Bonk!
 

I was crowing about my BP at my annual physical. Today, in punishment for bragging, the bike gods caused me to bonk for the first time. The temperature was in the low 90's, I was riding with two co-workers one older and one younger than me. At the 8.5 mile point there was nothing left in me. I had one of them go get me a soda with sugar while I rested. I have T2 diabetes and low sugar from that along with the heat did me in.

The embarrasment was far worse than the inability to continue.

Are you sure it was bonking and not old-fashioned heat exhaustion? It's mighty hot out there these days.

I think it was a combination of the two. I know my sugar was low. It was hot.

I ain't no stickler for details, but I understand that bonking is when you've depleted your glycogen reserves and your metabloism comes to a screeching halt. I'm not sure I have the endurance to bonk. OTOH, I've ridden to total exhaustion either because of the heat or because of being monumentally out of shape. The point is that you can get your blood suger up quickly but you can't replete your glycogen stores quickly at all, which is why you're pretty much hosed when you bonk.

As you can tell, it's very slow in my household this evening ;)

Bonking Prevention
 

I just started riding this year after a fifteen year vacation due to health reasons. When I started biking again, I would bonk at around ten miles. After riding with some of the local Armstrong Wanabe's I began taking double water bottles and Clif Shot's with me on rides. After two weeks, I finished my first half century. After three weeks, I'm going to complete my first eighty-miler tomorrow. After four weeks I'm going for my first century. I found the secret to being one 24-oz water bottle per hour and two Clif Shots per hour. When I get back, I down 24-oz of recovery drink within thirty minutes of finishing my ride. I am now averaging 16MPH+ at an average of 6000 feet elevation in Colorado. Not bad for being 58-years young. I left the bonk bleeding in the street...at least until my century attempt.