Hitting the Wall, Bonking

acpgee
acpgee Posts: 7,959 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm curious about other people's experiences with hitting the wall or bonking.

I've onty experienced it once during an ultra distance speed skating event in Holland (140 km of inline skating with 6 hours of skating and 4 food breaks of 15 minutes each). Because they had motorcycles holding back traffic at intersections, you had to keep up with the pack doing a steady 23 km per hour paced by bicycles with speedometers. If you couldn't stay with the pack you were required to get into the first aid vehicle.

I was only a half hour away from the finish when I hit the wall. I suddenly got very confused, and found it impossible to coordinate. In retrospect it really brought home the saying that your muscles can run on fat, but your brain can only run on carbs. One of the cyclists from the organization saw me struggling behind the pack and handed me a hotel serving satchet of jam. He bit off a corner and told me to suck on it. Amazing. After a couple of sips of jam, my mind suddenly cleared and I could finish the event.
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Replies

  • salladeve
    salladeve Posts: 1,053 Member
    Oh well, that was not at all what I thought this thread was about! So disappointed :cry:
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Near the end of a 4hr cycle ride when I had run low on fluids and completely out of food.

    Very sudden switch from feeling a little dry and tired to suddenly massively fatigued, every road seemed uphill, with a strong headwind and flat tyres! Also very slow mentally - almost toppled over at a couple of junctions through a mixture of forgetting to unclip and poor co-ordination.

    Wasn't far from home but it seemed to take ages - initial recovery was very quick as soon as I got some sports drink and sugary food in me. Did leave me feeling pretty flat for a couple of days.
  • DR2501
    DR2501 Posts: 661 Member
    Oh well, that was not at all what I thought this thread was about! So disappointed :cry:

    Lol, bonking must mean something quite different in the uk
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,959 Member
    Bump. No runners?
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    I'm just bumping this for you. I think some people are confusing bonking and boinking. :wink:
  • Atrocity108
    Atrocity108 Posts: 328 Member
    I did that to myself on a 6 mile run when I was just starting to run. At about mile 4, my body starting feeling ill and I couldnt get my speed back. I stooped at Kroger and got an energy bar and felt all better.
  • Kirstyjem
    Kirstyjem Posts: 66 Member
    Oh well, that was not at all what I thought this thread was about! So disappointed :cry:

    Lol, bonking must mean something quite different in the uk

    Well it means something different NZ. And it's better than running :wink:
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,227 Member
    Bonking means something different in Australia... :laugh:
  • NYactor1
    NYactor1 Posts: 9,642 Member
    Oh well, that was not at all what I thought this thread was about! So disappointed :cry:

    I disappoint. Thought we were discussing something much different.
  • pobalita
    pobalita Posts: 741 Member
    It happened to me on the 20th mile of a 22 mile training run. I was only a mile from home and so out of it that I forgot I had my phone and could call for help. I walked home and laid on my shower floor for 45 minutes shaking and vomiting the recovery drink I was trying to get down. It was one of the worst feelings I've ever experienced.

    I think it happened to me because I didn't eat enough carbs during the week prior to the run.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,959 Member
    Bump for more stories please.
  • bunnypanther
    bunnypanther Posts: 110
    Oh well, that was not at all what I thought this thread was about! So disappointed :cry:

    Lol, bonking must mean something quite different in the uk

    Well it means something different NZ. And it's better than running :wink:

    Yep! I also thought this could be a rather different thread!

    But bonking does burn calories and could therefore be counted as an exercise!!
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,371 Member
    Oh well, that was not at all what I thought this thread was about! So disappointed :cry:

    Lol, bonking must mean something quite different in the uk

    And Australia :)
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    Oh well, that was not at all what I thought this thread was about! So disappointed :cry:


    This.

    I don't think OP thinks bonking means what I think bonking means.
  • jollyjoe321
    jollyjoe321 Posts: 529 Member
    Oh well, that was not at all what I thought this thread was about! So disappointed :cry:

    Easy tiger... :laugh:
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    Bump. No runners?

    I was out riding offroad once, after about 5 hours I suddenly found I could barely move. Even a couple of gels and water didn't help. Fortunately I was only a couple of km from home, but that too me nearly 40 minutes, rather than 5. I then slept for most of the day.

