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"Bonking" on early morning runs?
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This happens to me every few months and I can never figure out what the hell is going on. I pretty much always do my runs first thing in the AM - I wake up at 5am, immediately have two caffeinated gels and 24-30oz of water, fart around for a bit and my shoes hit the road by 530am.

This morning at about mile 3 of my 5 mile run, going at Z2 (8:00 mile for me), I just bonked. I felt like my blood sugar suddenly plummeted and I had this killer sensation of hunger in my stomach. I walked for a mile or so until I felt better, then ran the last mile as if nothing had happened. This happens to me every few months. This ONLY happens when I run first thing in the AM - I have never bonked during a race or any other type of workout. It's always during a run, and always at around the 3 mile mark.

Any ideas? Did I perhaps not eat quite enough carbs the day before? Some weird metabolic thing?
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Re: "Bonking" on early morning runs? [UrsusAdiposimus] [ In reply to ]
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Gels right out of bed. Yuk. Plus, almost a quart of water for a 5 mile run? My stomach would be sloshing. I would lose the caffeine and eat a bagel or toast instead of gels. But I have no idea what your problem is.
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Re: "Bonking" on early morning runs? [UrsusAdiposimus] [ In reply to ]
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have you tried not eating? Or moving the gels closer to the beginning of the run instead of 15-20 min prior to the start of the run?

Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
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Re: "Bonking" on early morning runs? [UrsusAdiposimus] [ In reply to ]
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Why do you need to eat before a 5m run?? What's the point?

Maybe you'd be a bit less Adiposimus of an Ursus if you knocked that shite off? You are certainly not going to starve.


float , hammer , and jog

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Re: "Bonking" on early morning runs? [UrsusAdiposimus] [ In reply to ]
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Firt off lose the water and have a sports drink , carbs and electrolytes.
Why water ?

Terry

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream" - Les Brown
"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment" - Jim Rohn
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Re: "Bonking" on early morning runs? [UrsusAdiposimus] [ In reply to ]
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Yeah I've experienced similar sensations although much more regularly than you. I used to eat a large snack 30 min prior to my afternoon swim workouts and at about 10-20 min into warm up I'd feel dizzy, maybe hungry and listless. Once warm up was over we'd usually have a couple of minutes till the start of the main set and I would usually feel better thereafter, as you said, as if nothing happened.

Here's my somewhat scientific theory: You eat about 30 min prior to exercising, during which time your insulin spikes to promote glucose disposal. So that's factor #1 working to reduce your blood glucose. Then you start exercising on top of that and your blood glucose plummets, causing your brain to not enjoy the lack of glucose it's facing. So you feel like crap until you stop exercising for a bit at which point homeostasis somehow restores itself. I welcome input from endocrinologists to fill in the details.

Anyway, if you are going to eat prior to working out, either do it 2-3 hours beforehand or immediately before. Problem solved.
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Re: "Bonking" on early morning runs? [UrsusAdiposimus] [ In reply to ]
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I doubt it's your sugar levels but if you know any diabetics, you could check that. Eating before running is different for everyone, so try different suggestions. I have to eat before a hard run. If you get that sensation again just slow down a bit, don't need to walk though, but I bet it will pass after a few easy miles. And on some days if the running just doesn't feel right I assume my body knows best I just stop. And some days I'll do more than I planned depending on how I feel. If you're really worried about it though, just borrow someone's sugar monitor.




Running is a gift.
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Re: "Bonking" on early morning runs? [Murphy'sLaw] [ In reply to ]
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you should not need to eat before a 5 mile run...and its better to run in the am on empty. Check there is nothing else going on. You dont need gels before or during a 5 mile run.
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Re: "Bonking" on early morning runs? [triLA] [ In reply to ]
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Eating before running, even if only a gel, might throw your system off akilter. My system is that on runs up to 10 miles I don't eat at all; on longer runs, I will eat *during* my run to lessen any affects of bonking.


Coach Pete from Joe Gold Endurance
coachjoegold@gmail.com
2010 Vermont 100 Ultramarathon: 28:09:15
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Re: "Bonking" on early morning runs? [UrsusAdiposimus] [ In reply to ]
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Like many have said, ditch the gels, and maybe cut back on the water. You don't need it for five miles.

If you're going longer (12+ miles) and feel you need some fuel, then take the gel as you are going out the door, or in the first mile.

Victor

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Re: "Bonking" on early morning runs? [UrsusAdiposimus] [ In reply to ]
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As mentioned on beginner triathlete you didn't 'bonk' take a gel with you on the run if you think your blood sugar was low. You might just have been tired.

Founder of THE TRIATHLON COLLECTIVE (Closed Facebook Group). A SBR discussion group without the white noise/trolling!
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Re: "Bonking" on early morning runs? [PennState] [ In reply to ]
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I do the same thing. Minus the gels and water.

Up at 5:15, coffee while I'm loosening up, running by 5:30.
Go up to an hour. I leave the fuel belt home too.

K.I.S.S.
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Re: "Bonking" on early morning runs? [UrsusAdiposimus] [ In reply to ]
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As a diabetic I can tell you what happens to me and while you are not diabetic, some elements could be happening to you.

First of all, in the morning our bodies produce certain hormones. Some of these hormones make us more insulin resistant in other words our bodies do not use insulin produced as efficiently. This happens a lot to T2 diabetics and less to T1 diabetics. Some T1s say they need more insulin in the morning to cover this phenomenon.

So you eat your gel. This causes a spike in your glucose levels, insulin is produced to bring it down. But the insulin resistance makes it so it doesn't come down as fast, more insulin is produced....and you get a build up of insulin.

Then you start running. Exercise decreases insulin resistance. All of a sudden the excess insulin is used and your levels come crashing down.

Dump the gels. They may be causing the spike. If you believe you will need carbs for your run take something that will release slower into your system. Peanut butter does it for me.

The phenomenon of crashes in glucose levels after gels was found in non diabetic athletes as well. The morning production of hormones compounds the problem
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Re: "Bonking" on early morning runs? [UrsusAdiposimus] [ In reply to ]
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Try real food (and keep it minimal). Especially for a 5 mile run. Unless you are just trying to save time, there is no need for gels unless you're racing or on long rides/runs.

And what everyone else said...

"One Line Robert"
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Re: "Bonking" on early morning runs? [UrsusAdiposimus] [ In reply to ]
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Dont know why but when i eat within an hour of running i will have similar results as you described. Early morning runs i eat nothing-all the way up to an 1 hour run. If it is over an hour then i bring accelerade in a fuel belt and drink it along the way. I also eat late at night before bed and they may help in the morning runs.
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Re: "Bonking" on early morning runs? [UrsusAdiposimus] [ In reply to ]
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If it happens every once in awhile, it is probably something you are doing the day before with your nutrition.

Not to worry about if it's infrequent

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD
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