Big bonk on the ride home yesterday.

The day started out great! I was buoyed by Sunday's super ride on the Drophopper and eager to try the detour to work. I have a pair of shoes at the office, but I decided to take my dress shoes, and my big commute bag, so I was on my heaviest bike with an extra heavy bag...but I still felt strong like yesterday, and the ride was amazing.

I had to drop off our special referendum ballots but that only takes me a block out of my way downtown, but that gave me the opportunity to take a few different streets to hook back up to the trail, rather than back tracking, so that added a little adventure, plus some fun swoopy W's at the south end of America the Beautiful Park (Colorado Springs).

With "my" final bridge removed I detoured around Walmart which uses a different bridge and a short tunnel under the highway, about as long as the usual final tunnel, but much narrower. I feared being blocked by "loiterers", but it was clear with just a few discarded backpacks and trash. I think the reason for the path being clear is that there are no "shoulders" in the tunnel...just a single width sidewalk and an equally sized aquaduct separated by a low curb. The water channel is about a foot and a half down and it is really quite dangerous without a railing. It had been raining every afternoon for the last few days and water was rushing through even though it had been hours since the last rain. I am sure that during a downpour the sidewalk must be flooded.

All-in-all another fun ride in.

It was a normal day at work but a mid-morning phone call from a relative from out of left field required some logistical problem solving, taxing both my memory and patience, necessitating a few phone calls, many carrying an unnecessary load of emotional baggage at the other end. In the end the problem was resolved and off my plate.

But it had left me a little shaken...more than I would have thought. Was I accidentally over-caffeinated again? Had the episode triggered some residual anxiety? Whatever it was I looked forward to the ride home.

And the ride started off really well. I rode back to Walmart using a low-traffic access road, and back to the adjacent tunnel which still had water gushing along it!

But now the bike felt heavy. And since I had just recently trued the rear wheel and adjusted the brakes I stopped a few times to make sure the brakes weren't rubbing...they weren't. After almost 33 years of bike commuting I knew the problem was me. After lunch I had three peanut butter cups, even though I knew that more and more often now, sugary candy makes me bonk.

I opted for a shorter routes home and came to one of the bigger hills, but I did okay,,,then I felt pretty good. Then 2.5 miles from the house...

...bonk!

My legs held no energy, my upper body sagged. I stopped, dismounted and returned a phone call hoping I would regain some mojo...but no. I thought about calling the wife to pick me up...but decided to wait another 10 minutes. I wan't dizzy or anything, just spent.

I regained enough oomph to ride home. I fought to stay awake in the shower and through dinner, then slept for an hour on the couch.

I went to bed early and so far this morning I feel fine.

But I'm gonna drive today.