Damn that Corned Beef!
 

I did my first Century this past Friday with five other friends. I felt really strong for the first 3 hours prior to the lunch break. We stopped at a great deli for sandwiches. I ordered a grilled corned beef sandwich which had 1lb of corned beef in it. Since I was famished after 3 solid hours of riding, I inhaled my food.

About a 1/2 hour into the second leg of the century I became very very thirsty. Within 1 hour I went through both my water bottles plus a third from one of the other riders. I noticed my energy level dropping and found it harder and harder to keep up with our paceline at 18-20mph.

Did I experience my first Bonk? My lungs were fine, but my legs felt like lead. Even spinning at a fast cadence could not relieve the lactic acid from my legs. If I did bonk, was it because of that great tasting sandwich?

Corn beef has tons of fat and salt. You were feeling the effects of both, not conducive to a good century.

When I eat corned beef my butt smells funny. I still eat it though. The best corned beef in the world is at Katz's Deli in NY. Stuff melts like butter in your mouth.

Well, close. Actually the best corned beef is at Carnegie Deli in NY. Just don't go there for a cycling break. :D

Edit: Hey, the next time I'm in NY, I will certainly try Katz's Deli.

You ate a very big meal with tons of protein and lots of salt.

That dehydrated you and pulled a lot of blood into your digestive system to digest your meal.

I suggest eating along the way. If you are famished at 3 hours, you are likely not eating enougnh.

that place is amazing.

No, you didn't bonk. You just screwed up your body by cramming it full of crap while you were trying to exercise.

FWIW, one pound of corned beef contains:

1136 calories (773 calories from fat alone).
443 mg of cholesterol (149% of the recommended daily limit)
5141 mg of sodium (213% of the recommended daily limit)

And that's just for the corned beef itself!

Why would anyone want to cram down all that fat and salt? It's gross just thinking about it.

No wonder Ohio is the 13th fattest state...

Where did you eat at? Sounds like a Slymans sandwich.

Tim

Wise decision.

It's not the protein or the fat. The whole story was the salt. When you ingest salt your body needs to use fluid to process it. If you're going to eat during a ride, choose much smaller snacks and eat them more often. You're lucky that your stomach didn't hurt like mad when you were riding post-lunch. That would have made me yarf.

I used to live near Katz's and I've been there a lot of times. The decor is terrible. The service is militant. But the food is unebelievable!

why would you ever need to eat a whole pound of ANY meat in one sitting? especially on a long ride? especially corned beef?

(now, if it was prawns or lobster i could understand)

I think you needed salt (not that much)....but I agree that your blood was redirected to your GI system to process all of that grub.

I was a huge fan of the 2nd Avenue Deli until it closed (RIP!)
Stage Deli is great too.....but this discussion is similar to comparing great high end bikes. You can't lose anywhere:D

Hey, at least I didn't eat the pickle.... Seriously though, I burned over 7,000 calories on that ride so the last thing on my mind was eating too much. By your calculations, I ingested 1,136 (Corned Beef) + 200 (2 packs of GU) + 230 (1 CLIF bar) + 150 (3 Gatorades) + 100 (banana) = 1800 total calories. Hey I guess I'm helping OH move to the 14th fattest state.

you know this how?

please don't write that your bike computer implied as much.

Are you mental?

A bicycle is an emission-free vehichle (at least when most of us ride one anyway.). You you bike past the filling station, you really "pass gas".

I stop at eating contests during my triple centuries. I'm that tough. And I finish the 300 miles with a 27mph average.

You ate a POUND of corned beef 3hrs into a century!?!? Oh man! :D:D Actually, I'm just impressed you finished at all. I would have called 911 about 30 minutes later :)

Oh, and I don't think that was a bonk at all... it was probably more along the lines of:

A) struggling with digestion because you're riding a century and eating a meal for two
B) ate too much and your body is using too much energey to try and break down A POUND OF MEAT
C) your body saying "WTF DUDE?!"

:D

In addtion to the other digestive issues noted, the problem was likely that you were dehydrated prior to eating the CBS, long before you felt thirsty in the 2nd half. Your body wanted water and you gave it meat, which made it need more water. Often a feeling of food craving after (or in your case during) a ride is really water craving in disguise.

How much water did you drink in the 1st half before lunch and what was the temp in Ohio during this century (wasn't it quite hot this weekend in the midwest?)
Al

you overate like +eleventy thousand

next century try a bagel, a banana, and a coke, and if you are fried at mile 80 have another bagel

Even better than Carnegie Deli?

Why not eat every hour? beats having to inhale all that food.

Just wanted to note this as the best off topic response I have ever read. Nothing what so ever to do with the original post other then corned beef. It's like you read 'corned beef' and just could not help yourself... you filthy corned beef addict...

I must admit, I haven't compared - perhaps a road trip is in order.

True, it's all true - d*mn you!