Zonk, Why?

[Halfast]

Zonked for the first time on the bike on a 55 mile ride. I have ridden 65 with no problem and do 45 regulary. The question is why. I am a 64 year old who has been riding 18 months, trying to improve.

The Zonk:

For me a fairly heavy week before the 55 mile hilly, windy ride, 90 miles (the 55 miler was to be in the week sum for 145 mi.).

Doin' great till we stop for a pottie break at 48 miles.

Then we start again and I just cannot get goin. I am dying, HR 164 at 12 mph into the wind until the end.

SOOOO, the simple question is, is it the heavy week, or the stop that got me?

[umd]

You mean bonk? It doesn't sound like a bonk, you were just tired and probably cooled down during the stop...

[Machka]

You mean bonk? It doesn't sound like a bonk, you were just tired and probably cooled down during the stop...

+1



Bonking is basically low blood sugar caused by lack of fuel. Halfast, you don't mention how much you ate during the ride.

[Halfast]

Sorry bout me forgetting the proper word for biking "Hitting the Wall". I was a serious runner, and did that once in training so I know how that feels. This was not quite like that, course now I am a lot older!!!

I ate several fig bars, and some small Snickers, drank GatorAid the whole way. I guess what I really want to know is if stopping can do that to you. In running you never stop in a marathon, and I have done many. I do not like to stop, but some needed a pottie break on that ride, and we stoopped for maybe 10 minutes. Then I was toast trying to get going again. Not cramping, not stiff, just NO ENERGY!
So can stopping do this?

I want to know since I am going to rest up the next couple of days, and do a hilly 70 miler this Sat. Maybe I just won't stop for very long on this ride?

[Carbonfiberboy]

Never had that happen to me. Sometimes a little stiff after 1/2 hr. stop, but no issues.

That's a very high HR. What's your LT? Max HR?

How much coffee that day? More than usual?

As a wild guess, and because I know others your age with that problem, I would say exercise induced Afib (atrial fibrillation). Google it and see if that sounds like you. Very common. See your doctor. Could have been brought on by a heavy training week. How many years since you ran marathons?

I'd say keep it down on the hilly 70. Ride with the moderates. If your heart goes nuts again, just stop until it calms down, then proceed, but don't work it hard.

[DannoXYZ]

The high HR could be a warning sign. Could be insufficient recovery from previous rides. Could also simply be that this group was riding faster than your normal pace. It's possible you bonked, how loaded were your glycogen stores? Did you have full meal night before and before the ride?

[Carbonfiberboy]

The high HR could be a warning sign. Could be insufficient recovery from previous rides. Could also simply be that this group was riding faster than your normal pace. It's possible you bonked, how loaded were your glycogen stores? Did you have full meal night before and before the ride?Danno, is it possible to bonk like that? Whenever I've bonked, it's been impossible for me to raise a HR of over 140. My LT=159. I always dropped off the back, got busy eating and drinking, and just found my way back by myself.

Same with insufficient recovery for me. Equals low HR.

12 mph seems a bit slow for a 164 HR, although I've had rides that included a "3rd pass" of riding into a 20-30kt wind for an hour, pulling in 42X23 just below LT. So maybe he was alone or pulling and the wind was just that strong?

Oh, and if the OP didn't need to stop at 48 miles, he was probably dehydrated, but does that raise or lower HR?

[Halfast]

Carbon - I have ridden 3 hours at 152 HR with no ill effects. I have been to 173 HR but backed off cause I did not want to get kissed by some guy, so I have not tested my max and won't without a Dr. Resting HR 63.

When this happened we were going in hills with a really strong headwind, but the folks I ride with left me in the dust, and I can normally ride with them.
Marathoning was not a conditioning statement ,was 25 years ago. But I do understand hitting the wall.

Danno I think I had eaten enough, plus plenty of carbs that morning.

I really think I was not rested enough for this ride which was long for me. Rode 36 last night, gonna spin for 14 tonite, then rest till Sat. I do plan on taking it easy on the 70 and enjoying the views, wildflowers are starting here is Central Tejas. The weather is gonna be perfect.

Thanks for the comments.

[pityr]

Probably not resting enough or not eating enough prior to the ride. I had the same problem during yesterday's commute and decided to take today off to recover. I've also noticed that not eating enough during the previous few days can do this too. The wind doesn't help much either :)

[ericgu]

It would be rare to bonk during a stop - you need to be burning glucose and you wouldn't be burning much during a rest break. And it sounds like you ate enough.

The high HR suggests dehydration to me - when you have less fluid your heart pumps less on each beat so your HR goes up. It also seems likely that you were a bit run down.

[DannoXYZ]

Danno, is it possible to bonk like that? Whenever I've bonked, it's been impossible for me to raise a HR of over 140. My LT=159. I always dropped off the back, got busy eating and drinking, and just found my way back by myself.

Same with insufficient recovery for me. Equals low HR.Yeah, I don't think he bonked. Especially with a full meal beforehand. I'm voting for insufficient recovery. However, you can be worn out on your aerobic system while your muscles are fine or vice-versa. In his case, it appears his aerobic system was still not recovered, thus the high HR. In your case, the muscles were worn out, thus the low HR.

[Halfast]

Ericqu,

I think you may have hit the problem. I normally drink tons, but on this ride I did not even consume 2 bottles of G'aid. I should have thought about this more as I was urinating with color, which is really unusual for me, cause I normally drink tons before and during.

As I said before, being fairly new to biking, I just have not had too many experiences with stuff like this.
I have learned and agree, tired from previous rides with not enough recovery for me, and did not drink enough.

And you all have answered the real question I had about stopping. Does not cause this kind of problem and if you eat and drink at rest stops you will in fact do better.

You must understand I was a competitive runner, and runners NEVER stop in a race and never eat at distances up to marathon. Yes we drank, but certainly no rest periods or real food.

I think my Sat. 70 miler might go in the diitch, rain probability is going way up, and I do not ride in the rain down big hills! I am of the age where a fall can really screw you up for the short rest of your life!!!


Thanks again,