The one thing that is warned about but never really listened to is bonking - less sniggering at the back there.
Even for a bear on a tricycle, the balance between what you eat and what you expel in energy is extremely important. Too much in and too little out and you very quickly realise that there’s no point being a weight weenie when the stomach is developing its own satellites.
Go the other way and that’s when the bonk could happen - stop it!
Basically your blood sugar levels run lower and lower and your legs start feeling like treacle. If you're lucky it is just a case of losing ‘petrol’ so you pull over grab some food and drink and you’re back on your way.
If you’re unlucky, the head starts swimming and all…you…want…to…do…is…lie…down.
Eating dirt you dream of cakes and biscuits, loverly coffee and sweets. But you’re strong…ish. Sitting up you grab the energy bar you didn’t think you need, grab some drink and breathe. Slowly the dizziness disappears and you begin to resemble a human agai…slightly.
But it’s enough. Enough to get you through those final few miles, enough for you to drag your sorry carcass across your home’s threshold.
You see, food is as much of a mind field as what clothes you wear.
But it is also a personal choice. Some people adore those weapons of mass diabetes - energy gels that are just packed with sugar. Others favour energy bars. But a simple flapjack can do it.
One thing I found on long rides is the mundanity of eating the same food over the hours. So I like a bit of variety. Flapjacks, caramel energy bars - hell I’ve even taken mini pork pies with me. The important thing is to keep yourself fuelled.
Drinkwise, you can get these tablets or powders that provide electrolytes - the sugars and salts you lose when exercising. Of course you can shove about six spoons of sugar and a pinch of salt into a bottle of water and couple it with lemon juice or other flavourings but hey, I kinda like them. Coupled with another bottle of water, these will generally get you through 40 miles or so. And here’s a useful tip - short of drinks, flatten and dilute a Coca Cola!
Keeping hydrated is of course key and sometimes it can help with cramp - although the juries are out on that one.
Taking the right food and drinks gives you the chance to avoid bonking.
But it is not guaranteed. Just the other week, after a short hop out, came home had lunch, feeling absolutely fine then went to the supermarket. Somewhere between the vegetables and the butchers, I began to feel my head start swimming.
As the fish looked on in contempt and I began to resemble their pallid and glassy demeanour, I leant on the trolley, hoping for the wave of nausea pass.
Fortunately my daughter is a great climber with great upper body strength!
In all seriousness, it was a large banana, small coke and a bottle of Lucozade sport down the throat helped the body rebalanced
So to a fitness regime, distance regime, climbing regime and speed regime add dietary regime to the list.
A list that keeps ever growing.
Training ride 3:
Distance: 35 miles
Average speed: 16.4
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