Ever Bonked?

[Vetseun]

How many times have I seen guys finish a race or a ride, had a bit of a bad day in the saddle, tells everybody "man I bonked today" Always think to myself, Bru you dont know what it is to bonk until you have really felt the big bad bonk.

We had a night ride last night. One of my buddies decided to sow his oats in Brazil for a month over the festive season. Started riding again last night, looked pregnant with his newly grown boep. He did well until about 45 km then started droppng off the back, By 50 km he was dead in the saddle, I rode 7kmph next to him and he couldnt sit on my wheel. Eventually he started getting irritated with the offers for help. The eventual result was that he started pushing his bike, that lasted a while until he couldnt do that anymore, eventual result was that he had to phone home and arrange for somebody to fetch him.

 

I once rode a MTB race, gravel roads 80km. When I got to the race I realised that I had forgotten by bottles and chow at home. The race officials confirmed that there would be 1 water point on the route.I managed to loan a bottle. Knew I would have to conservative and nurse a bottle to the water point, drink water reload bottle and easy finish the race. Big surprise at 12 km was the water point, refilled my bottle, nothing to eat.

At 70km I hit the wall. It was like switching a light off. I was gone, dead, man down with 10km to go. The slightest incline I had to push my bike (Da Agent dont push no bike!) I have never had to dig so deep in my life before. With 1,5km to go I swear if a bakkie had passed I would have caught a lift to the line, the officials could stick thier medal and luke warm styrofoam cup of powerade up thier bum for all I cared. The last 500m to the line was like hell, I had zero in my legs total shutdown.Was frikken horrible.

 

Never ever in my life do I want to feel that again, you feel helpless, angry and just plain wasted.

 

Anybody else got a lekker bonk story to share?

[montyzuma]

With that headline this should be a good one to watch......

[1hill@aTime]

I try and bonk quite often I find just before a race helps me focus more.

[Kranswurm]

How many times have I seen guys finish a race or a ride, had a bit of a bad day in the saddle, tells everybody "man I bonked today" Always think to myself, Bru you dont know what it is to bonk until you have really felt the big bad bonk.

We had a night ride last night. One of my buddies decided to sow his oats in Brazil for a month over the festive season. Started riding again last night, looked pregnant with his newly grown boep. He did well until about 45 km then started droppng off the back, By 50 km he was dead in the saddle, I rode 7kmph next to him and he couldnt sit on my wheel. Eventually he started getting irritated with the offers for help. The eventual result was that he started pushing his bike, that lasted a while until he couldnt do that anymore, eventual result was that he had to phone home and arrange for somebody to fetch him.

 

I once rode a MTB race, gravel roads 80km. When I got to the race I realised that I had forgotten by bottles and chow at home. The race officials confirmed that there would be 1 water point on the route.I managed to loan a bottle. Knew I would have to conservative and nurse a bottle to the water point, drink water reload bottle and easy finish the race. Big surprise at 12 km was the water point, refilled my bottle, nothing to eat.

At 70km I hit the wall. It was like switching a light off. I was gone, dead, man down with 10km to go. The slightest incline I had to push my bike (Da Agent dont push no bike!) I have never had to dig so deep in my life before. With 1,5km to go I swear if a bakkie had passed I would have caught a lift to the line, the officials could stick thier medal and luke warm styrofoam cup of powerade up thier bum for all I cared. The last 500m to the line was like hell, I had zero in my legs total shutdown.Was frikken horrible.

 

Never ever in my life do I want to feel that again, you feel helpless, angry and just plain wasted.

 

Anybody else got a lekker bonk story to share?

 

I can think of many lurid bonking stories over the years however the would be Hub Police would have my hide

BTW where and who are they???I have just broken the hijacking law

[AndreZA]

Last year in the 94.7. Reached the halfway mark and I could not go on anymore. I felt like phoning home to tell people to come and pick me up at Northgate. Managed to finish. I think it was because I went through a course of anti-biotics the week before after picking up a virus.

[Mojoman]

Only once, when I first got my bike and took off for a long ride thinking I could stop at a farm shop en route but there was just an empty shop! I had enough water but not enough food! I had banked on getting some chips etc at the shop. Now there are always gels and energy bars in my bag! (At that stage I did not have a proper riding shirt with pockets or a Camelbak)

[Berry]

[quote name='THE BLOODY AGENT' Never ever in my life do I want to feel that again, you feel helpless, angry and just plain wasted.

 

Anybody else got a lekker bonk story to share?

 

 

ok it was me and a blond ..........

[Stretch]

ha ha - 2010 hill2hill - i was prepared with enough fluids and chow but it was so damn hot that i didnt have enough. last 10 k's took an eternity - had to push up every hill and even then pushing up key ridge i had to stop and rest every 100m! worst bike experience of my life so far, but at least i have learnt to throw some gu reserves in my pockets.

[steveO:K]

Argus 2010. bonked at ocean view. Hadn't happened before.

 

I think riding too hard in the wind was a problem. But i think the real issue was a psychological issue. I trained really hard and felt i was capable of doing my first sub3, once i reached ocean view way behind my predicted time, the disappointment set in and i was promply devoid of all energy. It was a struggle to the finish some 30 minitus behind my target.