    It's not happened to me running.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Bonking against the wall sounds like a really great idea :bigsmile:



    Oh I see someone else has already picked up on the alternative UK meaning :wink:
  • Kazzam33
    Kazzam33 Posts: 210
    Hehehe she said bonking! :blushing:

    200.gif
  • jan3h
    jan3h Posts: 55 Member
    After hiking for about 3 hours down high steep steps, my quad muscles were so fatigued I could barely make my knees work, and I was pretty stuffed ( another way of saying this would be "I was rooted!" .... Go on, laugh all you Aussies & Kiwis reading this post). Anyway, I ate a slice of sweetened dried mango and this cheered me up immensely. I was still in pain and could hardly walk but my mind was back under my control. Wish I'd had another bit to eat about an hour later .............
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    I'm just bumping this for you. I think some people are confusing bonking and boinking. :wink:

    where I'm from bonking has a risque meaning. I've heard of boinking as well (same meaning), I think it may be a dialectual difference.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    OP: to answer your original question - this hasn't happened to me that I can recall but it's true the human body does not run efficiently on pure fat.... not just the brain, but also the muscles. You can maintain low intensity cardio when you run out of carbs (though mental confusion can be an issue as you discovered) but anything moderate to high intensity is not possible. This is why I don't think low carb diets are a good idea for most people (there may be some exceptions) because you burn more calories and perform much better in workouts, sport, and all physical activity with carbs in your system, and exercise is very important for health. The amount of carbs people need should be adjusted according to their activity levels.
  • natalee8
    natalee8 Posts: 34
    Oh well, that was not at all what I thought this thread was about! So disappointed :cry:

    Lol, bonking must mean something quite different in the uk



    Hehe I'm from the UK and it definitely means what you thought :p
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Oh well, that was not at all what I thought this thread was about! So disappointed :cry:

    Lol, bonking must mean something quite different in the uk

    i havent used the phrase 'bonking' since i was about 12!!!! :laugh:
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    I've never bonked before, but I have experienced muscle fatigue.

    I wanted to see how long it would take to cycle to and from work - about 50 km of rolling hills. About 5 km from home, my legs basically stopped producing any strength. It was such an odd feeling. I physically felt fine, I could still spin quickly and efficiently, but I had no strength whatsoever. The worst part was that my home was on top of the largest hill in the area and my legs started to give out before i reached the bottom of it.

    It took a very long time to get home, but after a days rest, I felt as if nothing had happened.

    ________________________________________________________________________________________________

    On a side note: To avoid bonking:

    If you are exercising for 1 or less hours, just drink 2, 500 mL bottles of water.

    If you are exercising for 1-2 hours, drink 1 500mL bottle of water and 1 500mL bottle of sports drink (Gatorade) every hour.

    If you are exercising for 2+ hours, drink the same as the 1-2 hours, but also eat 30g of carbs every hour in the form of a gel, candy, bread, fruit, whatever you can muster.

    If you are going for extreme lengths of time (4+ hours) you'll have to also add fat and protein to keep yourself sustained. I can't personally recommend anything specific. This is where every person works in different ways. They only way to find what works for you is trial and error (and maybe a coach/sports nutritionist).
  • StraubreyR
    StraubreyR Posts: 631 Member
    I have had this happen while biking. My balance is off, and I start feeling like I'm riding the same section of trail over and over. I have gotten better about refueling before I need it, and it hasn't happened lately.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    Hot humid day, 40km cycle followed immediately by 15km run. Only took gatorade on the cycle, didn't take anything on the run, not even fluids. Dumb.

    10km into the run I stopped sweating and hit the wall HARD. Got confused. Took wrong turns on a run I know like the back of my hand.

    Thankfully i had just enough of my wits left about me to ultimately sit by the side of the road and call my wife to pick me up. The combination of bonking and dehydration is deadly.
  • hermann341
    hermann341 Posts: 443 Member
    It looks like your description of hitting the wall is accurate. My understanding of it is that the disorientation you felt is your body making the switch from burning carbs to burning fat. I've read that there are long distance runners that train and fuel on all protein and fat, and rarely need fuel during a race.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    I've had it, but not from ultra long distance stuff but from working on a 37C, very humid poolside for too many hours. I'd only had water that day.
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    I'm just bumping this for you. I think some people are confusing bonking and boinking. :wink:

    where I'm from bonking has a risque meaning. I've heard of boinking as well (same meaning), I think it may be a dialectual difference.

    I told one of my NZ friends that I was rooting for her. Apparently that also has a different meaning! :laugh:
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    I'm just bumping this for you. I think some people are confusing bonking and boinking. :wink:

    where I'm from bonking has a risque meaning. I've heard of boinking as well (same meaning), I think it may be a dialectual difference.

    I told one of my NZ friends that I was rooting for her. Apparently that also has a different meaning! :laugh:

    LOL

    best one I heard.... in southern UK "chuffed" means "very happy" and if you put well before an adjective, it means very, e.g. "he's well 'ard" = he's very hard (or "badass" to give a USA version of the term)......... but up north, "chuffed" means, well, "bonked" and well is used the normal way, as in standard English.

    Southern girl went to live up north and was chatting with new work colleagues..... "I was well chuffed last night!!"

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