BONK symptoms

[Salad Dodger]

No jokes please......

My normal weekend ride is about 5 miles out, coffee and a bun at the cafe, then 5 miles home. I have done about 5 miles out, and about 7 miles back before now without trouble.

But on Sunday it all went pear shaped....

After a coffee and croissants for breakfast, I set off as usual, but after about 1 mile felt a bit wobbly. This passed and I ended up doing about 14 miles before arriving at the cafe, but during the 14 miles I had to walk up a couple of big hills, and there were a couple of sessions of having to carry the bike through some bramble bushes and lifting it, and myself, over a fence due to my wayward navigation.....

So by the time I got to the cafe (up another bloody greaqt hill) I was feeling rough. Sick, dizzy, and generally very unhappy...

Sat down, feeling really knackered, had a few sips of water, then got coffee and a chocolate bar. After those I felt better and set off for home.

I absolutely flew the first 4 miles home, but then, quite suddenly, the dizzyness overtook again and I ended up wobbling into the bushes beside the farm track. No damage done, but I had to walk the last mile home as I felt too wobbly to ride.

Laid on the sofa most of the day, feeling rough.

Today I have got up and gone to work, but with a rattly cough.

Does my experience sound like a case of the Bonk, or do you think it might be more related to the cough/cold that I seem to have developed.

If it was a bonk, what should I do differently next time to avoid, or at least minimize the effects? Should I carry some "food aid" or a different drink to water?

I am a 50 something and relatively unfit, although basically healthy, fella.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.....

 

[Smokin Joe]

That indeed sounds very much like the bonk, but it would be highly unusual after such a short distance, especially as you had eaten.

The cough sounds like you were on the way down with a chest infection, which would be a more likely cause.

 

[Crackle]

Sounds similar to the bonk but more likely caused by the virus you've now got rather than food intake.

 

[vernon]

Doubt you had the bonk. You hadn't ridden far enough. More likely it was the lurgy.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Agree with the above.
Also sound like yyou might have over exerted yourself. If you're fairly new to this lark, take it easy in the initial stahges until you've built some fitness and stamina. It comes, but it can take some miles. When you're going down with a bug then that can sap your strength.

 

[Norm]

Rattly cough.... that's not a good sign. Take it easy, no cycling or exercise in the cold until that's gone, IMO.

 

[Titan yer tummy]

What is BONK please?

 

[gbb]

What is BONK please?

I dont know why the term came to be, but basically it's when you run completely out of energy.
It makes you want to climb off the bike and just lay down I always say...the tanks completely empty, you've burned up all your reserves.

 

[GrasB]

Sounds like an infection induced BONK. I've found that I need to eat about 50-60% more calories when I've got some kind of background illness compared to when I'm 100%.

 

[dudi]

Does sound like the Bonk to me. but like others have said - due to the short distance, you probably had bad effects from the lurgy.
You should be able to ride about 40-50 miles once fully fit without needing to eat en-route. though it's not recommended.
Were you cycling on the road most of the time? It does sound from your post that there was some off-road riding going down - which is far more energy consuming than road cycling.

I have bonked twice, and both times felt wobbly, dizzy and had to get off the bike before I fell off it.
One of the times I bonked was due to being under-dressed. I set off in the relative warm but the weather turned when I was about 35 miles from home and I had not prepared - cold weather = more energy used. Bonked with about 5 miles to go. Thankfully only about a mile to the nearest newsagests to buy a can of Dr Pepper and a Yorkie Bar.

 

[Globalti]

Get yourself checked out by your Dr. A few blood tests don't take much time and at your age you should be having a "well man" check every couple of years anyway. I do, it's free. I'm 53.

 

[Debian]

Sounds like infection induced bonk. I had this a few months back, went for a XC ride aiming to do 20 miles which is not abnormal for me, I'm the same sort of age as the OP and quite fit but a little overweight. I do sometimes crash and burn but only if I haven't fuelled properly before the ride and usually not before ten miles or so into the ride.

Anyway, three miles in and I completely ran out of energy, had the shakes and dizzyness, simply could not cycle any further. I carried out my usual bonk recovery routine of sitting down, eating a couple of Mars bars and having a drink. After about fifteen minutes I felt up to carrying on but didn't feel anywhere near 100% so I about turned and rode home.

Less than a week later I came down with swine flu proper so IMHO my experience was due to the initial stages on the infection.

My advice is to take it easy and get yourself checked out.

 

[accountantpete]

Could be something very simple like over-heating. Were you perhaps wrapped up too well?

 

[Tigerbiten]

What is BONK please?

Otherwise know as hitting the wall.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hit_the_wall
Its when you run out of glycogen and have to start useing fat for energy.

Luck ..........

 

[I am Spartacus]

This could go on for ever..
bonk.. running out of any 'go' etc etc etc
result of
piss poor preparation
end of

just don't do it ..
it AINT a badge of glory