I've Just had a Bonk!

Thursday 22nd December 2011

Cycling
01:00:00 - 18.55 Miles (18.55 MPH / HR Zone 1 / 70% Max / Cadence 101) - Turbo Spin Session
1 HR on the turbo early this morning doing a spin session.  At the start of the training programme this was a 30 minute session and has now progressed to 1HR.  I can tell you that sitting spinning at over 100rpm for 1HR is harder than it looks - I felt like a tumble drier.
Saying that, my HR was so low it actually dropped in to Zone1 which is pretty pleasing - but the other way of looking at it is that I was not working quite hard enough.  I am going with the view that I just did really well!!

Running
01:15:00 - 8.00 Miles (09.25 per mile / HR Zone 2 / 83% Max)
This run was a bit of a heavy legged one. I am not surprised as since yesterday I have run 14.5 miles and cycled 18.5.  I know this is a drop in the ocean compared to what I have to do on the BIG day but it went well anyway.

Things didn't go so well when I got home though.  I Bonked!!
This is the name for it when your blood sugar levels drop too low and you effectively lose all energy and just fail to function as well as feel sick and not able to get food down - even though it is exactly that which is needed.  I rested for an hour or so and then felt able to get my dinner down.

http://www.hornetjuice.com/sports-nutrition-carbohydrate.html#bon
When blood glucose becomes low (hypoglycaemia), marathon runners complain of "bonking" or "hitting the wall"; they no longer have enough glucose in their blood for their brain to function properly.
Did you know that the term "bonking" comes from the sport of cycling? When blood glucose levels got too low, riders fell off their bikes and "bonked" their heads on the ground!

I have learnt another lesson from this and the importance of fuelling properly before, during and after training.  I don't like the feeling of Bonking (well not this one any way) and I will try to avoid it again.