First 35 miler but bonked out towards the end?

[wakou]

Well, I think it'll be the cold that did it then.

I'm going against the trend here on the breakfast front.

Whilst 36 miles is a good ride (well done) by most standards (me included) for someone who is doing an average 60 miles a week I wouldn't thought breakfast vs no breakfast would make any difference at all. I would have though most reasonably fit individuals could knock out 2.5 hours of effort without giving food a thought.

I'm going to be shot down now......

Not shot down but just reminded that we are all different! I regularly run out of fuel @ about 30 miles, I am a skinny wretch and often neglect to eat... This happens on club rides, luckily our breakfast stop is around this distance..
I get blurred vision, very weak muscles, sweating even off the bike, (and not from warmth...) Two breakfasts and an hour's break usually sorts me out...

 

[Ciar]

I have suffered the bonk issue since I were a lad, but having restarted cycling back in December, the bonks we much more evident, I spoke to the guy i trained with and asked on here, i make sure that i eat breakfast 2 hours before I ride now, something decent like hot snot err porridge, also when I train tuesday and thursday i use a high 5 in my water bottle as i sweat like well a really sweaty thing.. all in all touch wood I have been de bonked for now, hoping it stays that way..

looking at your mileage,your doing tons more than me, so going on your post I would say it's the breakfast issue more than anything, but there are much wiser and knowledgeable people on this here forum than moi

 

[Gravity Aided]

Take 1 cup of Grape-Nuts cereal
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Soak the grape-nuts 10 minutes in the buttermilk. You may wish to add some dried fruit or nuts. Add the sugar and the eggs, mix until eggs are blended in, add rest of the dry ingredients. Put this batter in 2 loaf pans, bake 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes.Cool for 30 mins. Take one of the loaves, eat it on the spot. Save the rest for family and friends. Enjoy.

 

[Ciar]

What app you using to count calories? I have Strava but it doesn't do that for me.

I have cyclemeter & strava, normally use cyclemeter then import into strava the calorie difference is generally 50% strava being lower, so i now discout both.

 

[Bodhbh]

I think you know the bonking issue when it happens, cause it's not just tiredness - it comes down all of a sudden you and feel very faint and lightheaded. I normally budget 50 kcals a mile on a MTB or my tourer, it's probably a fair bit lower on a road bike...but then ofc depends on the wind, elevation, etc.

 

[Bodhbh]

also try this for a top up snack easy to make and full of energy...


BRANFLAKE LOAF

Is this for cycling or 'running'? Are you trying to have half the forum disappearing off into the hedge mid-ride?

 

[theloafer]

Is this for cycling or 'running'? Are you trying to have half the forum disappearing off into the hedge mid-ride?

its dam good stuff .... never had to dive into a hedge yet eaten it for years

 

[fullcycle]

Deffinatley agree with the breakfast posts, a real important factor is hydration the difference taking on water regularily can make is massive

 

[jamin100]

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far
Next time ill definitely eat breakfast

 

[Rob3rt]

I did 37 miles today and only burn 900 cal with elevation of 2000ft and a speed of 16mph seems alot 2500 cal

Freewheel a half of the time?

Based on measured kJ and on an average taken from a large dataset of my own ride data I deliver about 47 kJ per mile (constant pedalling), so for 37 miles that would be 1743 kJ. Given that the relationship between kJ measured by a power meter is close enough to a 1:1 relationship with kcal for this examples purposes. That would be 1743 kcal (more likely an under estimate than an over estimate). Granted people will vary in their calorific burn, but your estimate is approx half of this value, that can not be right, unless you did indeed freewheel a large portion of the ride.

Likewise the 2500 kcal estimate sounds VERY high for 36 miles. This would amount to about 70 kcal per mile if constant pedalling, take into account that you freewheel at times (unless riding fixed), it starts to look even more bonkers.