When will I learn how not to bonk?

Triathlon Forum
1

Got up early, had a cup of coffee, jumped on the bike and was powering through a great workout. Legs felt strong, heart rate was good. Had spagetti last night, ate a couple of gels and still bonked 35 minutes into it. Arg! I hate eating in the morning, I just don’t want to. In fact one of the hardest things for me when training hard is getting enough to eat because I’m just not much of a food person - I like to eat it OK, but not in large amounts and I’m terrible at planning meals. I guess I should focus more on some breakfast instead of that almighty first cup of coffee…

I like the thread on being a married woman with young children and a 40 hr week job while trying to train IM distance. I’m not even trying to train that distance (1/2 would do me just fine) and the house is always a mess, the laundry is never done and no one around here cooks anything but pizza. I work one job, but my husband works two, so he gets a more slack. Having a 2.5 year old is like having an anti-house keeper, so it’s pretty much hopeless. :wink: Althought she does have a strict bed time. lol

2

I don’t think you’re bonking after 35 minutes. It takes more than that to deplete your stored glycogen. However, if I have a good workout planned early, I’ll get up about 2-3 hours before - eat - go back to bed - get up and go.

3

I never eat in the mornings before I train. Coffee only. And have no problems, even with a 90 minute run or run/swim or weights/swim combo workout.

clm

4

I used to bonk a lot. Wanted to lose weight so I thought that working out without eating was a good idea. I also have a really good buddy and training partner that can ride a century with nothing but gatorade so I felt like such a pig eating throughout the workout. But I would always bonk at mile 40. Now I’ve learned to eat at least 300 calories within 2 hours of a big workout and I try to eat a Cliff bar every hour or so. I haven’t quite gotten the hang of eating while running, but I never run long enough to bonk (Soon I’ll have to start carrying gels, I’m sure).

The key is to find something you really like to eat in the morning. I am a peanut butter addict so I never have problems getting my toast down in the morning. Have you tried to eat more typical “lunch” food in the morning? You could make a sandwich before you go to bed so it’s ready for you when you wake up. When I swim in the morning I always set out a Cliff bar so it’s ready and right in front of me. No prep required.

I give you so much credit for doing the training with a toddler around. I don’t know how you parents do it! I watched my nephews and niece this week and that was a full time job!

Jodi

5

It sounds to me like you’re just not getting enough calories in your system in time. I like the idea of waking up, eating, going back to sleep, then going out the door. However, you should know that works for some people and not others. If I wake up, eat, and then go back to sleep, I’m dead to the world for a couple of hours. Give it a shot, and hopefully it works for you. Otherwise, you might have to get up earlier, eat, wait a bit, and then go for the ride /run.

6

I don’t think you are bonking, just crashing from caffene. Try something like Infinit, or CarboPro in the morning instead of coffee.

7

I find that it’s highly individual. Some people are much better able to utilize fat than others. I’ve found that the more endurance training I do, the farther I can go on an empty stomach.

Also, for some reason swimming and running are easier to do on low glycogen than cycling. I am useless on a bike if I haven’t eaten. I could swim all day, though. And running is hard to do after I eat.

Jodi

8

There are times when I feel that I want to quit running after 20 minutes. When that happens I eat a gel and feel much better.

I think it’s just low blood sugar and my brain starts telling my body that I’m tired. Sometimes I take the attitude of doing whatever I need to do to complete the workout and see what happens. I’ll worry about the calories later.

I also find that I get as much or more energy from eating chicken with brocolli/carrots and brown rice the night before.

For morning workouts a Cliff bar and/or a banana works well with me as long as I continue to eat or drink through the workout.

jaretj

9

might look at what you are eating a couple of nights before your long ride. Also perhaps you aren’t taking in enough calories during the ride? But 35 minutes into the ride…should take longer that that before ya bonk. thats my 2 cents.

10

She is definately not bonking 35 minutes into a ride. It is impossible. Are you vegetarian by chance?

11

yeah I’m scratching my head over this one…usually takes about 90 minutes to exhaust glycogen/glucose stores and that with pretty heavy intensity.
Hmmm…never heard of this one…oh well…Im not an expert anyway…LOL

12

… and the house is always a mess, the laundry is never done and no one around here cooks anything but pizza.

I would be more worried about your messy house! Just kidding.

