Training & Nutrition - Did I bonk or just cramp up too bad?

Hi all,

I did my first century of the season yesterday and felt really good until mile 88. As I was working my way up a hill my inner left thigh cramped up so bad that I had to immediately pull over and stretch it out.

I was done for after that. I guess I hit the wall and bonked because I couldn't really put forth much effort after that.

I was drinking plenty of fluids, water and Endurox/Gatoraid combo all day until mile 80 rest stop and then only had really watered down Gatoraid. But I had a peach and cookies and Cliff Shots.

I'm wondering why I cramped up. Was I lacking something in my diet that day or had my body just quit?

After the ride I cramped up severly on the drive home too. Same place, inner thigh.

How does everyone else prevent cramping on a long ride?

Thanks,

Sean

Too late for me to type up a lot here (gotta be up in less than 6 hours), but if you could answer these question for me, I can look at this tomorrow- what has your mileage looked like up to sthis point? How long have you been riding? What's your longest ride, and how long ago was it?


Koffee

I will be interested to see Koffee's professional analysis, but in the meantime nutritionally the things that help keep cramps away are:

1. Minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
2. Circulation/energy assisting vitimins like the Bs, E and C.
3. Vitimin D is important for mineral uptake

I imagine that us cyclists are often doing OK in the vitamin D department from all the sun we get. ;) I wonder if mineral depletion might have been a major factor?

Haha.. I will shush and see what Koffee says ;)

cAPS

It was fatigue failure. I don't know if that is the best technical term for it. You just rode past where your muscles can go. Like weight lifting in a gym when you rep to failure.

In other words not a big enough base.

Wait a minute, y'all. You can eat right, drink right, be in top shape and still get cramps. At least during/after hard exertion. And, I don't know about others, but I almost always am susceptable to cramps after century type distances. (Not that I'm in top shape, or anything).

I wonder if yours was exertion-triggered, since it hit late in the ride, and while you were climbing. In my case, I can feel when they want to start... I feel little spasms in the muscle that would like to cramp (usually calves or, whatzit? biceps femoris?), and just have to ease up. That's usually enough to prevent an actual cramp.

BTW, Endurox isn't an ideal drink for on-the-bike... too hard to digest. Don't know if that would contribute to the cramps, but it could be a problem.

Koffe,

Milage is terribly small this year. Maybe 1000 miles since April. But that's the far end of the spectrum. Been trying to ride as much as I can with my local club for fast weeknight rides and try to go out on the weekends as much as I can for 40-60 mile rides. I've been riding for 20 years on and off. I'm 29 but raced BMX as a kid and have always ridden a bike for fun or transport (college).

My longest ride of the year was a metric last Sunday.

I'm thinking I just didn't have a big enough base this year and tried to push myself to hard. But, I felt really good up until that last rest stop and even after the rest stop at 81 miles I felt ok. Wasn't riding really fast but cruising at about 15 mph on relatively flat/rolling roads in central Maryland.

I tried to keep my heart rate under 80% of max but for a lot of the ride it was up around 82% and on some hills was up into the 90's and maxed at 96% early in the ride. So maybe I used up my reserves early on and just don't have the training miles under my belt this year to keep up.

I'm going to do another century in September and don't want to cramp up so I was hoping there was a way to prevent it. I know riding a lot of miles early on is the best way but I feel that I am fit enought to complete the ride without hurting so bad.

Road Buzz,

I use only about 2/3 of a scoop of Endurox per 22 oz of H2O. The lable says you can use if for a during excercise drink if you use only 1 scoop and I use less. I thought the protein and extra goodies are good for you during excercise. At least that's what Ed Burke used to say.

I have used it for the past year and I like the results.

Cheers,

Sean