how quickly ones bike fitness can go if you spend any length of time off the bike such as a month.
Have stretched my muscles after I got back I don’t feel too bad if a little sore but will endeavour to put some miles in this week. Tomorrow morning will be the test.
But the moral of the story is don’t go on a long fast ride with no fuel in your tank having not been on your bike for a month. Eat a proper breakfast and a decent meal the day before which I also hadn’t done. And take enough food and drink with you for the ride.
Life is like a roll of toilet paper; long and useful, but always ends at the wrong moment. Anon.
Think how stupid the average person is.......
half of them are even more stupid than you first thought.
Think how stupid the average person is.......
half of them are even more stupid than you first thought.
0
Comments
-
Been there, done that
And every time you vow that it will never happen again...
0 -
It won't happen again I can assure you. Next time I take my own home made carrot cake. It's the thought of this that got me to the cafe stop, otherwise I would have abandoned. I usually take two bottles just couldn't see the other this morning. Little Miss Hess can swivel.Life is like a roll of toilet paper; long and useful, but always ends at the wrong moment. Anon.
Think how stupid the average person is.......
half of them are even more stupid than you first thought.0 -
Sounds like you should have been even later but got a decent breakfast in you (and the second water bottle). My buddy gassed out on me last week with about 12 miles left, this week he done great and eat well beforehand (learnt his lesson).0
-
Poor time management imo.0
-
Glad you got back ok.
I've had moments of rushing around in the morning - getting ready for the club ride too!
These days I get all my kit, drinks, food ready the night before - and of course - check the bike is ok. This makes my sleep all the more restful and no rushing around like a lunatic in the morning. After all - who wants to TT to a club run...?
Then again some people need the JIT (Just in Time) stress rush to keep them going!
I'm thinking that your "attempted smile" might have looked like a deranged grimace and scared the bejesus out of the poor girl!0 -
So where is this Cafe Obstreperous?vintage newbie, spinning away0
-
It's a horrible...horrible feeling...If i do go out for long rides (not so much recently), make sure i have a mahoosive bowl of porridge oats with honey beforehand. Sure, it's hard work at the start but it keeps you going, full of lovely low GI-ness....Also started mixing orange juice with water, which helps, and having an emergency ration pack of oatcakes (don't like bananas, they're spawn of the devil). Other folks swear by energy drinks or gels (affectionately known as 'packets of spunk') :roll: ...maybe worth a go??i like bike0
-
I think you were slowed down by the weight of all the bananas you were carrying (just how many bananas did you take exactly dilemma?)
Very descriptive writing dilemma, even though it must have been hell, you tell a damn good story! I enjoyed the bit in the cake stop (but not the pain of the bonk)... bet you could have cut the air with a cake knife when offered the 'waffer thin slice'!!! 0 -
Thanks for the posts everyone. On reflection my preparation and time keeping was poor. Just woke up a little late and thought crystal blue skies I'm feeling ok I'll go. It would be rude not to. Had it been the weather we've had all week when I looked out the window then I would have rolled back into bed and drifted back to the land of nod. I was 50/50 as the minutes ticked by making my departure later and later.
Normally I do get the bike, grub, fluids and the other essentials sorted the night before, but this saturday evening I had a rare night infront of the TV - Dad's Army (always a joy), Outnumbered and then the late great Richard Pryor. Then started to watch a bit of Lee Evans but called it a night at 12:30am sunday. So after all that I was knackered from all the laughing and went to bed happy.
"Wilson, fail to prepare and prepare to fail...... We are a well maintained and oiled machine ready for action." as Captain Mainwairing might say. Or alternatively "How dare you!" He wouldn't have tolerated any nonsense from Miss Hess. Mind you Sgt. Wilson would have charmed her which would likely have got him a rather large slice.Life is like a roll of toilet paper; long and useful, but always ends at the wrong moment. Anon.
Think how stupid the average person is.......
half of them are even more stupid than you first thought.0