Could it be a build up of Lactic acid? Do you train with a heart rate monitor?

GU recommends eating one hunk of gel before you work out and then eating one every 45 minutes. I’ve always thought this was overkill but, hey, I’m not trying to sell more GU.

13

You’re not bonking after just 35 minutes. Sounds more like a caffeine crash. Try OJ or other juice instead od the coffee.

Ric

14

Suggestions: a)maybe you’re going into it too hard; b) you may be somewhat dehydrated c) maybe you’re going too easy and your body’s reaction to the gels is making you crash. I don’t really know, of course.
When I have bonked it’s usually been after some hours on the bike - it could just be fatigue, getting those muscles used to doing that continuously for so long. j

.

15

One of the hardest things about learning our sport is learning how to take care of yourself. It is a major lifestyle modification.

When you train two or three times a day you always have to be thinking a few steps ahead of yourself for everything from food to showers and clean clothes. I live out a backpack and know where every shower in town is. Some weeks I go for 5 days without showering at home, especially if I am swimming a lot.

Learning how to manage your food intake takes a while but is worth doing. It helps your training and your training makes you happy- so it’s a good thing!

16

Can you describe what you mean by “bonking”? I think it’s impossible to truly bonk (run out of glycogen) in only 35 minutes.

Even though you don’t LIKE to eat in the morning, could you try to eat something? a mix of carb, protein, and a little fat is good for sustained energy. A piece of toast with peanut butter, yogurt, whatever appeals to you.

If you’re looking for a good sports nutrition resource, Monique Ryan’s Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes is good.

17

CrashingGirl,

I don’t know too much about what your lifestyle is like, nor your medical or athletic history, so I will take a few guesses.

If you are truly “bonking” 35 mins into a workout, then…

1.) You’re going way too hard. Start off easier, and work up to your HR. Do you know your HR zones and what you’re trying to accomplish each workout?

2.) If you’re not going too hard, eat a little in the morning before the workout.

3.) If you’re not going too hard, and you’ve eaten a breakfast, then you need to look at your diet more.

When I was at the Olympic Training Center this year, I was improving so much, and then one day I couldn’t swim within 30 seconds of my base time for a single 100 yard swim, 30 mins into a swim workout. I bonked, 30 mins into a workout that I was fresh for. I had eaten breakfast, everything. This continued to happen for a few weeks, and 2 days before St. Anthony’s, I passed out on a run, trying to do a 2 mile harder session, and was awoken by a woman asking me if I was ok. I thought it was the heat, and blew it off. 2 days later, I raced horrible at St. Anthony’s and DNFed. I came home and had my doctor look at my blood test results. He told me, “Wow, I amazed you did what you did! You’re nearly hypoglycemic!”

At the OTC, I was spiking for every workout, and trying to do it so hard and so well, that I ate sugar. The fact I was working so hard had me to believe I could anything I wanted to, so I ate sugar, (ice cream, cereals, coffee with tons of sugar, etc.) I had so much sugar in my diet, my body had to work overtime and overdid it with insulin production. The result was too much insulin, and low blood sugar levels. With low blood sugar levels, you’re lucky to maintain a high level for 30 mins.

Consider your diet, then go see a doctor and get some blood work done. I control this now by eating a much more low-glycemic index diet.

Hope this helps…

18

… and was awoken by a woman asking me if I was ok.

Do you think she could be anemic? You know, not getting enough iron or something?

Let’s here more about you waking up to a woman asking if you’re OK. This is how every one of my good dreams begin.

19

Wow, thanks for the replies everyone. I’m suseptible to low blood sugar episodes just walking around, I’m one of those people who has to eat a little all the time. My dad is the same way. I also think caffeine could be a culprit as well. hmmm… I really try to eat healthy and lots of protein and good carbs, and take a good multivitamin so I don’t think it’s an iron issue. I am surprised to hear all you say it’s impossible to bonk in 35 minutes. Isn’t bonking like zero blood sugar? I know really well what that feels like, so I know that is what it is. If I eat and go back to bed, I think I’ll just give in and forget it, although I like that idea a lot!!

20

Bonking doesn’t really feel like low blood sugar. When you bonk you just feel spent, like you can’t go any further. Low blood sugar makes you feel rummy; almost like you’ve had a few.