Bonked but why?

navrig

Slightly convulated tale so please bear with me.

I cycled regularly for the last 2 years and signed up for the Kinross Sportive this year. Jut after making the pledge I fell of my bike and broke my thumb, This was January with the Kinross (my first sportive) on 24 April. I lost 8 weeks of ALL training. Couldn't hold the handlebars and running/gym work made the arm with cast sweat too much. At the start of March I got back on the bike and 6 weeks to make enough recovery to cover 79 miles.

I cycled every weekend, sometimes twice and mange a couole of mid week cycles when on holiday. I managed the sportive with no issues. I reckin I still had 10 comfortable miles left
in the "tank".

After the sportive I settled back into the usual Sat morning 50-60 miles with occassional Sun rides and felt fine. Then the hub on my rear collapsed. I managed to borrow a pair of old Bontrager race wheels and thought they would keep me going whilst I convinced the retailer the wheel should be replaced under warranty.

2 weeks ago we went out in strong winds for our usual Sat morning. This was my first outing on the Bontragers. After about 8 miles I was knackered. OK it was into a headwind and after a particularly hard week at work. I just decided I was not in the "groove" and returned home covering 17 miles.

Last weekend - no cycling, as I was sailing with mates.

This morning we set off for a 54 mile route which I have done once before. Bit more hilly than usual but distnce wise not an issue.

30 miles in and I was knackered and had been dropped. I covered another 3 miles then dropped out phoning my wife to come collect me. The weather was crap with rain and wind after 29 miles.

So whilst I obviously bonked I dont understand why.

I ate my usual pre-cycle brekkie of porridge, dried fruit and nuts with a pint of water and lemon juice.

Could the wheel be knackered (they dont feel it when spinning them in your hand)?

Could I have dropped that much fitness because I don't get much exercise mid week (I work away from home and don't have access to a bike).

Just feel really frustrated and not sure where to go.

I'm going out on my son's bike tomorrow (it was my old bike) to see how I feel on a 25-30 mile route I have done loads of times.

I've got the Way of the Roses in 3 weeks which means 85 miles back to back. The thought of bonking scares me.

Any thoughts?

danowat

Sounds more like plain old fatigue to me, rather than a bonk.

Seems like you are trying too much, too soon after your break(s), you maybe need to knock back on the distance and/or intensity a bit for a while.

Either that or you have picked up something that is making you fatigue, like a bug or something

Barteos

Stress?

Garz

Relax when you go riding, only aim for high tempo rides once a week at first. This may mean your other rides should be at a more comfortable pace (can hold a conversation) until you see your fitness improve.

Start mixing up the intensity with hill climbs and sprints when you start to plateau. It's probably what danawat suggested, however I would say the last month has been fairly windy making us all feel slower.

Buckled_Rims

danowat wrote:

Sounds more like plain old fatigue to me, rather than a bonk.

Seems like you are trying too much, too soon after your break(s), you maybe need to knock back on the distance and/or intensity a bit for a while.

Either that or you have picked up something that is making you fatigue, like a bug or something

+1

I don't think it was a bonk. A proper bonk is depletion of all energy and it would take more then 30 odd miles. Sometimes fatigue just makes you want to stop and f**k the rest of the route and you feel crap and tired. If you did have a small breakfast that's even more evidence against a bonk.

P_Tucker

Everyone has bad rides for no discernable reason. Over winter I go from racing Elites up climbs one weekend to getting dropped by 3rd cats the next. If it happens a few times then there might be cause for concern. If it's only the once, man up and try again.

danowat

P_Tucker wrote:

Everyone has bad rides for no discernable reason

+1

ColinJ

It happened to me on a 200 km audax. It turned out that I'd bashed my rear brake putting the bike in my mate's car and had done the whole event with the brake rubbing ...

navrig

I looked back at my Garmin data and on a steep hil my HR peaked at 190.

Given that I am 48 I was wondering if that would caused the fatigue/bonk.

On other routes with less steep, shorter hills I would peak at 183.

Buckled_Rims

As others have said, don't worry too much about a single incident. Start to worry if it's all the time. You've just answered your own question! A steep hill makes you work harder then a less steep hill.

The high peak is about the very maximum for your age. Again, this might just an overstrain when climbing. You don't mention how long the 190 lasted so no one really has a clue if it's significant or not and what happened 60 seconds after the 190, did you recover down to 160 or what? If so, why worry.

If nobody had a bad training days, then we'd all be world champions

Ron Stuart

Barteos wrote:

Stress?

Are you a GP?

Barteos

Ron Stuart wrote:

Barteos wrote:

Stress?

Are you a GP?

No, I'm not, but in the past I've had some pretty bad rides (low energy, early bonking) when being stressed (work related).

Ron Stuart

Barteos wrote:

Ron Stuart wrote:

Barteos wrote:

Stress?

Are you a GP?

No, I'm not, but in the past I've had some pretty bad rides (low energy, early bonking) when being stressed (work related).

You have a perfectly valid point, I was just having a mild Mickey take at our front line medical system, which I am quickly losing the love affair with. You were right to mention it as after retiring some 4 years ago I have never been healthier than when I was a kid.
Just like the USA we are fast becoming a nation of legal dopers (anti-depressants) etc.
Keep the riding going, just go a bit easier when your feeling "stressed" it's one of the much healthier ways of de-stressing.

johnbirkby46213

ColinJ wrote:

It happened to me on a 200 km audax. It turned out that I'd bashed my rear brake putting the bike in my mate's car and had done the whole event with the brake rubbing ...

Aw come on Colin, give them all the link to your super bonk. That's the funniest tale ever! You know, the one on the "how hard can it be" ride.

edit

Just remembered: It's "The Trauma of Trauden" ride. This nightmare ride of Colin's is so side splittingly funny (when you've been there/done that) and a severe warning to those of you who haven't....yet !

ut_och_cykla

A hard ride, cr¤p weather and too on your plate generally - fatigue most likely - perhaps a little virus lurking too? too little sleep eyc etc. If it doesn't pass after a few days rest follow it up.