It was a route I'd done plenty of times before. Normally, I'd stop halfway to have a drink and snack but this time I pushed on. After an hour and half of riding at a brisk pace, I wasn't expecting my legs to feel so tired but I put it down to lack of recovery from a weights workout the previous day. Then, suddenly, without warning, I felt like I was cycling through treacle. Despite mustering up every bit of strength remaining, I had nothing left - the road ahead was starting to blur and I was barely holding a straight line.
What was going on? I felt angry and emotional with myself, the traffic, the potholes, other cyclists that overtook me. My heart rate was through the roof although I was barely moving. Was I having a heart attack? I pulled over and, with shaking hands, called my husband for help, something I had never done before. It went to voicemail. Tears were running down my face now. Not wanting to attract attention, I got back on my bike and attempted pedalling but managed only a few more metres. My legs felt like jelly. I pulled over again and tried to calm my breathing. That's when I realised what was happening: I was suffering a 'bonk'. Worse still, I had no fuel with me and needed to get home.
'Bonking' - sometimes called 'hitting the wall', 'blowing up' or the 'hunger flats - is something that every cyclist dreads. One minute you're riding high, the next you're falling hard, your tank empty and your muscles feeling shot to pieces. In a race, bonking certainly means game over-eating or drinking at this stage will not be enough to return you to previous levels of effort. It can also ruin a ride or workout - as I found out. But what is really going on in the body, and how can we steer clear of this horrible experience?
What is bonking?
Denne historien er fra March 30, 2023-utgaven av CYCLING WEEKLY.
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Denne historien er fra March 30, 2023-utgaven av CYCLING WEEKLY.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
CLASSIC BIKE COLNAGO SUPER
A trailblazing bike immortalised by Merckx and Saronni
"Strava activities are the only way I know some of my friends are still alive"
...or that Bernard is doing his weekly shop
AN EXPERT'S TAKE ON... SADDLE SELECTION
Crucial advice to guide your next purchase
JUST A NUMB#R?
Approaching a landmark birthday, Charlie Graham-Dixon explores how ageing affects cycling performance and what can be done to stay ahead of the curve
RURAL PERIL
More UK cyclists are killed on rural lanes than on busy city streets. Rob Kemp investigates why and what can be done to keep us safe while riding in the countryside
A BLESSED RIDE THROUGH THE FOREST OF BOWLAND
Forgoing cloak, cassock and cross, Trevor Ward goes in search of the holy roads that helped make a Tour winner
Dame Sarah Storey claims road and 19th gold double
More success for Team GB's Paralympians in Paris, but Storey slams women's time trial course
Roglič matches Vuelta win record
Slovenian takes fourth Tour of Spain title after hunting down O'Connor's lead, writes Adam Becket
Williams crowned Tour of Britain champion
Welshman leads home resurgence at the stage race to crown an Israel-Premier Tech clean sweep, reports Tom Davidson in Felixstowe
CLASSIC BIKE CLAUD BUTLER OLYMPIC ROAD
Iconic British brand's Holdsworth-era road bike