Legs turned to led

[oceanrider]

Mile 11 of an 18 mile ride and my legs died. It took me forever to ride home. It was super humid and temps were in the low 80's when I left home just before sunrise. Didn't jam the pedals as I left in a low gear and warmed up properly. I gulped down coffee and a banana before the ride. It's so hard for me to eat something before 6am. The Camelbak was filled and I dutifully hydrated along the way.

I'm somewhat of a newbie training for a 30 mile charity ride. Who knows where the miles will end. Any suggestions for starting out and recovery? I'm worried about overeating as I'm trying to lose some weight but maybe I shouldn't be and should be more concerned about fuel.

Kathy

[cannondale]

Hi,

I know the feeling. I have a 20 mile circuit I do at lunch and some days my legs feel the same way. Sounds like you did everything right. That's what I would have done too. I am, however, not a big fan of the coffee. Would you say you bonked? I've done that once and that is enough! I have to have more food than that before a ride. I like a good slice of spelt bread with organic peanut butter or bread with honey. A cliff bar always helps. I wonder if you bonked? Let me know.

Cannondale

[oceanrider]

Uh, at the risk of sounding like an ignoramus :confused: , please define "bonked." What happened was I did a turnaround, the legs felt like dead weight and I had to draw from my hip flexors for power. There wasn't a whole lot of power there either. This went on for the remaining 7 miles home. All I could think of was to get home to shower and nap. Would that be bonked?

Your breakfast sounds yummy but the thought of that much food so early yicks me out.

:eek:
Kathy

[Rotifer]

Endurox R4 ... go to GNC and buy it. It will change the way you feel, I guarantee it. I ride 40+ miles a day, this stuff increases your endurance and actually makes you feel alive after a long day in the saddle. A friend of mine is a pro mechanic and gets it for free. After visiting for the weekend he forgot his Endurox at my house ... big mistake :D I decided to try it, ignoring his frantic calls to drop it in the mail at any cost. I told him to rot in hell, he gets it for free. :angel: It isn't expensive though, $25.00 for a two week tub... well a bit spendy. But what cost bliss?

cheers

[cannondale]

Before an early morning ride all I can get down is oatmeal, some orange juice and my Citrical. I usually ride at lunch so for energy I'll have a slice of bread or two with something on it.

I think you bonked. From what you described and what I remember experiencing. Another thing that lead to my bonking was a really bad night's sleep.

Bonking is slang for "to run out of energy or grow exhausted on a ride." See http://world.std.com/~jimf/biking/slang.html#bonk

Hope that link worked out on the other side.

It happens and you can't recover on a ride. You just have to suffer through it. It is miserable. I think medically it's defined when your body runs out of sugar - a sugar imbalance.

I use Endurox r4 to help me recover. It's the best stuff out there. Developed here in Colorado (the Springs). That will help you during and after a ride. Check it out.

Cannondale

[roadbuzz]

Sounds a lot like an insulin crash... you hadn't ridden far enough for a genuine bonk. Somebody else described something similar (different circumstances, tho') here a week or two ago. Considering you really can't eat much right before an early morning ride, I think I'd lose the coffee, which is playing games with your blood sugar, until after the ride. Just go with the banana.
Originally posted by Rotifer
Endurox R4 ... go to GNC and buy it
Endurox is good stuff... after the ride. The instructions say you can mix it half-strength as a ride beverage, but I think it's still too hard to digest. BTW, $25 for two weeks is pretty steep. I catch it on sale (at Performance), and pay about $30 for a tub that lasts me about 1.5 - 2 months. I use it after every ride (3 or 4 times a week).

[LittleBigMan]

Originally posted by oceanrider
Uh, at the risk of sounding like an ignoramus :confused: , please define "bonked." What happened was I did a turnaround, the legs felt like dead weight and I had to draw from my hip flexors for power. There wasn't a whole lot of power there either. This went on for the remaining 7 miles home. All I could think of was to get home to shower and nap. Would that be bonked?

Your breakfast sounds yummy but the thought of that much food so early yicks me out.

:eek:
Kathy
There are so many good people with info here that I don't want to overload you with advise, but I also can relate!

I also hate to eat first thing in the morning. I grab a small snack, then eat three hours later.

Maybe it was "bonk," or a depletion of glucose reserves. Or maybe, just maybe it was that your muscles needed a day off.
Don't fret about it! :D Try bringing an energy snack (carbs) for those occasions. If that doesn't work, take a day off.

Your muscles need to rebuild. As your muscles get stronger, you will be able to do more, but rest is as important as exercise in the
process of building your legs.

Don't be afraid of eating lots of carbs and protein after a ride. Sedentary folk should avoid lots of carbs, but we cyclists need them (and protein) to build/maintain our muscles.

[nebill]

Yeah, stay away from the coffee. Coffee (and alcohol) decrease the bodies abillity to absorb water, and water is power when you are riding. I bonked a couple times last year...it was way beyond the legs being tired, I just couldn't physically go any further. I got off the bike, laid on the ground, and ate a fourth of a peanut butter and honey sandwich, and after a 15 or 20 minute rest was able to make it home. Not a pleasant experience, but we learn from our mistakes! Now when I ride any distance at all, I carry along my homemade energy bars to snack on while I ride. Those and lots of water have pretty well solved the problem! I also am very careful about what I eat, as I want to lose more wieght, but you have to fuel the old bod when you are riding!
Keep riding, and listen to your body, and you will do fine!

[oceanrider]

Youse guys advice is really appreciated and I listened to all of it. I don't think what happened to me was a bad bonk but it was a bonk. The ride back took twice as long as the ride up with twice the effort.

This morning I stepped on the scale to find I'd lost 5 lbs in something like 3 days. Now I know why I bonked. Need more fuel to get going that's low on the glycemic index (I'm borderline diabetic on the hypoglycemic side) with a little bit of protein. Maybe a spoonful of lowfat cottage cheese with my waffle and fruit. Diabetics need a little protein to balance out the carbs or it's insulin hell. I'll carry some watered down juice or gatorade in the cage along with my usual camelbak of water and an energy bar in the backpack.

On the upside, I've been eating like a virtual piglet and sleeping better than I ever did in my adult life. After a ride I stuff another banana and then lunch is usually a big piece of fish or chicken and salad with my favorite dressing or veggies. I really do crave protein following the ride. Notice several of you do too.

Life is good.

Kathy:D

[Rotifer]

Thanks for the heads up on Endurox prices, I found some great deals on the web ... www.bodybuilding.com has it for $31.00, $34.00 at Bike Nashbar.