 

As a result of this difficult ride and the absolute disappointment i stopped road riding and only spend time on the trails...now when i bonk at least there is usually a great view to lift the spirits and get me to the finish.

[TYGA]

Did the Vasbyt 165km road race when I was 14 on my le Turbo Grand Prix a long long time ago ...first "race" I attempted ever ...had no clue whatsoever about what I was doing, went out full blast and came crawling in crying like a little baby close to 7 hours later.

[Wayne Potgieter]

Once was super I'll with flu, started on suikerbos. Got 7 km from the gate and bonked so bad I threw up all over the place!

 

not fun. Never again.

[The expat cyclist]

I have bonked only once in my life and I swore I would never let that happen ever again!!!

 

This Sunday at Babbas it happened to a friend of mine. He was with me and some others in the top 5 with about 7-10km to go. He slipped off the back end somewhere and when I looked at the results on Sunday he was waaaaaaaaaaaaaay down the field. I thought he had a mechanical or a fall or something. He said he started feeling so bad he nearly stopped! And this is someone that has beaten me hands down before!

 

To me that is just the worst thing in a race!

[Grondpad]

Jip, my first bonk ever was at the Sabie classic last year. The month before I did the Barberton marathon which was my first marathon ever. So I got a bit cocky and didn’t focus. 12km into the ride and I started swearing at the climbs and got a back ache.

 

When I was a my bitter end I thought my polar was broken as it showed that I only did 47km. I couldn’t believe it! My camelback was dry, 3 gels used and I was absolutely miserable. I started looking for on route medics, but no luck. At every incline I got off and pushed just to stop and sit next to the road halfway up the smallest hills.

 

Eventfully I found some help and the dude showed me a map indicating I had only 9km left and most was downhill. I eventfully finished in almost 6hours. After the race, I could sit, stand or sleep. Its the worst I felt and if I had the energy to talk I would have told my wife to take me to a doctor.

 

Sabie is in 6 weeks time, so this year I will definitely be beter prepared. I still get nauseous and a chill just thinking about it. Hectic!

[Guest Big H]

Cannot remember name of race biut was Babsfontein, Delmas, Bronhorstspruit. Turning for home at Bronkies i had a glass of Coca Cola. 5 km later My legs fell off. We still had thev35 odd km back to the finish. Desperate times and a terrible feeling that lameness.

Edited January 12, 2011 by Big H

[Vetseun]

ok it was me and a blond ..........

[Brighter-Lights]

There's a difference between hitting the wall (which some call bonking) and bonking, which is complete glycogen depletion.

 

I've bonked before. There's 3 times that I will never forget. On one of them, I was only 8km from home and not able to ride in granny gear on a flat. I had to phone someone to fetch me.

 

Here's one:

 

In 2006 we were pre riding the Herald 60km route in Longmore Forest near PE... Being in ok form, and knowing the area, my budget was for no more than 3 hours. I've done a 110km in the Baviaans Kloof the previous day and was just gonna take it casually (I told myself)

 

We were quite a big group and I would sprint out every hill to get to the top to photograph them as they ride closer. My ride consisted of all out efforts and stopping to wait. Then at 2 hours into the ride and 40km (still whithin my budget) we all stopped at a stream and I filled the Camelback with water from the stream, which should've been ok since it's 'berg water' . Not long after that, my drink went off and I had to dump all of it. We we're climbing out on a 11km drag, away from any water and I thought I would be ok for the last '20km' .

 

Somehow, the 40km (short route) group, which should've joined us for the last 20km of the 60km got lost. The leaders of our group decided that we should wait as we could see them on a contour on the opposite side of the mountain. I got hungy and thirsty in the summer heat. It's often reached over 40deg C in Lonmore in summer. Everybody in our group was hanging on and very reluctant to share anything as they realised that this ride is suddenly going to be much longer.

 

I suddenly started to feel really hungry, thirsty and weak and at the next stop to wait for the slower riders, I lay down in the dust. That was all that could comfort me and we were in the middle of a state forest, no easy way back to the parking lot...

 

I had to continue going and were doing so very conservatively, hanging on for what felt like dear life. At one stage we entered some Pine forest again and at the first stop to wait for the others, who were also running empty, I broke off some of the new leaves of the ferns and ate them. How desperate can one get to eat fern leaves... From this point there was a bit of downhill towards the finish and in the end the ride took us a good 5-6 hours incl. the waiting - with an actual distance of over 70km...

 

Big lesson learned...

 

Today, I don't bonk anymore. Bonking happened in my early years when going out flat out with not enough food or drink, or if having enough, not using it...

 

I DID hit the wall on new years at Grootvaderschbosh when the 20km trail turned into a 4 hour nighmare of crossing streams and 35% gradients. Poorly kept, marked and overgrown route.

 

Always take food if riding in the unknown. We took no food and only one 500ml water each, as it was supposed to be only 20km... and 4 hours later we were crawling back home... we could've and should've turned around, but the optimist in you always believes that it's gonna be better soon...